Yungang Grottoes, together with Dunhuang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes, and Maijishan Grottoes, are the four major grottoes in China. Among them, the 20th Cave is one of the famous "Tan Yao Five Caves." Its main statue features legs in the lotus position and hands with one palm resting on top of the other. It is well-proportioned and simple in shape, a style often seen in textbooks on Buddhist and Chinese art history. The statue serves as a historical testament to the flourishing of Buddhism under the reign of Tuoba Xianbei people during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534).

The incredible Buddhist world

Throughout the ages, anyone visiting Yungang Grottoes would be awed by the incredible Buddhist world in front of them.

The grottoes are carved into the Wuzhou Mountain, stretching for about one kilometer from east to west. There are more than 1,100 shrines, over 59,000 statues, and a carved area of more than 18,000 square meters. Among the endless rock sculptures, the highest statue is 17 meters high, while the smallest is only two centimeters. They are both magnificent and exquisite, with a solemn atmosphere that is impressive to behold.

In the 5th century, the famous geographer Li Daoyuan of the Northern Wei Dynasty visited the Yungang Grottoes. The magnificent sight inspired him to write in the Commentary on the Water Classic: "Carving mountains and rocks, building caves against the cliffs, the statues are majestic and grand, seldom seen in the world."

In 2001, Yungang Grottoes were included on the World Heritage List by UNESCO, presenting them as a precious cultural treasure created by the Chinese nation for the world.

The first milestone in the history of China's rock carving art

In the year 460, Emperor Wencheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty took the advice of the eminent monk Tan Yao. Tan suggested, "In the western part of the capital Pingcheng (today's Datong city, Shanxi Province), carve the rocks of the Wuzhou Mountain, open five caves, and build one Buddha in each. The tallest was 70 chi (1 chi = 1.09 feet), and the second tallest was 60 chi. The carvings were magnificent and surpassed all of their time." Then there were the famous "Tan Yao Five Caves."

Thus, the Northern Wei Dynasty initiated a 60-year project of carving Yungang Grottoes. The most active period was before Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang. In that period, the Northern Wei Dynasty reached its most prosperous and stable stage, and Buddhism, promoted by the imperial family, had already gained widespread acceptance and popularity. It was for this reason that the construction of Yungang Grottoes reached its peak.

In terms of carving techniques, Yungang Grottoes inherited and developed the fine traditions of carving art from the Qin (221–206 BC) and Han dynasties (206 BC–AD 220), while absorbing and integrating the essence of Gandhara art. This was the first great integration of traditional Chinese and foreign carving art in history, blending ancient and contemporary styles to form a unique Yungang style.

Minority regimes promoted Buddhist culture

Buddhism was introduced to China during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty, and flourished during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420–589). In this process, all ethnic minority kingdoms made great contributions to the spread of Buddhism.

Fu Jian, the emperor of Former Qin kingdom (one of the 16 kingdoms during the Eastern Jin Dynasty) who had unified the Di people in the North for a time, greatly admired Kumarajiva, a Buddhist scholar, translator, and thinker from the Western Regions. When he sent his General Lyu Guang to travel through the Western Regions, Fu Jian repeatedly instructed him to invite Kumarajiva to come and assist the regime.

After the fall of Former Qin, Kumarajiva went to Chang'an in the year 401 to translate sutras and spread Buddhist teachings at the invitation of Yao Xing, Emperor of Later Qin, who was of the Qiang ethnic group. Through his efforts, he translated a large number of high-quality Buddhist sutras and nurtured a group of outstanding talents dedicated to the Buddhist cause, exerting a significant impact on the development of Buddhism in China.

During this period, the Northern Liang regime, originating from the Lu Shui Hu people (an ancient ethnic group in Northwest China from the Han Dynasty to the Northern and Southern Dynasties), constructed Buddhist cultural sites such as Mati Temple, Qianfo Cave, and Jinta Temple, making significant contributions to the flourishing of Buddhist culture. By the time of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Buddhism had become the primary religion among the peoples of the North.

Tuoba Gui, Emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty, not only believed in Taoism, but also read Buddhist sutras and paid respect to famous monks. He ordered the construction of pagodas, Buddha halls, lecture halls, and meditation rooms for the Sramana in the capital Pingcheng, and asked the Sramana Fa Guo to take charge of the monks.

Tuoba Si, son of Tuoba Gui, the successor Emperor of the Northern Wei dynasty, inherited his father's legacy and practiced both Taoism and Buddhism. As a result, Buddha statues were set up across the country. In 439, when Emperor Tuoba Tao, conquered Northern Liang, Liangzhou, which had many temples and monks and numerous artisans and craftsmen, spread Buddhism to the east on this occasion, which greatly promoted the prosperity of Buddhism in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The spread of Buddhism directly led to the great development of Buddhist art. The famous Yungang Grottoes in Datong and Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang were carved by the Northern Wei regime during this period, displaying an unparalleled grandeur and beauty. As the political and economic center of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Pingcheng also developed a distinctive form of Buddhist art that became known as the Pingcheng Mode.

During the later period of the Northern Wei Dynasty, especially after Emperor Xiaowen's reforms, Tuoba Xianbei people deeply integrated with the Han people and gradually adopted Han cultural practices in Buddhism. Whether in the later carvings of Yungang Grottoes in Pingcheng or Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, the sculpture style transformed from Xianbei features to Han characteristics. This laid the foundation for the later integration of Buddhism into Chinese culture during the Tang Dynasty.

Source: Becoming the Chinese Nation: The historical memories of multi-ethnic Chinese Nation in 100 cultural relics

Liu Xian /Editor    Xue Wensi /Translator

Yang Xinhua /Chief Editor    Liu Xian /Coordination Editor

Liu Li /Reviewer

Zhang Weiwei /Copyeditor    Tan Yujie /Image Editor

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