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The Yungang Caves (Yungang Grottoes), Shanxi Province

yungang cave

The Yungang Grottoes is located about 16 km west of Datong city, Shanxi Province. Starting in the middle of the 5th century, it has a history of more than 1500 years. The Yungang Grottoes is one of the three largest groups in China that shares the honor with the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang and Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang.

Consisting of 45 caves with 51000 stone statues, Yungang Grottoes is one of the largest groups of ancient chinese grottoes.
Yungang Grottoes, with their variety of cultural significance, elegant carving preserve the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese Nation and and culture heritage to be shared with the world.
It is now listed as the World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The caves extend about 1km from east to west and are divided into 3 major groups. The grouping of the caves is seemingly haphazard, but it's possible to follow stylistic changes in the carvings as influences ebbed and flowed. Persian, Indian, even Greek and Byzantine influences can be seen in the rock carvings from the weapons, music instruments and clothing displayed.

Normally, visitors taking their tour begin at Caves 5 to 20.


CAVE 5 (A.D. 470 - 493)
Cave 5 forms a pair with cave 6. Each has the front and back chambers.
The main statues in the back chamber of cave 5 show the Trikala Buddhas, the seated statue of Sakyamuni, 17 metres high in the middle of the northern wall, is the largest Buddha in The Yungang Caves. All over the inner surface of the cave are carved with niches and Buddhist statues. On both reveals of the arched doorway are two Buddhas sitting face to face under a bodhi tree. In front of these two caves stands a four-storeyed wooden structure rebuilt in the 8th year of Shunzhi's reign at the beginning of the Qing Dynasty (1651 A.D.)

CAVE 6 (A.D. 470 - 493)
In the center of the back chamber stands square pillar with the shape of a two-storeyed pagoda, which reaches up to the ceiling. Both sides of the east, south and west of the walls are reliefs depecting strories of Sakyamuni's life.

CAVE 7 (A.D. 470 - 493)
This cave forms a pair with cave 8. In front of this cave is a three-storeyed wooden structure. Cave 7 has the front and back chambers. The main statues on the upper section of the north wall in the back chamber are the Trikala Buddhas. The images of Sakyamuni in meditation on the two reveals of the window are the important historical material for studying Buddhist ideology in the northern Wei Dynasty.

CAVE 8 (A.D. 470 - 493)
The design and form of this cave are similar to those of cave 7. The celestial gardians are carved on the two reveals of the entrance. The east one is the statue of Siva Mahesvara riding on a white bull which has three heads and eight arms holding the gun, the moon, bows & arrows as well as grapes.
The west one is the statue of vishnu in appearance of a boy (Kumarakadeva) riding on a peacock with his hands holding chicken.

CAVE 9 (A.D. 470 - 493)
This cave forms a pair with cave 10, and also consists of the front and back chambers. On the south wall of the front chamber are carved octagonal pillars. On the east and west walls of the front chamber are niches carved in the form of three-roomed house. The ceiling of the cave is decorated with flying celestials and lotus blossom. The main statue on the north wall of back chamber is Sakyamuni Buddha and Bodhisatvas, are sculpted on the east and west sides. On the other walls are carved niches depecting the Jataka stories about the principal and subsidiary causes.

CAVE 10 (A.D. 470 - 493)
The northern entrance of the front chamber is carved with designs of lotus flower, human figures, birds, and animals. At its upper part is mount Sumeru with peaks in line on the top and two colling dragons in the middle of the mount. The trees and animals in the mount, and the incarnated boys at the bottom of the mount are vividly carved. Flying asparases on the ceiling are sculpted in graceful postures. The main image on the north wall in the back chamber is Maitreya.

CAVE 12 (A.D. 470 - 493)
This cave is devided into the front and back chambers. The outer wall surface of the front chamber is carved with wood-imitated roofs and eaves as well as four columns, thus resembling a three-room hall. On the wall of the front chamber are carved with various niches Buddhas. The top part of the north wall is decorated with a carved band of celestial musician (Gandharva Devas).

CAVE 13 (A.D. 470 - 493)
The main image is a cross-legged Maitreya, wearing a jewelled crown, a bracelet and a snake-shaped necklace. His right arm is supported from underneath by Vajra. Above the entrance of the south wall are the sculptured figures of seven standing Buddhas, wearing loose gowns with wide ribbons. On each reveal of the window is a Bodhisatva with plump and strong body in exquisited craftmanship.

CAVE 14 (A.D. 494 - 525)
The four pillars in the cave have collapsed. Only the west wall has been survived and kept in fairly good condition, which show a carved building in the shape of a one-storeyed pagoda and depicts the story of Vimalakirti.

CAVE 15
The cave, rectangularly shaped in plane, enjoys the reputation of a "Thousands-Buddhas cave" as it is carved with Buddhist images all over its surface walls. On the top of the shrine in the center of its western wall are carved algae, fish, bird in relief. There can also be seen a groups of sea gulls flying in the sky and fishes swimming in the water in vivid and graceful shapes.

CAVE 16 (A.D. 460 - 465)
Cave 16 to 20 are the five earliest caves at Yungang Grottoes site, which were constructed under supervision of the head monk of Tanyao during the reign of He Ping (A.D. 460 - 465) of emperor Wen Cheng. They are now generally known as the "Five Caves of monk Tanyao". The main statue, 13.5 metres high, is a standing Sakyamuni with curly hair, wearing a loose gown with wide ribbon tied up in front of his chest.

CAVE 17 (A.D. 460 - 465)
A crossed-legged Maitreya, 15.6 metres high, is carved on the north wall, and a standing Buddha on the west wall, which are generally named "The Trikala Buddhas". The offering celestial on the right side of the niche in the west wall is vividly sculpted and gracefully shaped, with a hair-bun on his head, a wide ribbon arround his arms, long skirt around his lower body and a lotus bud on his hands.

CAVE 18 (A.D. 460 - 465)
The main images are the Trikala Buddhas. The Sakyamuni Buddha, 15.5 metre high on the north wall wears a Kasaya with a design of Thousands-Buddhas. His hand holds a corner of his Kasaya up to his chest. The upper section of the east wall is covered a group of Buddhist diciples, one having deep eye sockets and a high nose with elderly appearance; one being radiant in smile and the other wearing a look of thorough understanding.

CAVE 19 (A.D. 460 - 465)
The main images are The Trikala Buddhas. The seated Sakyamuni in the main cave is 16.8 metres high, the second largest in The Yungang caves, wearing a well-decorated Kasaya. He has a squarely-round face, broad shoulders and long earlobes down to his shoulders. On the east and west sides of the main cave are two adjacent chambers, each housing a seated Buddha.

CAVE 20 (A.D. 460 - 465)
The statues are no longer roofed over due to the collapse of its front wall before the Liao Dynasty. The main images are the Trikala Buddhas. On the north wall is a statue of seated Sakyamuni 13.7 metres high. This Buddha, with his plump face and broad shoulders, is a typical example of the sculptural art of the Yungang caves. A standing Buddha on the east side looks dignified in a kasaya. The other one on the west side was damaged long time ago.

CAVE 21 - 45 (A.D 494 - 525)
The caves in the west section of The Yungang Grottoes site vary greatly in style. Such as those with three niches, those with niches in two layers or those with thousands of little tiny niches as well as those in a temple style with a pagoda shaped pillar in the center. The statues, characterized by their slim appearances, show a strong style of the Han nationality.



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