Yungang Grottoes

Northern Wei cave temples in a sandstone cliff; the seated Buddha of Cave 20, exposed when its front wall fell, is the icon.

There are 53 major caves, about 1,100 smaller ones, and roughly 51,000 niches holding Buddha statues. The cliff is about 800 metres long. Together with Longmen and Mogao, Yungang is one of China's three most famous ancient Buddhist sculpture sites, and it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001. It is also rated a AAAAA scenic area in China.

History

The Northern Wei rulers made Buddhism their state religion, and travellers brought the faith along the northern Silk Road. The first stage of carving lasted until about 465 and produced caves 16 to 20, with giant Buddhas. A second phase began around 471 and went on until 494, and work continued in smaller ways until about 525. UNESCO calls the site a masterpiece of early Chinese Buddhist cave art that blends styles from south and central Asia with Chinese traditions.

The great Buddha of Cave 20

The most famous image is the seated Buddha of Cave 20. The front wall of the cave collapsed long ago, so the huge statue now sits in the open air, facing the sunshine. On top of the cliff stands a fort from the Ming dynasty, built many centuries after the caves were carved. Around it stand many other smaller caves and niches, so the whole cliff face looks like a honeycomb filled with statues.

On the globe

The model shows cave temples in a sandstone cliff, with the seated Buddha of Cave 20 as the centrepiece.