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Published: December 20th 2009
Yungang Grottoes
Caves were dug from stone cliff. Inside the caves are the sculpturesThis entry is a summary of China’s famous grottoes that we have visited. In the past, the grottoes were used for the promotion Buddhism and places for worship. Today, they showcase the artistic work of the times and study of integration of Buddhism into Chinese culture.
All the grottoes had a long history of more than 1000 years and the works are of high artistic value that 5 of them are included in the UNESCO world heritage site. The common design among them is having a large symbolic sculpture among the smaller ones. These are the one in each site that will impress you most!!
1) Yungang Grottoes at Datong City, Shanxi Province (UNESCO world heritage site)
This grotto was one of the earliest built in China. The construction was ordered by the northern Wei dynasty emperors. The main works started in 460 and continued for the next 40 years. The sculptures were carved out from the rock cliffs around the area.
There were several caves curved out from the rocks with beautiful designs on the walls and ceiling with the main sculptures in the centre. Unfortunately, they do not allow photo taking inside the caves. So, we can only
Yungang Grottoes
Caves dug from the stone cliff. Inside the caves are the sculptures. take photos of the rock cliffs, entrance to the caves and the main outdoor Buddha sculpture.
Touring the place was quite easy for children as the entire site is on level ground.
2) Longmen Grottoes at Louyang City, Henan Province (UNESCO world heritage site)
This grotto was a continuation of the works in Yungang Grotto after the northern Wei dynasty emperor moved their capital from Datong City to Louyang City. The works started from 494 and lasted several dynasties till the end of Tang Dynasty in around 900. The construction was similar to those in Yungang but the design showed more Chinese feature. The scenery was also better with the Yi River running through the west and east section of the Grottoes.
We were there during China’s National Day holidays but surprisingly the place was not crowded with tourist. It was quite a tiring long walk so we took a ferry ride back to the entrance and this time enjoying the view from far.
3) Dazu Rock Carvings at Chongqing Municipality (UNESCO world heritage site)
There are several grottoes sites around the area developed since 650 AD and are about 2 hours from Chongqing city.
We visited
Yungang Grottoes
The main Buddha sculpture the key site at Baoding Hill. The sculptures here differ from those in other China sites. They are smaller in size, coloured and has story lines according to Buddhism teachings.
4) Leshan Grottoes at Leshan City, Sichuan Province (UNESCO world heritage site)
The grottoes here were built around a cliff where the world biggest 71m Leshan Buddha is located. The construction started in 713AD and took 90 years to complete. You can either see the Buddha from ferry rides along the river or go the site and climb up or down. We joined a tour group which brought us to the top of the hill. It was beautiful looking down. We had the option to walk down the steps built on the cliff but give it a miss as it was very crowded.
Note: The contents (text and photos) of this article remain the copyright of the Author, Jenny. Under no circumstances should the photos or text be used without the express written permission of the Author. Please contact the Author by leaving a message if you wish to use or publish photos or text from this article.
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