The treasure of Chinese grotto art

The Yungang Grottoes, originally named Lingyan Temple, Shifo Temple, are located on the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, 17 kilometers west of Datong City in Shanxi Province, and are one of China's famous grotto groups. The excavation of the Yungang Grottoes began during the Northern Wei Dynasty. In the third year of Emperor Wencheng's reign, Emperor Tuoba Gui moved the capital from Shengle to Pingcheng (present-day Datong), making Wuzhou Mountain a strategic point between Shengle and Pingcheng. After Emperor Wencheng ascended the throne, he ordered the monk Tanyao to preside over the great undertaking of restoring Buddhism. With the support of Emperor Wencheng, Tanyao chose the spiritually endowed Wuzhou Mountain, 'carved into the mountain walls, opened five caves, each with a Buddha statue, the tallest being seventy feet, the next sixty feet, with exquisite carvings and decorations, unrivaled in the world.' Most of the Yungang Grottoes were completed before the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang, but the statue-making project continued until the Zhengguang period of the Northern Wei Dynasty (520~525). The excavation of the Yungang Grottoes took about 150 years, spanning the Northern Wei, Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, and Tang dynasties. There are currently 45 main caves, 252 large and small niches, and over 59,000 stone sculptures, making it the treasure of Chinese grotto art.