Yungang Grottoes [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]

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The Yungang Grottoes are well-known as a treasure-house of ancient Buddhist art and one of the three largest major cave complexes in China-the other two being the earlier Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang and the later Longmen Grottoes at Luoyang. Thanks to their large scale, rich content and exquisite carving techniques, the Yungang grottoes were included on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 2001. Today let's follow our reporter to learn more about this legacy of glorious Chinese art.

Reporter:

On a sunny morning, we boarded a bus bound for the Yungang Grottoes, lying some 16 kilometres west of Datong city, a mere one hour away. The construction of the caves began in the Northern Wei Dynasty in the mid-5th Century, basically only stopping after some 60 years of continual work when the capital city relocated from Pingcheng (present-day Datong) to Luoyang.

Before my tour, I had already gleaned some background knowledge about the grottoes. I knew that the first two emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty were both devout Buddhists. During their reign, Buddhism flourished with many temples been built in the capital. However, the third emperor, who was a Taoist, rejected Buddhism and issued the decree launching a nationwide suppression of it, resulting in Buddhist temples and images been razed, scriptures burned and monks killed. After he died, the succeeding emperor ordered the full restoration of Buddhism upon his enthronement. He then commenced building the Yungang Grottoes. At this time, Chinese Buddhism was reaching its peak of popularity and Yungang became the first grotto group to be fully under the auspices of the imperial family since Buddhism entered China around the first century A.D. It is estimated that at the peak of construction, over 100,000 labourers contributed to the huge project. The power and endurance of the Buddhist belief at the time is thus vividly illustrated at Yungang.

The grottoes were hewn onto the sandstone slope of Wuzhou Hill in a honeycomb pattern. During the early Northern Wei period, the hill was regarded as a holy site where several emperors prayed for rain and the blessing of deities. Caves and niches stretched for approximately one kilometre from east to west. There are 53 major caves at Yungang Grottoes surviving today, including some 51,000 statues and statuettes. They are noted for their rich variety, ranging from small, only three centimetres high, to tall, measuring 17 meters in height!

Two natural ravines cut into the face of the cliff and divide the cavern into three groups, numbered from east to west. But judging by the architecture, dressing style and iconography of the statues, the construction project of the Yungang caves was concluded in three phases. The grottoes from the early times are simple with a distinguished Indian Buddhist style. The grottoes of the middle stage are exquisite for their clearly Han influenced style-a people who accounted for the majority of the population of China at that time. This influence is largely reflected in the features and garments of the statues, along with a richer content in the carvings. Many of the statues wear ample gowns with loose girdles and pleated skirts, similar to the garments of Han officials and aristocrats. The grottoes of the last period are mostly characteristic of the Han as they were completed under the patronage of local Han officials and locals, as the emperor had moved the capital at the end of the second phase.

It was a bit difficult to view these carvings in their right chronological order. After entering, we went straight to the central group numbered 5 to 13. Completed in the second phase, they are said to be the most glorious part of the whole assemblage.

Grotto 5 enshrines the large, 17-metre-tall, sitting Sakyamuni Buddha sculpture, which has a majestic smile, high-bridged nose, radiant eyes and 3.4 meter long earlobes that extend almost to its broad shoulders. The sculptures on the surrounding walls, which have been severely deteriorated, are filled with marvellous paintings from later dynasties. The cave is screened by a four-story wooden attic made in a simple style. During the Northern Wei period, the entrance to each large cave was covered over by a wooden temple structure, whose front was several stories high. Sadly most of these were burnt down during the wars of successive dynasties. The retained wooden fronts of Grotto 5 and 6 that we saw today were rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty, around 300 years ago.

Sculptures in Grotto 6 showcase the complete story of Buddha's life. In the centre of the cave is a square tower extending from the floor to the ceiling. The relief carvings on it and one side of the surrounding wall depict the life of Sakyamuni, from the day of his birth to the time he achieved enlightenment. The remaining parts of the wall are covered with numerous tiny Buddhas, rows upon rows of them in fact. The cave also boasts a variety of vivid figures, such as Bodhisattiva, disciples, guardians and Buddhist devotees.

Later we went to colourful and vigorous Grotto 12, regarded as the "music cave". It's the most brightly painted one of all. The beams and pillars are dotted with exquisite carvings of dancers and musicians with musical instruments in their hands, such as a whistle or Sheng- a reed pipe wind instrument. Even the ceiling is full of captivating details. In the centre of it lie several blossoming lotuses surrounded by a few flying "apsaras"-known as the flying gods of heaven's song or music in Buddhism.
Zhao Kunyu, assistant archivist at the Yungang Grottoes Institute, says the Northern Wei Dynasty witnessed a thriving era of music communication and amalgamation.

"The Northern Wei was a belligerent country. It brought the population, as well as the culture and music of occupied countries to Pingcheng. To date there are nearly 500 representations of musical instruments to be found at the Yungang Grottoes. You can see panpipes and plucked zithers that originated in China, the waist-drum which was introduced from the Korean Peninsula, as well as the lute or "vertical konghou"- a plucked instrument from the Western Regions (present-day Central and Western Asia). We've concluded that a majority of the musical tradition in Pingcheng came from the Western Regions. This cave displays scenes from a grand musical gala, for the sake of chanting Buddha's merits."

Besides the integration of music, Zhao added that the Yungang Grottoes developed a tradition of absorbing the essence of foreign art. Architectural elements like Chinese interlocking wooden brackets, called "Dougong" can be seen here, alongside Indian golden-winged birds, Gothic columns and other Western decorative elements.

Walking westward, we arrived at a five-cave group built in the initial phase, numbered 16 to 20, they are known as the Tan Yao Five Caves. These huge solemn stone Buddha's houses here were chiseled under the auspices of monk Tan Yao, who decided to integrate religious worship with obedience to the emperor. On his instruction, the statues were fashioned to symbolise the first five rulers of the Northern Wei Dynasty. His reasoning was that the project would safeguard the prosperity of the country while upholding Buddhism.

Zhao Kunyu notes that Buddhist cave art developed its own distinct character at Yungang.

"In the Tan Yao Five Caves the statues possess a kind of characteristic rarely seen in India, Xinjiang and other parts of China. They combine the imposing appearances of the emperors of the Northern Wei with the expressions of Buddha, thus creating a new form of Buddhist statue."

Although no existing record shows which emperor each represents, cave 18 is believed to enshrine Emperor Taiwu, the destroyer of Buddhism. This statue is no less magnificent than its fellow ones, but it does have subtle differences. Adopting a standing position, his left hand is placed on the chest, in a gesture of apology. This is testament indeed to the Buddhist advocacy of sincere forgiveness and leniency.

The giant Buddha sitting out in the open air in Cave 20 is the most frequently published symbol of the Yungang Grottoes. The cave has collapsed on one side due to a geological disaster. The Buddha is, however, well-protected as abundant sunshine has accelerated water evaporation on its surface. Robustly built in a meditative position, its calm smile and soothing expression convey universal love and benevolence.

Finally, we walked back to the eastern caves, numbered from 1 to 4. Be sure not to miss these ones, especially Cave 3, the largest cave of all.

Looking from the outside, one can see that lots of minor caves and niches scattered on the cliff face have been eroded. Also, some of the artworks were stolen in the early 20th Century and are now displayed at museums around the world.

Most regrettably the Yungang Grottoes were not under proper protection for centuries. They suffered from the serious affects of pollution in the 1980s as they were surrounded by dozens of coal mines. At that time, a state-highway transporting coal passed by just a few hundred meters away. Because of this, windblown abrasive dust particles entered the caves and were deposited on the statues, obscuring their features and degrading their painted surfaces. In 1998, the central government rerouted the highway, moving it away from the grottoes. Many small, nearby coal mines were also shut down. In addition, the hilltop was covered over with water penetration materials, to lessen any further corrosion.

As we were about to depart, I looked back at the gorgeous Yungang Grottoes one last time. I was deeply impressed not only by the scale, but also by the superb craftsmanship and creative genius of every detail. Mere words are not enough to express my respect toward the skilful artisans, who, over one thousand years ago, left such a wondrous legacy. What I can say is that everyone visiting here is responsible for taking good care of them, so that future generations from China and abroad will also have an opportunity to gaze upon this priceless treasure.