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About Datong
Taking a trip back in time at Shanxi
Yungang Grottoes are a World Heritage-listed collection of 53 caves that punctuate Wuzhou Mountain and which contain more than 51,000 carved statues.
Some of the statues are as small as 2 centimeters, while the largest, a statue of Sakyamani in cave 5, is a lofty 17 meters high.
Construction of the caves first begun in AD 450 at the time of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 386-534). The varying styles of the caves and their statues show the changes of Buddhist art in China over time, from Indian and central-Asian influences through to Chinese influences.
The sculptures were also unmissable reminders of the day of the emperor's divinity. The largest caves, caves 16-20, known as the Tan Yao Caves, contained Buddhas that represented Emperors Taizu, Taizong, Shizu, Gaozong and Gaozu.
So grand and powerful are the stone carvings that it can momentarily feel like something out of an Indiana Jones film. Towering Buddhas rise above visitors, so large that their faces can only be seen through open second-story windows in the cave.
Stretching for about 1 kilometer from east to west, the mountain on one side, landscaping on the other, Yungang Grottoes feel relaxed and spacious.
And while many like to suggest certain caves as "the best" ones to see, a two-hour visit will give you plenty of time to see them all before the journey back to Beijing.
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The Hanging Monastery, seemingly balanced on the face of a gorge, is strong enough to handle great crowds of tourists keen to take in the view. |
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