One of the largest ancient grottoes in China, a world cultural heritage, is located in Datong, Shanxi

Every time Shanxi is mentioned, the first reaction of many people is the special food here, such as pasta, such as old vinegar, these are very interesting local specialties, if you come here to play, in addition to eating some local special food , and don't miss this scenic spot. This scenic spot became the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in the country in 1961, and was included in the World Heritage List in 2001.

Since it is a world cultural heritage, it must be a cultural building and landscape with a long history . This scenic spot is the " Yungang Grottoes" , which is about 16 kilometers west of Datong City, Shanxi Province. It is one of the largest ancient grottoes in China. It is also the first batch of national 5A-level tourist attractions. There are still 45 main caves, 252 large and small caves and more than 51,000 stone statues.

During the Northern Wei Dynasty, this grotto has been excavated and has lasted for more than 60 years . With the passage of time, the monarchs of many dynasties have repaired it, especially in the Liao Dynasty, when the Liao royal family once carried out After a decade of extensive renovations . Until the Ming Dynasty, it was abandoned again due to economic and war reasons , and the "Yungang Temple" was blown to ashes by artillery fire because of the war. In the Qing Dynasty, it was partially rebuilt and repaired, and only the rest was left . of what we see today.

The entire "Yungang Grottoes" can be divided into three stages, namely the early, middle and late stages. If you want to see some grottoes with a long history, you can first look at the "early grottoes" , that is , the 16th to 20th caves in the scenic spot , which are called " Tanyao Five Grottoes ", and the plane is a horseshoe. Shape , everyone comes here mainly to see the three Buddhas here. The Buddha statue is very tall, and its face is vividly portrayed. You can clearly see its round face and deep eyes. momentum.

The "Middle Stage Grottoes" can be said to be the most interesting place in the whole scenic spot , because this part of the grottoes is the most prosperous stage of "Yungang Grottoes" , and was carved during the most stable and prosperous period of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The planes of the caves in this section are not horseshoe-shaped, they are mostly rectangular, and people at that time deliberately highlighted the status of "Sakyamuni Buddha" and "Maitreya Buddha" when carving, and adopted a special pattern to highlight them. Also carved with guardian law.

The " late grottoes" are a small part of the excavation activities after 494 AD. There are about 200 small and medium-sized caves. The Buddha statues in this period are very different from the previous ones. Bone Clearance".