The murals of Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes reflect the religious content of Buddhism.
The Longmen Grottoes are located 12 kilometers south of Luoyang City. They are one of the three major grottoes in my country, along with the Yungang Grottoes in Datong and the Thousand Buddha Cave Grottoes in Dunhuang.
Longmen is a place with beautiful scenery. There are two green mountains facing each other in the east and west, and the Yishui River flows slowly north. Looking from a distance, it looks like a natural gate, so it was called "Yique" in ancient times. The present "Yique" has become the first sight when visiting Longmen since ancient times. Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, once said: "The most beautiful scenery in the suburbs of Luoyang is Longmen."
The Longmen Grottoes were excavated around the time Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang (AD 494) and have a history of more than 1,500 years. Later, through the Eastern and Western Wei, Northern Qi, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Song and other dynasties, large-scale construction continued for more than 400 years. It is densely spread on the cliffs of the east and west mountains of Yishui, with a length of more than 1,000 meters from north to south. There are more than 1,300 grottoes, 2,345 Buddhist caves and niches, more than 50 pagodas, and more than 100,000 Buddha statues. The largest Buddha statue is 17.14 meters high, and the smallest is only 2 centimeters. There are also more than 3,600 inscriptions on statues and inscriptions from past dynasties, all of which reflect the high artistic attainments of the working people of ancient my country. Among them, Binyang Middle Cave
, Fengxian Temple and Guyang Cave are the most representative.
The Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan are located in the southeast of Luoyang City. They are distributed on the cliffs on both sides of the Yishui River, with a length of 1 km from north to south. The Longmen Grottoes were first excavated during the Northern Wei Dynasty and have been built for more than 400 years. There are more than 2,300 cave niches and more than 100,000 statues in existence. It is a model of ancient Chinese sculpture art
Wei Caves - In 495 AD, Wei Clan Qiu Huicheng began to dig Guyang Cave in Longmen Mountain. 500- -In 523, Emperor Xuanwu of Wei and Emperor Xiaoming of Wei successively excavated three large grottoes in the north, middle and south of Binyang Cave. The construction of Shiyang Cave and Binyang Cave cost more than 800,000 labor. They also excavated Yaofang Cave and the caves excavated in the Eastern Wei Dynasty. Lotus Cave and other grottoes. The grottoes of the Northern Dynasties are all in Longmen Mountain. The construction of Guyang Cave took more than 50 years from Huicheng to the end of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, showing many Chinese art forms. The posture of the Buddha has also changed from the majestic and formidable Yungang Grottoes to the gentle and approachable one of Longmen Grottoes. The Buddha statues represented by the main Buddha in Binyang Zhongdong Cave have smiling faces. The Longmen Grottoes show more Chinese artistic Buddha statues than the Yungang Grottoes.
Tang Grottoes - the most prosperous period was the Tang Dynasty, accounting for more than 60% of the total number of grottoes. The grottoes excavated during Wu Zetian's reign accounted for the majority of the grottoes in the Tang Dynasty, which is related to her long-term presence in Luoyang. Fengxian Temple is the most representative Tang cave. The two Bodhisattvas are 70 feet tall, and Kasyapa, Ananda, Vajra, and Shenwang are each 50 feet tall (the length of the Tang Dynasty). The scale is the largest among the Longmen Grottoes. It took four years and Wu Zetian paid 20,000 yuan himself.
Longmen Twenty Pieces is a precious masterpiece of Wei stele style calligraphy art. It represents the Wei stele style, with a straight and generous shape and a strong and powerful momentum. It is a font in the transition from official script to regular script. There are nineteen characters in Guyang Cave.
There are three caves in Binyang Cave. Binyang Middle Cave is a representative work of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-512 AD). This cave took 24 years to complete, making it the longest cave to be excavated. There are 11 large Buddha statues in the cave. The main wall of the cave is carved with a statue of Sakyamuni, with disciples and Bodhisattvas standing on the left and right. The Buddha and Bodhisattvas have thin faces, large eyes and flat necks. The texture of their clothes is carefully carved, showing obvious traces of the art of the Western Regions. There is a flying sky sculpture on the top of the cave, which is strong and elegant. It is said that there is also a relief "Picture of Emperors and Empresses Paying Respect to Buddha" on the two walls of the cave entrance. It has a unique shape and beautiful composition. It was later stolen and is now placed in the New York Museum in the United States. The inscriptions written by the calligrapher Chu Suiliang, Prime Minister of the Tang Dynasty, at the entrance of the cave are worth a glance.
The Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave is located to the south of Binyang Cave. The cave is rich in carvings. The north and south stone walls are covered with small Buddha statues. Many Buddha statues are only one inch or a few centimeters high, and there are more than 1,500 of them. The Bodhisattva statue on the front wall sits on an octagonal lotus seat with a girdle. There are four strong men on the waist, with lotus on their shoulders. There are 54 lotus branches carved on the back wall, with a Bodhisattva or donor sitting on each flower. On the top of the wall are relief figures of musicians, all graceful and lifelike. There is also a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva on the south wall of the entrance. It is holding a pure bottle and holding a dust tail. Its body is round and plump, its posture is graceful, and it is very expressive.
Fengxian Temple is the largest grotto among the Tang Dynasty Grottoes in Longmen. According to the inscription, the cave was excavated during the Wu Zetian period of the Tang Dynasty and lasted three years. The Buddha statues in the cave clearly reflect the artistic characteristics of Buddhist statues in the Tang Dynasty. They have a plump face, drooping ears, and a perfect, serene, gentle, and friendly form, which is extremely touching. The seated statue of Lushena Buddha in the center of the grotto is the largest Buddha statue in the Longmen Grottoes. It is 17.14 meters tall, with a head height of 4 meters and an ear length of 1.9 meters. It has a plump shape, a majestic appearance, smooth clothing lines, and a high degree of artistic appeal. On both sides of the Lushena Buddha statue are two disciples, Kassapa and Ananda, who are docile and pious, and the two Bodhisattvas are kind and cheerful. The King of Heaven holds the pagoda in his hand, looking tall and strong. Legend has it that the face of the Lucena Buddha was built based on Wu Zetian's face.
The Vajra Hercules statue is more impressive than the Hercules statue next to the Lushena Buddha statue. It is a treasure in the Longmen Grottoes. It was discovered near the Jinan Cave when the cave soil was cleared in 1953. It was stolen and chiseled. What was left behind failed to be transported away. I saw the Vajra Warrior's eyes bulging, glaring forward, clenching fists with both hands, and the muscles on his chest, hands, and legs bulging high.
The whole statue is rough and bold in shape, strong and powerful, and impressive.
Guyang Cave is the earliest and richest cave among the Longmen Grottoes. It is also another representative cave of the Northern Wei Dynasty. There are many Buddhist niches and statues in Guyang Cave. Many of these Buddhist niches have inscriptions recording the name of the person who created the statue, the date and reason for the statue. These are precious materials for studying the calligraphy and sculpture art of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Most of the milestones in the history of Chinese calligraphy, the "Twenty Products of Longmen", are concentrated here. "Twenty Pins of Longmen" represents the style of the Wei stele, with its upright and generous fonts and strong momentum. It is the essence of the calligraphy art of Longmen Grottoes stele inscriptions and has always been respected by the world.
There is also a prescription cave with 140 prescriptions engraved on it, reflecting the achievements of ancient Chinese medicine. Carving some medicinal prescriptions on stone tablets or caves, which are also found in other places, is an important way for ancient medical achievements to be passed on to later generations.
Longmen Grottoes also retain a large number of physical historical materials in religion, art, calligraphy, music, clothing, medicine, architecture, and Chinese and foreign transportation. Therefore, it is also a large stone carving art museum.
●Cultural heritage value: a "milestone" of Chinese grotto art
The Longmen Grottoes are large-scale and majestic. The statues in the cave are exquisitely carved and rich in content and themes. They are known as the world's most beautiful grottoes. One of the great repositories of classical art. With its own systematic and unique sculpture art language, it reveals various laws and regulations of sculpture art creation. The grotto art before it retained more elements of Gandhara and Mosulua art, while the Longmen Grottoes inherited the Indian grotto art, closely followed the style of the Yungang Grottoes, and was closely related to the advanced and profound Han culture in Luoyang, Wei, Jin, and the Southern Dynasties. It was excavated by the integration of history and culture. Therefore, the sculpture art of Longmen Grottoes has been integrated with the understanding and strong pursuit of the national aesthetic consciousness and form from the beginning, making the grotto art show a trend of Chineseness and secularization, which can be called a "milestone" showing the transformation of Chinese grotto art.
Royal style
Longmen Grottoes is the place where the royal nobles of the Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties gathered the most statues. The royal family and nobles had abundant manpower and material resources. The grottoes they excavated must be large-scale and magnificent, and brought together the essence of grotto art at that time. Therefore, the Longmen Grottoes are very representative. The excavation of these caves is a reflection of the royal will and behavior, and has a strong national religious flavor. Therefore, the rise and fall of the Longmen Grottoes not only reflects the rise and fall of the Chinese royal family's worship of Buddhism and religion from the 5th to the 10th century, but also reflects the rise and fall of China's royal family from the 5th to the 10th century. The significance of some political trends and socio-economic developments in history is unmatched by other grottoes.
Twenty Products of Longmen
The title of "Twenty Products of Longmen" came from the Qing Dynasty. There are inscriptions on Fang's statues, nineteen of which are in Guyang Cave and one in Cixiang Cave. "Twenty Pins of Longmen" is the essence of calligraphy art in the Northern Wei Dynasty. The calligraphy art it displays was developed and evolved on the basis of the official script of the Han Dynasty and the official script of the Jin Dynasty. The fonts are dignified, generous, strong and simple, and have both official script and official script. The style and regular script elements are representative of the "Wei stele" style and have a very high status in the history of the development of Chinese calligraphy art.
Located at the end of Xishan Scenic Area in Kunming City, starting from Sanqing Pavilion in the north and reaching Datian Pavilion in the south, it is the largest and most exquisite Taoist grotto in Yunnan. "Longmen Scenic Spot" is characterized by "strange, unique, dangerous and secluded". It ranks first among the many scenic spots in the West Mountain of Kunming. It enjoys a high reputation at home and abroad and is a must-see for tourists in Kunming. Therefore, there is a saying that "if you don't visit Xishan, you will not reach Kunming, and if you don't visit Longmen, it will be a wasted trip to Xishan."
Go up the stone steps behind Sanqing Pavilion and Xiaoniu Spring, and you will arrive at the "suddenly enlightened place". This is called "Phoenix Rock". There are two stone chambers carved on Phoenix Rock, one upper and one lower. There is a stone table, and the main wall is inlaid with six poems and steles such as "Farewell Picture of Dianchi Lake" and engraved with colorful phoenix seals, with auspicious clouds lingering and colorful phoenixes flying. The craftsmanship is exquisite and detailed, and the image is beautiful and vivid. There are also cliff stone carvings and couplets such as "Sea of ??Clouds", "Stone Forest", "Place of Holding the Sea", "Red Rain Flying along a Trail, Thousands of Forests Spreading Green Shades" inside and outside the stone chamber. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, Taoist priest Wu Qinglai spent 14 years digging through the two sections of stone paths from Sanqing Pavilion to the Stone Chamber, and from the Stone Chamber to the "Ciyun Cave" in order to practice asceticism and facilitate all living beings. He also carved a cave chamber and carved on the rocks a Guanyin, an incense burner, a Buddhist altar, a statue of a god riding a dragon and a tiger, etc. There is a couplet that says: "The stone was cut to reveal Putuo, and all the five hundred miles of Dianchi Lake were returned to the Buddha Sea. When people reach the other shore, I hope that a thousand holy hands will turn into compassion." "Looking up and smiling five feet away from the sky, I am standing in the middle of the water." "The clouds outside the cave are rolling, and the sun is passing by in the sea."
Go south from Ciyun Cave for about 40 meters along the road on the cliff, and you will arrive at "Dragon Gate". Yang Rulan and Yang Jitai and their sons organized more than 70 households of stone workers to complete Longmen. It took 22 years to complete. The essence of the grotto. There is a cylindrical stone square at the entrance with the word "Dragon Gate" written on it and "Yuanbao" engraved on it. It is said that it can bless people with wealth and good luck, so tourists like to touch it with their hands. There is a small semicircular platform at the entrance protected by a stone railing. Standing on the platform and looking out, you can see the sky wind above and the cliff below. The five-hundred-mile Dianchi Lake is vast with mist and steaming clouds. The lake is dotted with white sails, and gulls are flying and swallows are dancing. In the distance, the green mountains are like white clouds, the white clouds are long, the green trees and white houses, and the flat fertile fields are like poetry and picturesque, making people feel ecstatic.
Turning around and looking back at the stone chamber, the top of the main door is engraved with the words "Datian Pavilion", the tops of the side doors on both sides are engraved with the words "famous mountain", "stone chamber" and "Tianlinhaijing". The title of the center pillar has a couplet: When it is difficult to move, you must stand firm; Xiaohan, it is better to have a calm mind.
There is an incense burner carved at the door of the stone chamber for worship. In the middle is the Kuixing, which Taoism respects as the god who governs articles, also called Wenquxing; in the north is the Wenchang Emperor, who is the god of fame and position; in the south is the Guan Shengdijun (Guan Yu), the god of martial arts who dominates the subjugation of demons. The two walls are engraved with pictures of divine horses galloping, and the ceiling is engraved with auspicious clouds and cranes flying together. A flat peach plant with blue leaves and red fruits is lifelike. The entire project of Longmen is carefully carved on a piece of natural rock. The design is ingenious and the workmanship is exquisite, which is breathtaking. But if you look carefully, you will find that the pen tip on Kuixing's hand is installed separately. According to legend, there was a master who participated in the stone chamber carving project. He had an unfortunate marriage. Later, he participated in the dragon gate carving and worked hard with his partners for more than ten years. When he was finally carving the ink pen in Kuixing's hand, he accidentally cut off the tip of the pen, making the originally perfect pen. A work of art leaves something to be desired. He was so sad that he jumped off the dragon gate. The moving story of his dedication to art has been immortalized along with the grottoes and will be praised by future generations.
The Yungang Grottoes are located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, 16 kilometers west of Datong City, Shanxi Province, northern China. The grottoes were started in the second year of Xing'an in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 453), and most of them were completed before the Northern Wei Dynasty moved the capital to Luoyang (AD 494). The statue construction continued until the Zhengguang period (AD 520-525). The grottoes are carved into the mountains and stretch for about 1 kilometer from east to west. They are magnificent and rich in content. There are 45 main caves, 252 large and small niches, and more than 51,000 stone statues. The largest one is 17 meters long and the smallest one is only a few centimeters. The vivid images of Bodhisattvas, Hercules, and Flying Apsaras in the cave, and the exquisite carvings on the tower pillars, inherit the essence of realism art from the Qin and Han Dynasties (221 BC to 220 AD), and start from the romanticism of the Sui and Tang Dynasties (581 to 907 AD). It is the first of its kind in the world and is known as one of the "three major grottoes in China" along with the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu and the Longmen Grottoes in Henan. It is also one of the world-famous treasures of stone carving art. There are forty-five main caves and more than 51,000 large and small statues. It is one of the largest ancient grotto groups in my country. In 1961, the State Council announced it as a national key cultural relics protection unit. In 2001, it was listed as a world cultural heritage. On May 8, 2007, the Yungang Grottoes in Datong City were officially approved by the National Tourism Administration as a national 5A tourist attraction.
The statues in Yungang Grottoes are magnificent and rich in content. They are the crown of Chinese stone carving art in the 5th century AD and are known as the treasure house of ancient Chinese carving art. According to the time of excavation, it can be divided into three phases: early, middle and late. The styles of grotto sculptures in different periods also have their own characteristics. The early "Tanyao Five Caves" were majestic and had a rich and simple Western sentiment. The grottoes in the middle period are famous for their exquisite carvings and gorgeous decorations, showing the complex, changeable and magnificent artistic style of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Although the caves in the late period are small in size, the figures are thin, handsome, and moderately proportioned. They are the model of grotto art in northern China and the origin of the "thin and clear statues" style. In addition, the music, dance and acrobatic sculptures left in the grottoes also reflect the popular Buddhist thought at that time and the social life of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
The Yungang Grottoes vividly record the historical trajectory of the development of Buddhist art from India and Central Asia to Chinese Buddhist art, reflecting the process of gradual secularization and nationalization of Buddhist statues in China. A variety of Buddhist artistic sculpture styles have achieved unprecedented integration in the Yungang Grottoes, and the resulting "Yungang Model" has become a turning point in the development of Chinese Buddhist art. The Northern Wei Dynasty statues in the Mogao Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes in Dunhuang were influenced by the Yungang Grottoes to varying degrees.
The Yungang Grottoes are the beginning of the "Sinicization" of grotto art. The Chinese palace architectural style carvings that appeared in the Yungang Grottoes in the middle period, and the Chinese-style Buddhist niches developed on this basis, were widely used in the construction of cave temples in later generations. The layout and decoration of the late Yungang Grottoes more prominently display the strong Chinese architectural and decorative style, reflecting the continuous deepening of the "Sinicization" of Buddhist art.
History of Grottoes
According to documentary records, during the Heping Period of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 460 to 471), the famous monk Tan Yao presided over the construction of five grottoes in Wuzhou fortress in the western suburbs of Beijing. Cave No. 16 to Cave 20 were the earliest so-called "Tanyao Five Caves" excavated at that time. Most of the other major caves were completed before Emperor Xiaowen moved the capital to Luoyang in the 18th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 494), which has a history of 1,500 years.
The Yungang Grottoes have a long history, are large in scale, rich in content, and have exquisite carvings. They are known as a miracle in the history of Chinese art. In the grottoes, there are various lifelike figures with different expressions, such as Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, disciples, and protector gods; there are imitation wood buildings with simple styles and various shapes; there are some with outstanding themes and skilled sword skills. There are relief sculptures of Buddhist legends; there are rich compositions, beautiful and exquisite decorative patterns; there are also sculptures of ancient Chinese musical instruments such as harp, Paixiao, 筚篥 and pipa, etc., which are colorful and dazzling.
In terms of carving skills, it inherited and developed the excellent tradition of carving art in the Qin and Han Dynasties in my country, and absorbed and integrated the beneficial elements of Gandhara art to create works of art with unique styles. It left an important page in the history of sculpture.
The Yungang Grottoes are not only important visual materials for understanding and studying my country's ancient history, sculptures, architecture, music and religious beliefs, but also physical evidence that traces ancient Sino-Western cultural exchanges and friendly exchanges between peoples.
Over the past 1,500 years, the Yungang Grottoes have been severely damaged by weathering, water erosion and earthquakes. They were also vandalized before liberation. According to incomplete statistics, Buddhist statues were stolen overseas. There are more than 1,400 heads and Buddha statues, and the traces of axe-cutting are still there to this day.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the care of the party and the government, large-scale maintenance projects have been carried out on the Yungang Grottoes many times, so that the ancient art treasure house has been properly protected.
Today, the Yungang Grottoes have become an important place for domestic people from all walks of life to visit and a tourist destination that is admired and yearned for by international friends.
●Introduction to the separate caves
The first cave and the second cave are twin caves, located at the east end of Yungang Grottoes. A two-story square tower is carved in the center of the cave. A standing statue of Maitreya is carved on the back wall. Most of the Buddha statues on the four walls are weathered and eroded. Vimalakia and Manjusri are carved on both sides of the cave door on the south wall. The reliefs of the Buddha's Jataka stories on the lower back part of the east wall are relatively well preserved; In the center of the second cave is a square three-story tower with three pavilion-style Buddhist niches carved on the four sides of each floor. There is also a five-story small tower carved on the wall inside the cave. It is an image material for studying the architecture of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
The third cave is the largest grotto in Yungang. The broken wall in front is about 25 meters high. It is said to be the Tan Yao Translation Building. The cave is divided into front and back rooms. A Maitreya cave room is carved out in the middle of the upper part of the front room. A pair of three-story square towers were cut out on the left and right. On the south and west side of the back room, there are three statues carved with round faces, plump muscles, fine corollas, and smooth clothing patterns. The seated Buddha is about 10 meters high, and the two standing Bodhisattva statues are each 6.2 meters high. Judging from the style and carving techniques of these three statues, they may have been carved in the early Tang Dynasty (seventh century AD).
In the fourth cave, there is a rectangular pillar carved in the center of the cave, six Buddha statues on the north and south sides, and three Buddha statues on the east and west sides. Above the cave door on the south wall is an inscription from the Zhengguang Chronicle of the Northern Wei Dynasty (520-525 AD), which is the latest inscription in the Yungang Grottoes.
The fifth cave is located in the middle of the Yungang Grottoes, and is a group of twin caves with the sixth cave. The cave is divided into front and back chambers. The main statue on the north wall of the back chamber is the Third Buddha. The central seated statue is 17 meters high and is the largest Buddha statue in Yungang Grottoes. The four walls of the cave are full of carved niches and Buddha statues. On both sides of the arch, there are two Buddhas sitting opposite each other on the Bodhi tree, and there is a relief sculpture of flying into the sky on the top, with beautiful lines. There are five four-story pavilions in front of the two caves. The existing buildings were rebuilt in the eighth year of Shunzhi in the early Qing Dynasty (1651 AD).
The sixth cave has a nearly square plane. In the center is a two-story square tower connected to the top of the cave, about 15 meters high. Below the tower pillar is called a large niche, with a seated Buddha statue carved on the south side, a reclining Buddha statue carved on the west side, a seated statue of Yingduobao opposite Shi Yingduobao on the north side, and a cross-legged Maitreya statue carved on the east side. On both sides of the large niches on the four sides of the tower pillars, on the east, south, two and three walls of the cave, and on both sides of the open windows, 33 reliefs depicting Buddhist stories from Sakyamuni's birth to enlightenment are carved. This cave is magnificent in scale, rich in carvings, and refined in technique. It is the most representative one among the Yungang Grottoes.
In the seventh cave, there is a three-story wooden eaves built in front of the cave, and the cave is divided into two rooms, front and back. The upper level of the main wall of the back room is engraved with Bodhisattva sitting on a lion throne. The east, west and south walls are covered with carved Buddhist niches and statues. The six supporting Bodhisattvas on the door arch of the south wall have beautiful and lifelike images. The relief sculptures on the top of the cave are flying and flying, each with a lotus as the center, circling and dancing in a moving posture.
In the eighth cave, there are five-headed and six-armed Kumarados riding on peacocks on both sides of the cave. On the east side of the cave, there are three-headed and eight-armed Kumarados riding on bulls. This kind of statue is found in Yungang. Extremely rare.
The ninth cave is divided into two rooms, front and rear. The two arches of the front room are octagonal. The walls of the room are carved with Buddhist niches, musicians, and dancers. The statues are vivid and dynamic.
The tenth cave was excavated at the same time as the ninth cave and is divided into two rooms, front and rear. There is a flying sky in the front room, with graceful posture and coordinated proportions. On the upper part of the bright window, the stone carvings of Buddhas are complex, exquisite and eye-catching.
In Cave 11, there is a square tower that reaches directly to the top of the cave, with Buddha statues carved on all sides. On the front, the Bodhisattva statue is well preserved. The niches on the walls around the cave are full of carved statues and small Buddhas.
In the twelfth cave, there is a celestial figure engraved on the top of the main wall, holding string instruments and percussion instruments, with different expressions and vivid images. The panpipes, harp and other classical instruments in their hands are very precious and are important materials for the study of Chinese music.
In the Thirteenth Cave, there is a cross-legged Maitreya Buddha statue in the middle, more than 12 meters high. There is a statue of a strong man with an arm carved between his left arm and leg. This is the only example in Yungang Grottoes. The seven Buddha statues on the upper part of the door arch on the south wall are exquisitely carved and elegant in posture.
In Cave 14, the statues are mostly divided. On the upper part of the west wall, some of the remaining statues have square Buddha pillars on the east side.
The fifteenth cave has more than 10,000 small seated Buddha statues, which is known as the Ten Thousand Buddha Cave.
Cave 16, Cave 16 to Cave 20 are the first five caves opened in Yungang Grottoes, commonly known as "Tanyao Five Caves." The sixteenth cave is oval in plan. The main image of Sakyamuni in the center is 13.5 meters high, standing on a lotus pedestal. Thousands of Buddhas and Buddhist niches are carved on the surrounding walls.
In the seventeenth cave, the main image is the third Buddha, and in the middle is the seated image of Maitreya, 15.6 meters high. There are carved niches on the east and west walls, with seated statues in the east and standing statues in the west. The Buddhist niche on the east side of the bright window in the 13th year of Taihe in the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD 489) was added later.
In the 18th cave, the neutral statue is more than 15 meters high, with its right arm exposed and wearing the cassock of a thousand Buddhas. The depiction is delicate, vivid and touching.
In the 19th cave, the main image is the statue of the third generation. The seated Sakyamuni statue in the cave is 16.8 meters high and is the second largest statue in the Yungang Grottoes. Two ear holes were cut out from the east and west sides of the cave, and an 8-meter-long seated figure was carved on each side.
In Cave 20, the front area of ??the cave collapsed before the Liao Dynasty, and the statues were completely exposed. There are three standing statues of Buddhas. The seated Sakyamuni statue in the middle is 13.7 meters high. This statue has a plump face, broad shoulders, majestic shape and powerful spirit. It is a representative work of Yungang Grottoes carving art.
●Summary
Looking at the group of Buddhas, in this stone sculpture group that stretches for one kilometer, the statues range from more than ten meters in size to stone sculptures as small as a few centimeters. Huge boulders lie across the way, and stone sculptures are everywhere. Awe-inspiring. Their form and expression are moving. Some are sitting in the middle, lifelike, playing drums or ringing bells, holding piccolos, singing and dancing, or holding pipa in their arms, facing tourists. The wisdom and hardships of the ancient working people are reflected in the faces, bodies, and clothing patterns of these Buddha statues, flying gods, and patrons. These Buddha statues and musician carvings also clearly reveal Persian colors. This is a historical testimony of the friendly exchanges between ancient Chinese people and other countries. The Yungang Grottoes are the crystallization of creative work based on the traditional Chinese sculpture art, absorbing and integrating the essence of Indian Gandhara art and Persian art.