| |
| Central and Western group, Caves 5-45 | |
|---|---|
|
The Yungang Buddhist caves are located on the southern cliffs of Wuzhou Mountain, 16 kilometres west of
Datong. Hewn out of cliffsides in a honeycomb
pattern, they stretch for approximately one kilometre from east to west. Fortyfive of the most important caves
at Yungang still survive today, containing 252 niches. Two natural ravines cut into the face of the cliff and
divide the caves into three groups. The eastern group includes Caves 1-4, the central group, Caves 5-13, and
the western group, Caves 14-45. Of the existing 51.000 statues at Yungang,
the largest is 17 metres high and the smallest is only two centimetres high. This makes the Yungang Caves one of the major grotto complexes in China as well as a well-known treasure house of art. The excavation of the Yungang caves was completed within a sixty-odd-year period, begun in 460 AD and completed 524 AD, from the reign of Emperor Wen Cheng to the reign of Emperor Xiao Ming. The construction project of the Yungang caves, judging by their architecture, style and iconography, was concluded in three phases. The caves numbered 16 to 20, known as Five Tan Yao Caves, were excavated in phase I during the reign of Emperor Wen Cheng Di (460-465 AD). The caves numbered 5 to 13 and Caves 1 and 2 were completed in phase II , from 470 AD to 494 AD, when Emperor Xiao Wen moved the Wei capital from Pingcheng to Louyang. The caves from number 20 westward as well as the minor caves and niches scattered on the sandstone cliff face stretching from east to west were cut out in phase III (494-524 AD) The Yungang Buddhist Caves, created by all the ethnic groups of the Northern Wei Dynasty, are undoubtedly an embodiment of the superb craft of the artisans and a masterpiece of Chinese devotional art. The sixth-century geographer Li Dao Yuan in his 'Shuijingzhu' ( Commentaries on the Book of Rivers ) wrote "The rock has been excavated, the mountains opened up and buildings have been constructed along the cliffs... with halls in the mountains and by the rivers, the haze-filled temples look towards each other...". The 'Tan Yao Biography', an other historical book records "on the northern side of Mount Wuzhou there is a Buddhist cave temple complex called Lingyan large enough to accommodate 3000 people. It contains magnificent sculptures carved inside. These caves and niches stretch for over 15 kilometres. " |