Shanxi Datong Yungang Grottoes | Awaken the devout Big Buddha.

Chinese grottoes flourished in the Wei and Jin dynasties and reached their peak in the Sui and Tang dynasties. After a thousand years, the most famous are the Mogao Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes, and Yungang Grottoes, which are known as the three major grottoes in China and are masterpieces of Chinese grottoes art. They have been listed as World Cultural Heritage sites. 🗺️Travel route: Danyao Square: There is a statue of Master Danyao, the founder of the Yungang Grottoes. 🪷LIFO Avenue: Walk along LIFO Avenue and experience the solemnity and sacredness of Buddhist culture. 🪷Lingyan Temple: Lingyan Temple is a building imitating the Northern Wei period. The Buddha statues and murals in the temple are very exquisite. 🪷Grotto group: There are currently 45 main grottoes in the Yungang Grottoes, divided into three areas: east, middle, and west. Among them, Caves 5-15 are the most important and are recommended for a visit. 🪷Yungang Museum: The museum displays the history and culture of the Yungang Grottoes, as well as some precious cultural relics and artworks. Artwork. ❗️Must-see highlights: 👍Cave 3 (Lingyan Temple Cave): The largest cave in Yungang, the main Amitabha Buddha is 10 meters high, with a detached sitting posture. The bodhisattvas on both sides wear crowns, exquisite and solemn. 👍Cave 5 (Big Buddha Cave): The seated Buddha on the north wall of the cave is 17 meters high, the tallest Buddha statue in Yungang, with a magnificent momentum and a Tang Dynasty style. 👍Cave 20 (White Buddha Cave): An open-air seated statue of Sakyamuni, 13.75 meters high, with a semi-circular face, deep eyes and a high nose, retaining typical Western features. The clothing lines are clean and worth savoring. 📷Photo check-in point: 🎈Terrace on the west side of Cave 20: You can take a perfect photo with the Big Buddha. 🎈Lingyan Temple: The temple's buildings and Buddha statues are very suitable for taking photos. 🎈Grotto group: Take photos in front of different grottoes to record different Buddha statues and murals. The grotto group has the following characteristics: 🥹Large scale: There are currently 45 main grottoes and 209 subsidiary grottoes, with a total carving area of over 18,000 square meters. 🥹Long history: Started in 453 AD, most of them were completed before the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital to Luoyang (494 AD), and subsequent statue-making projects continued until the Zhengguang period of Emperor Xiaoming of the Northern Wei Dynasty (520~525 AD) 🥹Diverse styles: The early "Danyao Five Caves" are magnificent, with a strong and simple Western atmosphere; the middle-period stone carvings are known for their ornate and complex decorations, symbolizing the magnificence of the Northern Wei Dynasty; the late-period cave rooms are smaller, but well-proportioned, with slender and beautiful figures. 🎨High artistic value: The Yungang Grottoes are one of the largest ancient grotto groups in China and one of the world's renowned stone carving art treasures. They are of great reference value for the study of the history of Buddhism in northern China, the culture of the Northern Wei Dynasty, history, art, and folklore. 🎫Tickets: Adult tickets during peak season are around 120 yuan 🕑Opening hours: 🔥Peak season (April 1-October 31) 9:00-17:00, 💧Off-season (November 1-March 31) 9:00-16:00. 🚶Transportation options: ✈️Airplane: Datong Yungang Airport, take the airport bus to Datong Hotel and transfer to Route 17 to Xinkai Li, then transfer to Route 3 bus directly to Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area. 🚄Train: Datong Railway Station, take the express tourist bus 603 directly to the scenic area or take Route 4 bus to the bus company station, then transfer to Route 3 bus from Tongquan Road West Ring Road intersection to Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area.