Yungang Grottoes

Located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, 16 kilometers west of Datong City, Shanxi Province, it is carved into the mountain and stretches for about one kilometer from east to west. It is magnificent and rich in content. There are 45 major caves, 252 large and small niches, and more than 51,000 statues, representing China's outstanding Buddhist grotto art from the 5th to 6th centuries AD. Among them, the Tan Yao Five Grottoes have a rigorous and unified layout design and are masterpieces of the peak period of Chinese Buddhist art. The statues in the scenic Yungang Grottoes are majestic and rich in content. They are the crown of Chinese stone carving art in the 5th century AD and are known as the treasure house of ancient Chinese carving art. According to the time of excavation, it can be divided into three phases: early, middle and late. The styles of grotto sculptures in different periods also have their own characteristics. In addition, the music, dance and acrobatic sculptures left in the grottoes also reflect the popular Buddhist thought at that time and the social life of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Looking at the group of Buddhas, in this stone sculpture group that stretches for one kilometer, the statues range from more than ten meters in size to stone sculptures as small as a few centimeters. Huge boulders lie across the way, and the stone sculptures are everywhere, which is very spectacular. Their shapes are very moving: some are sitting in the middle, lifelike, playing drums or ringing bells, holding piccolos, singing and dancing, or holding pipa in their arms, facing tourists. The wisdom and hardships of the ancient working people are reflected in the faces, bodies, and clothing patterns of these Buddha statues, flying gods, and patrons. These Buddha statues and musician carvings also clearly reveal Persian colors. This is a historical testimony of the friendly exchanges between ancient Chinese people and other countries. The Yungang Grottoes are the crystallization of creative work based on the traditional Chinese sculpture art, absorbing and integrating the characteristics of Indian Gandhara art and Persian art. The larger one is Cave 6 (excavated during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of Wei Dynasty), which is 20 meters high from the ground to the top of the cave. A large tower pillar about 60 square meters wide stands in the center, which is connected to the top of the cave. The entire tower pillar and cave wall are inlaid with There are large and small Buddhist niches and various decorations, and you can't find a gap without carvings. Most of the Yungang Grottoes were created before Emperor Xiaowen of Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang. The shape of Buddha statues is generally thick lips, high nose, long eyes, broad shoulders, strong and vigorous, and the physical appearance reflects the characteristics of ethnic minorities. The big Buddha statue is tall and majestic, showing its unique and unparalleled majesty. The other stone statues are each as low as the other according to their grades, and they all obey the big Buddha statue. Together with Feitian and Dwarf, they serve the Buddha. Feitian holds a musical instrument and flies in the sky, expressing the joy of serving under the shadow of the Buddha. The dwarf has a short stature and a strong torso. He is carved on the base of the niche, the base of the seat, under the beam, on the top of the column, etc. He lifts heavy objects with great strength, but his expression is still very happy, indicating that it is a happy thing to perform heavy duties for the Buddha. The big Buddha symbolizes the emperor, the other stone statues at all levels represent ministers and ministers, and the flying dwarfs represent various slaves and people serving in the service. The Yungang Grottoes are a treasure of ancient Chinese sculpture art and one of the world-famous large-scale grottoes. art Artists liken it to "the Roman stone sculptures of the East". Some people find that these stone carvings combine Chinese and Western art, so they have special charm. History and Culture Yungang Grottoes have a history of more than 1,500 years. They were first built in 460 AD and were excavated by Tan Yao, a Buddhist monk at that time. The existing Yungang Grottoes are one of the national key cultural relics protection units announced by the State Council in 1961. The Yungang Grottoes vividly record the historical trajectory of the development of Buddhist art from India and Central Asia to Chinese Buddhist art, reflecting the gradual secularization and nationalization of Buddhist statues in China. A variety of Buddhist artistic sculpture styles have achieved unprecedented integration in the Yungang Grottoes, and the resulting "Yungang Model" has become a turning point in the development of Chinese Buddhist art. The Northern Wei Dynasty statues in the Mogao Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes in Dunhuang were not fully influenced by the Yungang Grottoes. The Yungang Grottoes are the beginning of the "Sinicization" of grotto art. The Chinese palace architectural style carvings that appeared in the Yungang Grottoes in the middle period, and the Chinese-style Buddhist niches developed on this basis, were widely used in the construction of cave temples in later generations. The layout and decoration of the late Yungang Grottoes more prominently display the strong Chinese architectural and decorative style, reflecting the continuous deepening of the "Sinicization" of Buddhist art. Over the past 1,500 years, the Yungang Grottoes have been severely damaged due to weathering, water erosion and earthquakes. The caves have also been vandalized. According to incomplete statistics, as many as 1,000 Buddha heads and statues have been stolen overseas. There are more than 1,400, and the traces of ax and chisel are still there to this day. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, many large-scale maintenance projects have been carried out on the Yungang Grottoes under the care of the party and the government, so that the ancient art treasure house has been properly protected. . Some people find that these stone carvings combine Chinese and Western art, so they have special charm. History and Culture Yungang Grottoes have a history of more than 1,500 years. They were first built in 460 AD and were excavated by Tan Yao, a Buddhist monk at that time. The existing Yungang Grottoes are one of the national key cultural relics protection units announced by the State Council in 1961. The Yungang Grottoes vividly record the historical trajectory of the development of Buddhist art from India and Central Asia to Chinese Buddhist art, reflecting the gradual secularization and nationalization of Buddhist statues in China. A variety of Buddhist artistic sculpture styles have achieved unprecedented integration in the Yungang Grottoes, and the resulting "Yungang Model" has become a turning point in the development of Chinese Buddhist art. The Northern Wei Dynasty statues in the Mogao Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes in Dunhuang were not fully influenced by the Yungang Grottoes. The Yungang Grottoes are the beginning of the "Sinicization" of grotto art. The Chinese palace architectural style carvings that appeared in the Yungang Grottoes in the middle period, and the Chinese-style Buddhist niches developed on this basis, were widely used in the construction of cave temples in later generations. The layout and decoration of the late Yungang Grottoes more prominently display the strong Chinese architectural and decorative style, reflecting the continuous deepening of the "Sinicization" of Buddhist art. Over the past 1,500 years, the Yungang Grottoes have been severely damaged due to weathering, water erosion and earthquakes. The caves have also been vandalized. According to incomplete statistics, as many as 1,000 Buddha heads and statues have been stolen overseas. There are more than 1,400, and the traces of ax and chisel are still there to this day. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, many large-scale maintenance projects have been carried out on the Yungang Grottoes under the care of the party and the government, so that the ancient art treasure house has been properly protected. . Some people find that these stone carvings combine Chinese and Western art, so they have special charm. History and Culture Yungang Grottoes have a history of more than 1,500 years. They were first built in 460 AD and were excavated by Tan Yao, a Buddhist monk at that time. The existing Yungang Grottoes are one of the national key cultural relics protection units announced by the State Council in 1961. The Yungang Grottoes vividly record the historical trajectory of the development of Buddhist art from India and Central Asia to Chinese Buddhist art, reflecting the gradual secularization and nationalization of Buddhist statues in China. A variety of Buddhist artistic sculpture styles have achieved unprecedented integration in the Yungang Grottoes, and the resulting "Yungang Model" has become a turning point in the development of Chinese Buddhist art. The Northern Wei Dynasty statues in the Mogao Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes in Dunhuang were not fully influenced by the Yungang Grottoes. The Yungang Grottoes are the beginning of the "Sinicization" of grotto art. The Chinese palace architectural style carvings that appeared in the Yungang Grottoes in the middle period, and the Chinese-style Buddhist niches developed on this basis, were widely used in the construction of cave temples in later generations. The layout and decoration of the late Yungang Grottoes more prominently display the strong Chinese architectural and decorative style, reflecting the continuous deepening of the "Sinicization" of Buddhist art. Over the past 1,500 years, the Yungang Grottoes have been severely damaged due to weathering, water erosion and earthquakes. The caves have also been vandalized. According to incomplete statistics, as many as 1,000 Buddha heads and statues have been stolen overseas. There are more than 1,400, and the traces of ax and chisel are still there to this day. Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, many large-scale maintenance projects have been carried out on the Yungang Grottoes under the care of the party and the government, so that the ancient art treasure house has been properly protected.