Don't miss the magnificent Yungang Grottoes when you visit Datong

The Yungang Grottoes are located in Wuzhou Mountain, west of Datong City, Shanxi Province. They were primarily excavated during the Northern Wei Dynasty when the capital was Pingcheng (now Datong). After the capital moved to Luoyang, the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang were excavated. Unlike the Longmen Grottoes, which have caves from the Tang and Song dynasties, the Yungang Grottoes mainly feature stone carvings from the Northern Wei period. The statues blend characteristics of ancient India and the Western Regions. Taking a bus to the Yungang Grottoes, the journey was supposed to take less than an hour, but due to traffic, it took almost an extra hour. Fortunately, I had a seat from the start. The crowds and traffic at one of the four major grottoes were indeed overwhelming. There are 45 existing caves in the Yungang Grottoes, but only caves 1-20 were excavated by the royal family and are the highlights for visitors. Caves 21-45 were excavated by the common people and are relatively smaller. Although some caves were under renovation and not open to the public, the open caves feature statues that blend Eastern and Western art, including elements from India, Central Asia, Greece, and Rome. We were constantly amazed by the stunning artistry. The most representative is the 13.75-meter-high open-air seated statue of Shakyamuni in Cave 20. The statue has a semi-circular face, deep-set eyes, a high nose, large eyes, and thin lips, retaining typical facial features of ethnic minorities from the Western Regions and Indians. The tallest Buddha statue in Yungang is the 17-meter-high Shakyamuni statue on the north wall of the rear chamber in Cave 5. Caves 9 to 13 feature exquisite paintings, while Caves 16 to 20, known as the Five Caves of Tanyao, are the earliest excavated group of caves in Yungang. Despite the crowds, it's worth patiently queuing to admire each cave. We spent most of the day there and reluctantly left, truly admiring the superb craftsmanship of ancient artisans. Don't miss the magnificent Yungang Grottoes when you visit Datong.