Yungang Caves, a Mountain of Buddhas        6/22/2008 3:19:13 PM

From thumb-sized figurines to a 17m colossus, the Buddhist carvings at Yungang are one of the most spectacular holy sites in China.

Clustered in groups, the Yungang Caves are meant to be viewed as a whole. This endeavor will take a few hours, but considering the carvings took almost half a century and 40,000 laborers to complete, the few hours spent exploring these majestic caves is time well-spent. Of the numerous artistic masterpieces that Buddhism has germinated in China in the past 2,000 years, the caves at Yungang are among the most profound.

The caves are located 16km west of Datong in northern Shanxi Province. A notch south of Inner Mongolia, this strategic location was once a cultural crossroad, with influences from India, Central Asia and Mongolia. In AD 368 a group called the Tangut  made Datong the capital of their Northern Wei dynasty. The Tanguts were fervent Buddhists and began work on the caves in 453, ending around 494 when he Northern Wei moved their capital to Luoyang and continued their devotional work at the Longmen Caves.

Over the centuries, the region's fortunes have wavered. Datong is now an industrial city and an important coal production center. Situated on the Loess Plateau, the old capital is sometimes referred to as the "Sea of Coal." Convoys of coaMaden trucks and swarms of bicycles clog the flat road to the mountain.

Once out of the city the traffic begins to thin out and the Wuzhou Hills ripple into view. Stone watch towers that have guarded China's northern border for thousands of years are silhouetted against the horizon. Amid such sparse surroundings, caves full of Buddhas in fanciful poses come into view. Carved in the 5th century AD, seven standing

Carved in the 5th century AD,seven standing Buddhas in Cave 11 wearing colorful clothing

Buddhas in Cave 11 wearing colorful clothing, Though the caves are famous for their depictions of the Buddha, other celestial beings are also represented. There are minutely detailed bodhisattvas and apsaras. Some caves are guarded by stone soldiers and others are covered with exuberant designs painted onto walls and ceilings.

The caves extend lkm from east to west and are divided into three major clusters. The grouping of the caves is seemingly haphazard, but it's possible to follow stylistic changes in the carvings as influences ebbed and flowed. Persian, Indian, even Greek and Byzantine influences can be seen in the rock carvings from the weapons, music instruments and clothing displayed.

Tours normally begin at Caves 5 to 13.
Located centrally, they were built from AD 462 to 495 and contain some of the best artistic works at Yungang. Meandering from one cave to the next, the high level of

Cave 20's Buddha is representative of the skiiled craftsmanship found throughout this site

artistry within the caves is readily apparent. In Cave 5 is an awe-inspiring 17m high seated Buddha. This pudgy Buddha would be barely able to fit his thumbs into the cave entrance if he could stand and move around. Resembling a dimly lit cathedral, at either side of the cave is an arched door with fine relief sculptures of flying apsaras at the top. The walls of the cave are festooned with a tightly knit honeycomb of smaller Buddhist figures, some retaining their ancient colorings thanks to recent restoration efforts, while others remain stark and stunning in sandstone hues. Pale light filters down from what seems like an open window which was actually the original entrance for workmen to hollow out the massive chamber.

Large or small, most Yungang statues have a square faces, thick lips, high noses, wide shoulders and broad chests – stylistically representative of the Northern Wei, but traces of other cultural influences are also present. Cave 8 features multi-headed statues of Indian origins which demonstrate the successful mixing of differing artistic traditions and the eclectic influences of the era. There is a five-headed, six-armed statue of the Hindu God Shiva sitting on a giant bird. Beside Shiva is the three-headed Vishnu sitting on a bull.

For art students studying this era, caves 9 to 13 are an important resource. Caves 9 and 10 are of a square design consisting of an outer and inner room. The outer pillars of each cave are carved with intricate figures bearing musical instruments. The eastern and western walls of the outer rooms and the door lintels of the inner room are finely carved with plant designs.
 
Cave 12 is known as the musical cave. Walking into the cave, we are greeted by a carved bank of celestial musicians holding different musical instruments demon strating the vibrant cultural exchange of the time. Such instruments as the konghou, pipa and waist-drums were introduced from Central Asia while panpipes and zithers originated from China. The cave is an invaluable resource for researchers on ancient China's music and dance