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 late grottoes are small in size, the figures are thin, handsome and with moderate proportions. They are the model of grotto art in northern China and the origin of the "thin and clear statue" 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 Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as the Thousand Buddhas Cave, are located in Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. According to historical records, it was first excavated by the monk Lezun in 366 AD. It went through the Sixteen Kingdoms, Northern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, The construction in the Xixia, Yuan and other dynasties has reached a huge scale, with 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals and 2,415 clay sculptures. The murals of the grottoes are rich and colorful, including various Buddhist stories, mountain scenery, architectural paintings such as pavilions and pavilions, landscape paintings, flower patterns, flying Buddha statues and various scenes of working people carrying out production at that time. The artistic reproduction of folk customs and historical changes of more than 1,500 years is majestic and magnificent.
The Longmen Grottoes were excavated during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Afterwards, they were built on a large scale for more than 400 years through the Eastern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Qi, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song and other dynasties. They are 1 kilometer long from north to south. Today, There are 2,345 cave niches, more than 100,000 statues, and more than 2,800 inscriptions. Among them, "Twenty Products of Longmen" is the essence of Wei calligraphy stele, and "Stele of Yique Buddhist Niche" written by Chu Suiliang is a model of regular script art in the early Tang Dynasty.
From the perspective of grandeur, the Yungang Grottoes are the best; from the cultural heritage, the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang are the best. In fact, each of the four major grottoes has its own uniqueness. . The one in Longmen is famous for its inscriptions, and the royal temple is the embodiment of the country's religious color; the one in Maijishan is the most outstanding in its clay sculptures and has a leading architectural style.
Judging from the overall scale and grandeur of the four major grottoes, they all reflect the strong national power of ancient my country, show the integration of world cultures and the process of religious development. They collectively symbolize the development of the Chinese nation. ancient civilization.