One of China’s best examples of Buddhist cave art, these 5th-century caves are impressive in scope. With 51,000 ancient statues, they put virtually everything else in the Shānxī shade. Carved by the Turkic-speaking Tuoba, the Yúngāng Caves drew their designs from Indian, Persian and even Greek influences that swept along the Silk Road. Work began in AD 460, continuing for 60 years before all 252 caves, the oldest collection of Buddhist carvings in China, had been completed.
Pass through the swanky visitors centre and a recreated temple before hitting the caves. At the time of writing, caves 7 to 13 were shut for restoration. That still leaves 40 showcasing some of the most precious and elegant Buddhist artwork in China. Despite weathering, many of the statues at Yúngāng still retain their gorgeous pigment, unlike the slightly more recent statues at Lóngmén in Hénán. A number of the caves were once covered by wooden structures, but many of these are long gone, although Caves 5, 6, 7 and 8 are still fronted by wooden temples.
Some caves contain intricately carved square-shaped pagodas, while others depict the inside of temples, carved and painted to look as though made of wood. Frescos are in abundance and there are graceful depictions of animals, birds and angels, some still brightly painted, and almost every cave contains the 1000-Buddha motif (tiny Buddhas seated in niches).
Eight of the caves contain enormous Buddha statues; the largest can be found in Cave 5, an outstanding 17m-high, seated effigy of Sakyamuni with a gilded face. The frescos in this cave are badly scratched, but note the painted vaulted ceiling. Bursting with colour, Cave 6 is also stunning, resembling a set from an Indiana Jones epic with legions of Buddhist angels, Bodhisattvas and other figures. In the middle of the cave, a square block pagoda connects with the ceiling, with Buddhas on each side over two levels. Most foreign visitors are oblivious to the graffiti in bright red oil paint on the right-hand side of the main door frame within the cave, which reads 大同八中 (Dàtóng Bāzhōng; Datong No 8 Middle School), courtesy of pupils probably during the Cultural Revolution.
Caves 16 to 20 are the earliest caves at Yúngāng, carved under the supervision of monk Tanyao. Examine the exceptional quality of the carvings in Cave 18; some of the faces are perfectly presented. Cave 19 contains a vast 16.8m-high effigy of Sakyamuni. The Maitreya Buddha is a popular subject for Yúngāng’s sculptors, for example in the vast seated forms in Cave 17 and Cave 13; the latter statue has been defaced with graffiti by workers from Hohhot and other miscreants.
Cave 20 is similar to the Losana Buddha Statue Cave at Lóngmén, originally depicting a trinity of Buddhas (the past, present and future Buddhas). The huge seated Buddha in the middle is the representative icon at Yúngāng, while the Buddha on the left has somehow vanished. Past the last set of caves is a new museum (9.30am-4.50pm) detailing the Wei Kingdom.
Most of the caves come with good English captions, but there’s also an audio guide in English (¥30 with ¥100 deposit). Note that photography is permitted in some caves but not in others.
To get here, take the 云冈 double decker bus (¥2, 45 minutes) from outside Dàtóng's train station to its terminus. Buses run every 10 to 15 minutes. A taxi from Dàtóng is ¥40 each way.
