Yungang Caves, one of China's four most famous "Buddhist Caves Art Treasure Houses", islocated about sixteen kilometers west of Datong, Shanxi Province. There exists 53 caves, mostof which are made during the Northern Wei Dynasty between 460 and 494 AD, and over 51, 000 stone sculptures. It extends one kilometer from east to west and can be fallen into threemajor groups.

The first group (including Cave 1, Cave 2, Cave 3 and Cave 4) are at the eastern endseparated from others. Cave 1 and Cave 2 have suffered from rigors of time and the weather.Cave 3, an afterthought after the Northern Wei Dynasty, is the largest grotto among Yungangcaves.

Tours normally begin from the second group ranging from Cave 5 to Cave 13.Yungang artmanifests its best in this group. Cave 5 contains a seated Buddha with a height of 17 meters.In Cave 6, a 15-meter-high two storey pagoda pillar stands in the center of chamber and thelife of the Buddha from birth to the attainment of nirvana is carved in the pagoda walls and thesides of the cave. The Bodhisattva was engraved in Cave 7. The rare seen Shiva Statue inYungang with eight arms and four heads and riding on a bull is illustrated in Cave 8. Cave 9and Cave 10 are notable for front pillars and figures bearing musical instruments. Musiciansplaying instruments also appear in Cave 12. Cave 13 has the Buddha statue with a giantfigurine supporting its right arm.

The rest caves belong to the third group. Cave 14 has eroded severely. Cave 15 is named asthe Cave of Ten Thousand Buddha. The caves numbered 16 to Cave 20 are the oldest complexand each one symbolizes an emperor from the Northern Wei Dynasty and the subject of"Emperor is the Buddha" is embodied. The caves from No. 21 onward are built in the later timesand can not compare to their better preserved counterparts.

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1. Yungang Caves 云冈石窟