Yungang Grottoes in Datong: Preserving History Carved in Stone!

In the first year of the Taihe era of the Northern Wei Dynasty (460 AD), Emperor Wencheng of Northern Wei revived Buddhism and commissioned the eminent monk Tan Yao to oversee the construction of the grand Yungang Grottoes. The grottoes were carved into the mountains, showcasing a magnificent and imposing scale, stretching approximately 1 kilometer from east to west. The grotto area is divided into three sections—east, middle, and west—following the natural terrain. Currently, there are 45 main grottoes, 209 subsidiary grottoes, and a total carved area of over 18,000 square meters. The statues range in size from 17 meters tall to just 2 centimeters, with around 1,100 niches and over 59,000 statues of various sizes. Transportation is quite convenient. If you're driving, you can navigate to the scenic area parking lot, which is spacious. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the parking lot to the entrance. We started from the ticket checkpoint and visited Tan Yao Square, Lingyan Temple, the grotto cluster, Yungang Museum, Yungang Study Room, and Yungang Art Gallery along the way, spending over 5 hours in total. The highlight is undoubtedly the grotto cluster. What impressed me the most were the clapping Buddha in Grotto 19 and the open-air Buddha in Grotto 20—truly awe-inspiring—as well as the continuous relief carvings in Grotto 6 and the tallest Buddha statue in Grotto 5. However, some grottoes were closed for maintenance during my visit, but this didn't affect the overall experience. I highly recommend hiring a guide. We had a guide, and listening to the explanations made the visit much more engaging; otherwise, it might feel like you're just looking around without much context. There aren't many food options inside the scenic area, so it's best to bring some snacks. Near the exit, there's a dining area where you can try some Shanxi specialties. Datong is a place where you can truly feel the charm of history and culture—highly recommended for everyone.