Yungang Grottoes
About Yungang Grottoes
The Yungang Grottoes are a monumental collection of Buddhist statues carved into a series of caves in a sandstone cliff. These magnificent carvings, which are 1500 years old and stretch out over a distance of one kilometer, include 51,000 Buddhist images—varying from thumb-size to 56 feet tall—in 51 different caves. Yungang is the largest and best preserved collection of Buddhist grottoes in China and has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Located on the outskirts of Datong City , today a coal mining center but once the political and cultural capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 – 534 AD), the Yungang Grottoes are one of the three major grotto complexes in China , the others being the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang and the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang in Gansu Province . Construction on Yungang began in 460 at the time of a Buddhist revival under Northern Wei Emperor Wencheng. Work continued until 494, when the capital moved to Luoyang and the grotto building efforts shifted to Longmen. Construction continued at Yungang, albeit on a smaller scale, until around 524, so the entire project was completed in just over 60 years. It is believed that as many as 40,000 workers and artists were employed to construct this honeycombed cave complex.
There is much foreign influence in the artwork at Yungang. With the spread of Buddhism in China , grotto art was introduced from India to northern China in the second to fourth centuries. In design, the grottoes have absorbed Indian artistic concepts and melded them with traditional Chinese art. It is believed that the artwork at Yungang might also have been influenced by cave art in Afghanistan . Many foreign craftsmen, mainly from India and Central Asia , worked on the construction of Yungang, and the carvings include Greek tridents and acanthus leaves, Persian symbols, and Indian deities.
While many of the carvings here have undoubtedly suffered from weathering and erosion, the grottoes are by-and-large in excellent shape. Layers of paint can still be seen in a number of caves, and the quality of many of the carvings is remarkable given that they are 1500 years old.
Yungang’s 51 caves are organized into three clusters, with caves 1 – 4 comprising the eastern section, caves 5 – 15 the central section, and 16 – 51 the western section. The caves are numbered from east to west, not in the order in which they were built. (The earliest carvings are in caves 16 – 20.) In general, the western caves are oval in shape, have no back chambers, and contain large sculptures; the central ones are rectangular, have front and back chambers, and contain carvings on the walls and roofs; and the eastern caves feature pagodas inside.
The Earliest Grottoes
Grottoes 16 – 20 are the earliest ones at Yungang and are known as the “Tan Yao Grottoes.” Following a period during which Buddhism was suppressed in the Northern Wei Dynasty by Emperor Tai Wu, there was a major Buddhist renaissance during the reign of Emperor Wen Cheng. An eminent monk named Tan Yao approached Emperor Wen Cheng and requested permission to carve five grottoes featuring five different figures of Buddha and to be modeled on the first five emperors of the dynasty, including Wen Cheng. (For this reason, it has been nicknamed “the Buddhist Mount Rushmore.”) Tan Yao was given permission to proceed, and he supervised the construction of the first five caves over a five-year period; it is for this reason that these first grottoes have been named after him.
The Tan Yao Grottoes are large in scale, and each one features a monumental Buddha—the tallest 16.8 meters tall, the shortest 13.5 meters—flanked by various Bodhisattvas. The design of these early grottoes was influenced by grotto art from India , particularly from Gandhara, which had recently been introduced to northern China . Gandhara is an area, now in Pakistan , where Indian, Buddhist, Greek, and Persian art were melded into a unique style and then introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty. (25 – 220 AD). These early grottoes feature large Buddha with limited detailing; the facial expressions are fairly plain and semi-circular patterns take the place of clothing folds. In this regard, these first statues largely imitate Buddha statues from India .
The Buddha in Cave 20 is particularly noteworthy and is the most frequently photographed statue at Yungang. Wind and rain have eroded the front wall and roof of the cave that houses this grand statue, which now is out in the open. Reportedly modeled on Emperor Wen Cheng, this Buddha bears a merciful, serene facial expression and a high-bridged nose, thin lips, and long earlobes.
The Central Caves
The next group of grottoes to be carved are Caves 5 – 11, Cave 11 being the last one carved before the court moved to Luoyang . They are considered by many to be the most spectacular at Yungang. The 17-meter tall statue of Sakyamani in Cave 5 is the largest Buddha in the Yungang Grottoes, and it is exquisitely carved. The grotto’s walls feature a series of Buddha figures, while flying Asparas are carved into the ceiling. Neighboring Cave 6 features a 15-meter tall structure with figures of Buddha on the lower part and a small nine-storey pagoda on the upper part. The east, south, and west walls depict the life story of Sakyamani through a series of carved pictures, and at the top of the grotto are 33 heavenly gods together with beasts for them to ride. The wooden pavilion in front of Caves 5 and 6 was built in 1651.
Other Sections
The eastern grottoes (Caves 1 – 4) all have pagoda-like structures within, while Caves 22 – 51 in the western section are generally considered to be less important, although still interesting.
The Yungang Grottoes took tens of thousands of workers dozens of years to construct and are considered one of the most impressive sites for historical Buddhist art in China .
Located on the outskirts of Datong City , today a coal mining center but once the political and cultural capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 – 534 AD), the Yungang Grottoes are one of the three major grotto complexes in China , the others being the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang and the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang in Gansu Province . Construction on Yungang began in 460 at the time of a Buddhist revival under Northern Wei Emperor Wencheng. Work continued until 494, when the capital moved to Luoyang and the grotto building efforts shifted to Longmen. Construction continued at Yungang, albeit on a smaller scale, until around 524, so the entire project was completed in just over 60 years. It is believed that as many as 40,000 workers and artists were employed to construct this honeycombed cave complex.
There is much foreign influence in the artwork at Yungang. With the spread of Buddhism in China , grotto art was introduced from India to northern China in the second to fourth centuries. In design, the grottoes have absorbed Indian artistic concepts and melded them with traditional Chinese art. It is believed that the artwork at Yungang might also have been influenced by cave art in Afghanistan . Many foreign craftsmen, mainly from India and Central Asia , worked on the construction of Yungang, and the carvings include Greek tridents and acanthus leaves, Persian symbols, and Indian deities.
While many of the carvings here have undoubtedly suffered from weathering and erosion, the grottoes are by-and-large in excellent shape. Layers of paint can still be seen in a number of caves, and the quality of many of the carvings is remarkable given that they are 1500 years old.
Yungang’s 51 caves are organized into three clusters, with caves 1 – 4 comprising the eastern section, caves 5 – 15 the central section, and 16 – 51 the western section. The caves are numbered from east to west, not in the order in which they were built. (The earliest carvings are in caves 16 – 20.) In general, the western caves are oval in shape, have no back chambers, and contain large sculptures; the central ones are rectangular, have front and back chambers, and contain carvings on the walls and roofs; and the eastern caves feature pagodas inside.
The Earliest Grottoes
Grottoes 16 – 20 are the earliest ones at Yungang and are known as the “Tan Yao Grottoes.” Following a period during which Buddhism was suppressed in the Northern Wei Dynasty by Emperor Tai Wu, there was a major Buddhist renaissance during the reign of Emperor Wen Cheng. An eminent monk named Tan Yao approached Emperor Wen Cheng and requested permission to carve five grottoes featuring five different figures of Buddha and to be modeled on the first five emperors of the dynasty, including Wen Cheng. (For this reason, it has been nicknamed “the Buddhist Mount Rushmore.”) Tan Yao was given permission to proceed, and he supervised the construction of the first five caves over a five-year period; it is for this reason that these first grottoes have been named after him.
The Tan Yao Grottoes are large in scale, and each one features a monumental Buddha—the tallest 16.8 meters tall, the shortest 13.5 meters—flanked by various Bodhisattvas. The design of these early grottoes was influenced by grotto art from India , particularly from Gandhara, which had recently been introduced to northern China . Gandhara is an area, now in Pakistan , where Indian, Buddhist, Greek, and Persian art were melded into a unique style and then introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty. (25 – 220 AD). These early grottoes feature large Buddha with limited detailing; the facial expressions are fairly plain and semi-circular patterns take the place of clothing folds. In this regard, these first statues largely imitate Buddha statues from India .
The Buddha in Cave 20 is particularly noteworthy and is the most frequently photographed statue at Yungang. Wind and rain have eroded the front wall and roof of the cave that houses this grand statue, which now is out in the open. Reportedly modeled on Emperor Wen Cheng, this Buddha bears a merciful, serene facial expression and a high-bridged nose, thin lips, and long earlobes.
The Central Caves
The next group of grottoes to be carved are Caves 5 – 11, Cave 11 being the last one carved before the court moved to Luoyang . They are considered by many to be the most spectacular at Yungang. The 17-meter tall statue of Sakyamani in Cave 5 is the largest Buddha in the Yungang Grottoes, and it is exquisitely carved. The grotto’s walls feature a series of Buddha figures, while flying Asparas are carved into the ceiling. Neighboring Cave 6 features a 15-meter tall structure with figures of Buddha on the lower part and a small nine-storey pagoda on the upper part. The east, south, and west walls depict the life story of Sakyamani through a series of carved pictures, and at the top of the grotto are 33 heavenly gods together with beasts for them to ride. The wooden pavilion in front of Caves 5 and 6 was built in 1651.
Other Sections
The eastern grottoes (Caves 1 – 4) all have pagoda-like structures within, while Caves 22 – 51 in the western section are generally considered to be less important, although still interesting.
The Yungang Grottoes took tens of thousands of workers dozens of years to construct and are considered one of the most impressive sites for historical Buddhist art in China .
Payment Accepted:
Getting there:
The Yungang Grottoes are located just 16 km west of Datong , the largest city in northern Shanxi . ( Datong , in turn, has an airport and is easily accessible by train to Beijing and Xian. It is about a 6-hour drive from Beijing or a 4-hour drive from Taiyuan .) The grottoes are easily accessible from Datong by car or bus in about half an hour.
[Flag as duplicate]
First To Review:
Jul 11, 2010
Datong region is very interesting. We slept in small "hotel" above the main bus station. It was very cheap but rooms hadn't windows. I think it was similar to brothel but in general it was quite funny experience. Besides of Yunganng you can visit also Hengshang. It is something like "hanging monastery".
Hotels Near Yungang Grottoes
Related Links
Travel insurance from Worldnomads.com
