The Yungang Grottos lie at the foot of Wuzhou Mountain to the west of Datong City, Shanxi Province.

The Yungang Grottos stretch continuously for as long as one kilometer. There are 53 extant caves, 110 niches and more than 51,000 small and big statues. The grottos are chiseled along the mountain, consisting of three parts: the east, the middle and the west. The whole group of the grottos is large in scale and exquisite in carving, which is one of the largest groups of grottos in China. The main part of the Yungang Grottos was first built from the Heping reign (460-465) of Emperor Wencheng in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) to the 18^thyear (494) of the Taihe reign of Emperor Xiaowen, the completion of other small niches lasted to the Zhengguang reign  (520-525) of Emperor Xiaoming. In the famous geographical writingsCommentary on the Waterwaysof the Southern and Northern Dynasties (386-581), it is recorded that drilling the rocks and blasting the mountains, building according the conditions of the rocks; it is so grand and splendid that they are rarely seen in the world; halls on the mountains and palaces above the waters face each other, while the temples are covered by fogs, which is the real description of the spectacular sceneries of the Yungang Grottos of that time.

The Yungang Grottos are famous for the rich and magnificent stone-carving statues. The biggest one in the grottos is 17 meters high, while the smallest is only several centimeters. The statues of all kinds are vivid and lifelike. The artistic style of the grottos has not only followed taht of the Qin and Han dynasties, but also assimilated the essences of the foreign art to create their particular characteristics. It has exerted profound impact on the arts of the later Sui and Tang dynasties, and possessed an important position in the history of Chinese art. The Yungang Grottos, the Dunhuang Grottos in Gansu Province and the Longmen Grottos in Henan Province are called the three most important grottos in China.

Of the Yungang Grottos, the Tanyao Five Grottos were chiseled earliest and was among the most magnificent ones. The sceneries in the No.5, No.6 and Wuhua Cave Grottos are in great diversity. And the grottos in the east and west part were chiseled later. The Tanyao Five Grottos are located in the middle of the Yungang Grottos from No. 16 to No. 20. According to the records ofthe Story of Shilao in the History of the Wei Dynasty, in the early years of Heping in the North Wei Dynasty, the famous monk named Tanyao at that time presented a memorial to Emperor Wencheng, requesting the carving of five grottos and sculpting of five figures of Buddha in the Wuzhou Village, molded on Emperor Daowu, Mingyuan, Taiwu, Jingmu and Wencheng . This is what we call Tanyao Five Grottos today. The No.16 Grotto is the statue of Sakyamuni, of 13.5 meters tall, with a comely face and spirited gesture. The No.17 is the sitting statue of Maitreya, with a height of 15.6 meters, and one big figure of Buddha on its two sides respectively. The No.18 is another statue of Sakyamuni with a height of 15.5 meters and the statues of his disciples. The No.19 is a sitting statue of Sakyamuni with a height of 16.7 meters, which is the second largest statue figure in the Yungang Grottos. The No.20 is a big statue of Buddha with a height of 13.75 meters, whose facial feature is extraordinarily attractive with a round face, thick lips and big ears. The No.20 Grotto represents the finest arts and craftsmanship among the Yungang Grottos and is the symbol of it.

The No.5 and No.6 Grottos are a set of double grottos adjacent to each other. In front of the grottos there is a five-bay four-storeyed wooden pavilion built in the eighth year (1651) of the Shuizhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The style of the No.5 Grotto is an oven hut with a front and a back room. In the middle of the back room there is the highest statue of sitting Buddha in the Yungang Grottos, with a height of 17 meters. In the walls of the grotto there are Buddha niches; on the top, beautiful embossments of flying Asparas. The No.6 Grotto is nearly in rectangle, with a 15-meter two-storeyed pagoda column in the middle. The first storey of the column is carved with figures of Buddha and the upper with a small nine-storeyed pagoda. The rest of the walls are carved with figures of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva and the arhats. On the top of the grotto, there are thirty-three heavenly gods and their beasts for riding. The east, south and west walls in the grotto are carved with 33 pieces of pictures illustrating the story of Sakyamuni from his birth to becoming a Buddha. The grotto is among the most representative grottos in the Yungang Grottos.

The Wuhua Cave is numbered as the No.9 to No.13 Grottos. The No.9 and No.10 Grottos are a double grotto in a rectangular shape with front room and back room. The south wall of the front room is carved into an octal column, the lintel of the door to the east and west wall is carved with designs and patterns of plants. The No.11 to No.13 Grottos form a group. In the middle of the No.11 Grotto, there is a rectangular column. The front room of the No.12 Grotto is carved with semi wood palaces and pavilions on the walls; its top are carved with musicians with all kinds of musical instruments in their hands. These are first-hand materials for research into the musical history at that time. In the middle of the No.13 Grotto, there is a 13-meter Buddha of Maitreya. The arch of the door to the south wall is carved with seven figures of standing Buddha. The shape of the sculptures in the Wuhua Cave is diverse, providing important visual materials for research in the fields of art, history, calligraphy, music and architecture.

The grottos in the east area are all pagoda caves, from the No.1 to No.4. The No.1 and No.2 Grottos were chiseled in the same period. In the middle of the cave there is a rectangular column with embossment of five-storeyed pagodas, pavilions and palaces on the walls, which are all important materials to research into the architectures of the North Wei Dynasty. The No.3 Grotto is the one of the largest scale in the Yungang Grottos. The front wall is about 25 meters high and is divided into front and back room. On both sides of the back room, there is one figure of Buddha and two of Bodhisattvas. Judged from the sculpting style and skill, it was carved in the early Tang Dynasty. The door to the south wall of the No.4 Grotto is carved with an epigraph of Zhengguang Years of the Northern Wei, the latest epigraph found in the Yungang Grottos.

The grottos in the west area are from the No.21 to No.53 Grottos, with some not included. Most of them were built later than the 18^thyear (494) of the Taihe reign of the Northern Wei. The figures of Buddha in these grottos are comparatively slim, giving a sense of pride. The style of the picture of flying Asparas is different from that of earlier time, and close to the sculpture style in the Longmen Grottos. Other grottos are all precious materials for the research into the acrobatics and architectures of the Northern Wei Dynasty.