Ancient site · Temple
Yungang Grottoes
The Yungang Grottoes, 16 km west of Datong in Shanxi, are Buddhist cave temples cut into a sandstone cliff under the Northern Wei dynasty, whose capital was then nearby Pingcheng. Carving began around 460 CE with five huge Buddha caves, continued with imperial support until the court moved to Luoyang in 494, and ended in 525.
There are 53 major caves and about 51,000 niches with Buddha statues. They blend Indian and Central Asian Buddhist art with Chinese traditions. UNESCO listed them in 2001.
- Dates
- c. 460–525 CE
- Still standing
- Yes
- UNESCO World Heritage
- Yes
- Location
- 40.11° N, 113.13° E
How we know
Chinese histories record that the Northern Wei court sponsored the caves, and inscriptions survive in them.
Nearby sites
- Shimao c. 2300–1800 BCE
- Yinxu (Anyang) c. 1250–1046 BCE
- Taosi c. 2300–1900 BCE
- Niuheliang c. 3500–3000 BCE
- Zhengzhou Shang City c. 1600–1400 BCE
- Erlitou c. 1750–1500 BCE (older estimates from c. 1900 BCE)