What are the scenic spots around Yungang Grottoes in Shanxi?

Yungang Grottoes, located in the northern cliff of Wuzhou Mountain in the western suburb of Datong City, Shanxi Province, is one of the largest ancient grottoes in China, with a length of 1000 meters from east to west, 45 existing main grottoes, 252 large and small grottoes and more than 5 1000 stone carvings. According to documents, during the peaceful years of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 460-465), the famous monk Yao Tan presided over the construction of five grottoes in Wuzhousai (Pingcheng, now Datong) in the suburbs of Beijing. The existing 16-20 grottoes in Yungang were the earliest so-called "Tan Yao's fifth grottoes". Most of the other major caves were completed before Emperor Xiaowen moved to Luoyang in the 18th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 494). Judging from the age inscriptions and artistic styles preserved in the grottoes, this magnificent art project is basically a relic of the Northern Wei Dynasty, with a history of 1500 years. There are 53 existing caves and 5 1000 stone carvings. The highest Buddha statue is 17 meters, and the smallest is only a few centimeters. Yungang Grottoes are famous for their magnificent momentum, rich content and fine carving. Li Daoyuan, an ancient geographer, described it this way: "Because of the rock structure, the truth is huge and rare in the world. Shantang is opposite to Shuitang. " This is a true portrayal of the magnificent scenery of the grottoes at that time. The sculpture in Yungang Grottoes absorbs and draws lessons from the Indian Gandhara Buddhism art, and at the same time organically integrates the traditional artistic style of China, which has a very important position in the history of sculpture art in the world. Today, it has become a tourist attraction that Chinese and foreign tourists admire and yearn for. Yungang Grottoes, one of the three largest grottoes in China, is a world-famous art treasure house.

Among dozens of caves in Yungang, the fifth cave of Tan Yao is the earliest and the most magnificent. Wuliu Cave and Wuhua Cave are rich and colorful, which are the essence of Yungang art.

Cave 1 and 2

The two caves are double caves, located at the eastern end of Yungang Grottoes. The two-story square tower is carved in the center of the cave, and the back wall stands like Maitreya Buddha. Most of the four-walled Buddha statues are weathered and denuded, with Vimo and Manjusri carved on both sides of the cave entrance on the south wall, and the relief of the original story of the Buddha statue on the lower part of the east wall is well preserved. There is a square three-story tower column in the center of the second cave, with three pavilions carved on all sides of each floor and five small towers carved on the inner wall of the cave, which is the image data for studying the architecture of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The third cave

This cave is the largest in Yungang Grottoes. The broken wall in front is about 25 meters high, which is said to be the translation building in Yao Tan. The cave is divided into front and back rooms, with a Maitreya cave in the middle of the upper part of the front room and a pair of three-story square towers on the left and right. There are three statues carved on the south and west side of the back room, which are round in appearance, full of muscles, fine in corolla and smooth in clothing lines. The height of the Buddha sitting on this statue is about 10 meter, and the height of the two bodhisattvas is 6.2 meters each. Judging from the styles and carving techniques of these three statues, they may have been carved in the early Tang Dynasty (7th century AD).

Cave 4

There is a rectangular cylinder carved in the center of the cave, six Buddha statues carved on the north and south sides, and three Buddha statues carved on the east and west sides. Above the cave gate in the south wall is the inscription of Zheng Guangnian in the Northern Wei Dynasty (520-525 AD), which is the latest inscription of Yungang Grottoes.

Cave 5

Located in the middle of Yungang Grottoes, it is a group of double caves composed of six caves. The cave is divided into two rooms, the front and back. The north wall of the back room is the third Buddha, and the central sitting statue is 17 meters high, which is the largest Buddha statue in Yungang Grottoes. The cave walls are covered with carved niches and Buddha statues. On both sides of the archway, there are two Buddha statues sitting on the top of bodhi trees, which are embossed and fly beautifully. There are five four-story pavilions in front of the two caves, and the existing buildings were rebuilt in the eighth year of Shunzhi in the early Qing Dynasty (AD 165 1).

Cave 6

The plane of the cave is nearly square, and the center is a two-story square tower column connecting the top of the cave, which is about 15 meters high. Below the tower is a large niche, with a Buddha statue carved in the south, a Buddha statue carved in the west, a sitting statue of Ying Duobao carved in the north and a Maitreya statue carved in the east. On the two sides of the pagoda, east, south, two or three sides of the cave wall and two sides of the open window, 33 reliefs depicting the Buddhist story of Sakyamuni from birth to enlightenment were carved. This cave is the most representative one in Yungang Grottoes. It is magnificent in scale, rich in sculpture and exquisite in technology.

Caves 7 and 8

The two holes are a group of double holes with three layers of wooden eaves in front. The seven caves are divided into front and back rooms, with three main statues of Buddha on the north wall of the back room, and Bunsen story reliefs and shrines showing Buddhist stories on the east, west and south walls. The ceiling of the cave is a flying balance chess, and the upper part of the south wall arch is beautifully carved with six heavenly bodies; The statues with eight holes and four walls are badly weathered. On the west side of the arch, there is a sculpture of Luotian riding a peacock with five heads and six arms, and on the east side, there is a sculpture of Luotian with a Moluga head. Sculpture skills and modeling are relatively mature, and this theme is a rare special case in Yungang Cave.

Caves 9 and 10

The two caves are a group of double caves, and the nine caves are divided into front and rear chambers, with the south wall of the front chamber chiseled into octagonal columns. Cut a window on the door of the back room cave. There are three wood-like niches carved on the east and west walls of the front room, and the walls are full of carved Buddha statues and flying sky. The main image of the north wall of the posterior chamber is Sakyamuni Buddha; Ten holes are also divided into four rooms: front, back, middle and back. There are carved patterns inside and outside the door arch, which are rigorous in structure and rich in changes.

Caves 1 1 to 13

These three caves are classified as grottoes. There are square columns in the middle of the eleven holes and niches on all sides. On the upper part of the east wall, there is a statue inscription in the seventh year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 483), which is an important material for studying the excavation history of Yungang Grottoes. The facade of the twelve-hole atrium is chiseled into the eaves of three wood-like buildings. There are also three wooden-like shrines carved on the east and west walls, and a geisha Lotte is carved on the top of the cave, holding musical instruments such as flute, flute and drum. The seven Buddha statues in the upper part of the south wall of Cave 13 and the offerings of heaven and man in the lower part of the east wall are the best products of this cave.

Cave 16

Caves 16 to 20 are the first five caves in Yungang Grottoes, and the sixteen caves, commonly called "Tan Yao Caves", are flat and oval. In the middle of the main statue, the statue of Sakyamuni is 13.5 meters high, standing on the lotus pedestal, and there are thousands of Buddha halls carved on the surrounding walls.

Cave 17

The main statue is the third Buddha, with a Maitreya statue in the middle, which is 15.6 meters high. There are niches on the east and west walls, sitting statues on the east and standing statues on the west. The Buddhist shrine in the 13th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 489) on the east side of the Ming window was later carved.

Cave 18

The main statue is Buddha III, and the Buddha Sakyamuni in the middle is 15.5 meters high. The disciples on the upper part of the East Wall are very skilled in carving, which is a masterpiece.

Cave 19

The main statue is the III statue, which is a sitting statue of Sakyamuni in the cave, with a height of16.8m, making it the second largest statue in Yungang Grottoes. Two ear holes are cut out of the hole, and each is carved with an 8-meter sitting statue.

Cave 20

Before Liao Dynasty, the cave front belt collapsed and the statue was completely open. The statue is a sitting statue of Sakyamuni in the middle, with a height of 13.7 meters. This statue has a full face, broad shoulders, magnificent shape and vigorous spirit. It is a masterpiece of carving art in Yungang Grottoes.