Mystery, history & majesty

Yungang Grottoes

Vast, majestic and around 1,500 years old, the Yungang Grottoes in Datong display Buddhist art and are a testament to East-West cultural exchanges in the 5th century.

Carved into the mountain's natural terrain and stretching about 1 kilometer from east to west, this UNESCO World Heritage Site contains 45 major caves and 209 affiliated caves that house more than 59,000 Buddhist statues. Compared to many other grotto temples in China, the Yungang Grottoes exhibit the most exotic influences. In the later caves of Yungang, visitors can view the local adaptation and secularization of Buddhist art in ancient China.