10 attractions in Shanxi's two cities

Attraction 3

Yungang Grottoes, Datong

Address: Southern foot of the Wuzhou Mountain, 16 km west of Datong city, Shanxi province
Opening Hours: 8:30 am-4:30 pm
Ticket Price:
100 yuan ($13.64)/person (Nov 1- March 31)
120 yuan ($16.36)/person (April 1-Oct 31)

At the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, 16 kilometers west of Datong city in Shanxi province, built into the mountainside and stretching 1 km east to west sit the Yungang Grottoes.

With 252 caves and 51,000 statues inside a carved area of 18,000 square meters, the Yungang Grottoes stand as an outstanding achievement in 5th and 6th century Buddhist cave art.

Among them, the Five Caves, with their strict unity of layout and design, were created by monk Tanyao and remain masterpieces of Chinese Buddhist art’s first peak period.

The Yungang Grottoes were added to the World Cultural Heritage List in December 2001.