Datong & the Yungang Grottoes: a local guide

The Yungang Grottoes

Carving began around 460 AD, when Datong (then called Pingcheng) was the capital of the Northern Wei dynasty. Over roughly six decades, imperial workshops cut 45 principal caves and some 51,000 statues into a kilometre of cliff — a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, and one of the three great grotto complexes of China alongside Mogao and Longmen.

• Caves 16–20 (the "Tan Yao Five") — the earliest group, carved under the monk Tanyao. Cave 20's Great Buddha, a seated figure about 13.7 metres tall, stands in the open air because the cave's front wall collapsed long ago; it is the image on every Yungang poster. Note for the detail-minded: the tallest Buddha at Yungang is actually the indoor figure of Cave 5, at about 17 metres — the Great Buddha of Cave 20 is the famous one, and the two are often confused.
• Caves 5–13 — the most richly decorated group, with dense carving, painted ceilings and the musical and architectural detail scholars prize most.
• The eastern caves — smaller, later and quieter; rewarding if you have a second visit or a long afternoon.

Allow three to four hours. The site is largely flat and well-paved, and our guides pace it cave by cave so the iconography builds rather than blurs.

Datong old city

• Huayan Temple — founded under the Liao dynasty and one of the largest Buddhist temple complexes of its era in China. Its Hall of Mahavira is a masterpiece of Liao–Jin architecture, and the thin-walled sutra library hides a celebrated revolving bookcase.
• Nine-Dragon Screen — a Ming-dynasty glazed-tile wall of 1397, older and larger than its more famous counterpart in Beijing's Forbidden City.
• The rebuilt city wall — best at dusk, when the towers light up; a good place to stretch your legs after the caves.

The Hanging Monastery (Xuankong Temple)

Built in 491 AD under the Northern Wei and repeatedly repaired since, the Hanging Monastery is a warren of halls and walkways pinned to the cliff of Mount Heng, about 50 metres above the gorge floor, held up — so the story goes — by horizontal oak beams set deep into the rock. It is the only surviving temple in China dedicated jointly to Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Numbers on the cliff walkway are controlled and queues form in peak season, so we time our visits for early morning or late afternoon. The monastery is about 1.5 hours by road from the Yungang Grottoes, and pairs well with the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda (1056 AD, the oldest and tallest surviving wooden pagoda in the world) on the return leg.

Frequently asked questions

Which cave is the Great Buddha of Yungang in?

The famous open-air Great Buddha of the Yungang Grottoes is in Cave 20. The seated Buddha, about 13.7 metres tall, was exposed when the cave's front wall collapsed centuries ago, and it has become the symbol of Yungang. (It is sometimes misattributed to Cave 5, which holds the tallest Buddha at Yungang, an indoor figure about 17 metres high.)

How long do I need at the Yungang Grottoes?

Allow a full half day — three to four hours — for the main caves at a proper pace. The site has 45 principal caves stretching about a kilometre along the cliff; rushing it in ninety minutes means missing the detail that makes Yungang one of the great monuments of Buddhist art.

Can I visit the Hanging Monastery and Yungang on the same day?

Yes, but it is a long day: the two are about 1.5 hours apart by road, on opposite sides of Datong. With two days in Datong we prefer Yungang plus the old city on day one, and the Hanging Monastery — often combined with the Yingxian Wooden Pagoda — on day two.

---

Datong is where most of our Shanxi itineraries begin. To arrange a private Datong tour, email us at 18635571515@163.com or message us through the Jinji Yousheng （晋迹有声） WeChat mini program.