Yungang Caves- China tips by travel authority Howard Hillman

Yungang Caves

China travel tips
you can trust

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 and insights

Number

A few interesting statistics illustrating Yungang's massive construction and artistic endeavors:

Caves and statues

Yungang Caves have 53 caves and 51,000 statues depicting Buddha and his life.

Size

Statue heights ranges in extremes from thumb size to 17 meters (55 feet).

Workforce

The cave complex and statuary were created by 40,000 workers.

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.

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