Yungang Grottoes云岗石窟 · Yúngāng Shíkū — colossal 5th-century Buddhas
252 caves and more than 51,000 statues carved into a sandstone ridge near Datong in the 5th and 6th centuries — the first great flowering of Buddhist cave art in China, and among the most colossal, with serene giant Buddhas that fuse Chinese, Central Asian and Indian style.
The first colossal Buddhas of China.
The Yungang Grottoes near Datong, in Shanxi, with their 252 caves and 51,000 statues, represent the outstanding achievement of Buddhist cave art in China in the 5th and 6th centuries. The Five Caves carved under the monk Tan Yao, unified in layout and design, are a classic masterpiece of the first peak of Chinese Buddhist art.
Sponsored by the Northern Wei rulers — non-Han emperors making Buddhism a state religion — the earliest giant Buddhas carry unmistakable Central Asian and Indian features, which later caves gradually 'sinicize' into more Chinese forms. Traces of the bright original paint still cling to the sheltered figures.
Along the sandstone ridge.
The caves run west to east along the cliff, roughly earliest to latest. These are the ones to seek out.
Tap or hover a photo for access details.
The Tan Yao Caves (16–20) 昙曜五窟
The five earliest and grandest caves, each with a colossal Buddha — the 13.7 m seated Buddha of Cave 20, now open to the sky, is the icon of Yungang.Caves 16–20 · Fee on the ticket
Cave 6 第六窟
A dazzling later cave carved floor to ceiling with painted reliefs of the Buddha's life around a central pagoda-pillar.Cave 6 · Note richly painted
Cave 5 第五窟
Shelters the largest Buddha at Yungang, a 17 m seated figure gilded and repainted in later dynasties.Cave 5
The 'Music' caves 音乐窟
Caves carved with orchestras of celestial musicians and dancers — a vivid record of 5th-century instruments and dress.Where central group
Late spring to autumn, up on the plateau.
Datong sits high and cool, so May–October is the comfortable season; autumn is crisp and clear. Winters are bitterly cold on the Shanxi plateau, though the caves are quiet then.
Combine it with the rest of Datong, and skip Golden Week. Yungang pairs naturally with the gravity-defying Hanging Temple and Datong's rebuilt old city into a full day or two. The grottoes get busy with tour groups midday and on holidays, so arrive at opening.
For foreign travelers.
- Prioritise the Tan Yao caves (16–20) and the painted Caves 5–6 if you're short on time.
- Bring a torch — some caves are dim — and don't use flash on the paint.
- Pair Yungang with Datong's Hanging Temple and the old city for a rewarding one- or two-day trip.
- It's a 1.5-hour fast-train hop from Beijing. See our Beijing guide.