Yungang Caves

candid China tips

 

Why the
Yungang Caves
are special

Yungang Caves are China's greatest single venue of Buddhist statues. They were carved 1500 years ago.

Yungang Caves
tips & insights

Statistics

Yungang Caves consist of 53 caves and 51,000 statues depicting Buddha and his life. Statues height ranges in extremes from thumb size to 17 meters (55 feet). The cave complex and statuary were created by 40,000 workers.

Creation

Most of the significant caves were carved out in the 5th century. Then, the serious carving was suddenly ceased as the realm moved its imperial seat to a distant city. The grottoes and statues were physically easy to carve out because sandstone rock is a relatively soft stone, a sculptor's dream. Few of the statues are free standing. Most were carved directly into the cave walls (the hollows created niches for the statues).

Must-visit caves

Be sure to reserve ample time for these:

Cave 5
Extensively carved. This is the artistic glory of the Yungang caves.
Cave 11
Notable for its thousands of  Buddhist carvings on the walls and ceilings.
Cave 18
The home of a tall Buddha statue.
Cave 6
Boasts a seated Buddha of giant proportions.
Cave 20
Houses the giant seated Buddha shown in the above photo. It is bathed in sun light because its wall collapsed, exposing the statue to the outdoors.

Monks

Once, thousands of Buddhist monks lived within the Yungang Caves complex.

Nearest major city

The Yungang Caves lie 16 kilometers (10 miles) west of Datong in Shanxi province.  See map below for general location of that province.

Pronunciation guide

Yungang:  yoo'ng-gahng

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©2010 HQP / Hillman Quality Publications