Yungang Grottoes
Yungang Grottoes
Cave 20 (Open-air Giant Buddha): The iconic symbol of Yungang, this 13.7-meter tall seated Shakyamuni Buddha was originally enclosed but is now open-air due to a cliff collapse centuries ago.
The "Tan Yao Five Caves" (Caves 16–20): The earliest grottoes, designed by the monk Tan Yao to represent the first five emperors of the Northern Wei as living Buddhas.
Cave 5 & 6: A magnificent pair containing the tallest Buddha (17 meters) and incredibly dense, colorful relief carvings depicting the life of Shakyamuni.
Fusion of Styles: Look for the "Yungang Style"—a blend of Indian Gandhara art, Persian influences, and emerging Chinese aesthetics.
Located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, the Yungang Grottoes are a masterpiece of 5th and 6th-century Chinese Buddhist cave art. Commissioned by the Northern Wei imperial court, the site features 252 caves and over 51,000 statues, representing a unique fusion of South and Central Asian religious symbolism with Chinese cultural traditions.
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