In the western suburbs of Datong City, Shanxi Province, a huge group of grotto statues stands majestically at the foot of Wuzhou (Zhou) Mountain.
This is the Yungang Grottoes. There are 254 niches and more than 59,000 statues.
Li Daoyuan, a famous geographer in the Northern Wei Dynasty, recorded the grand scene of the Yungang Grottoes in the "Shui Jing Zhu": "The stone was cut to open the mountain, because of the rock structure, the real appearance is huge, and the world is rare. Mountain halls and water halls, The Yan Temple faces each other, and the Linyuan Jinjing is dazzling." It's like a history book carved on the cliff rock.
The Yungang Grottoes have integrated the essence of Xianbei, Han and other ethnic groups as well as Central Asian cultures. They are the magnificent treasures of Northern Wei civilization, the pinnacle of Chinese Buddhist art, and the crystallization of exchanges and integration of various ethnic groups.
Walk into this art palace more than 1,500 years ago and feel its magnificence.
(produced by Niu Ye Studio)