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Yungang Grottoes: The beginning of "Sinicization" of grotto artThe exquisitely carved Yungang Buddha sits in meditative silence as a peaceful smile adorns his lips. More than 1,500 years of historical vicissitudes later, he is still proud of the God’s creation.
Yungang Grottoes are located in Datong City, Shanxi Province, China. The grottoes are carved along the mountain, stretching for about 1 km from east to west. There are 45 main caves and more than 51,000 stone statues. The highest one is 17 meters high and the smallest is only a few centimeters. Yungang Grottoes, one of the largest ancient Grottoes in China, were listed in the World Cultural Heritage list in 2001.
Yungang Grottoes are the first large-scale Grottoes operated by the royal family in Chinese history. It can be said that Yungang Grottoes are the beginning of the "Sinicization" of grottoes art.In 398 A.D, the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital to Pingcheng, which is today's Datong. The Yungang Grottoes were carved from 460 to 524 A.D. and can be divided into early, middle and late stages according to the grottoes' shape, content and style. Yungang Grottoes hold a vivid record of the history of the development of Buddhist art from India and Central Asia to Chinese Buddhist art and reflect the process of Buddhist statues gradually becoming secular and nationalized in China.
The early Grottoes construction (caves 16 to 20) was led by the famous monk Tanyao under the will of Emperor Wencheng of the Northern Wei Dynasty, known as "the Five Caves of Tanyao". The central parts of the five caves have carvings of huge Buddha statues, symbolizing the five emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Square forehead, high nose, big earlobe and shoulders are reflections of the characteristics of early ethnic minorities, which are different from the traditional Indian Buddhist statues.The mid-term grottoes date back to when carving was at its peak in the prosperous period of Northern Wei Dynasty. The colors and sculpture shapes are neat and gorgeous. The characteristics of this type of carving is quite different from those of early grottoes. There are obvious Chinese characteristics to the shape of caves and the content and style of carvings. The proportion of Buddha statues is moderate and the musicians and dancers manifest a patriotic fervour. At the same time, Chinese palace architecture was also turned into sculptures, which was widely used in the construction of grottoes and temples in later generations.
After the Northern Wei Dynasty moved its capital to Luoyang, the large-scale carving of the grottoes stopped, but the art form was taken up by the middle and lower classes. Although the scale was small, the Buddha statues were thin and beautiful, which was the origin of the "thin bones and clear images" of the Grottoes in northern China, reflecting the deepening of the "Sinicization" of Buddhist art.Various styles of Buddhist statues at home and abroad have been unprecedentedly adopted in Yungang Grottoes. The magnificent and colorful statues in Yungang Grottoes can be regarded as the first stone carving art in China in the 5th century.中国范儿118集合集