Unmissable Yungang

Unmissable Yungang is one volume from the “Unmissable” series. It presents the representative caves and stone carvings of Yungang Grottoes， providing a comprehensive introduction to the history of Yungang’s excavation and highlighting the essence of Caves 1 to 41. When introducing each cave， the book also provides separate explanations of the “unmissable” highlights in each cave， allowing readers to easily appreciate every inch of the scenery at Yungang.

Cave 3： Discovering the “Cipher” of Cave Excavation

Cave 3 is the largest cave in the Yungang Grottoes. Due to the capital relocation， it was not completed by the Northern Wei Dynasty. Above the cliff outside the cave are twelve rectangular beam holes arranged in a row，" indicating the existence of a spacious and magnificent wooden structure in front of the cave during the Northern Wei period. During the Huangtong period of the Jin Dynasty， the “Lingyan Grand Pavilion，” a structure as wide as nine rooms， was rebuilt in front of the cave. However， no historical record exists of when and why it was destroyed.

On the upper level of the cave exterior， three-tiered square pagodas are carved on both ends， with two clear windows chiseled between the two pagodas. In the space between the windows is another cave chamber with a hip roof， inside which a statue of Maitreya with crossed legs is carved. On the lower level of the cave exterior， there are two doors to the east and west， respectively， indicating that the two cave doors share a common rear chamber in terms of the cave’s structure. The rear chamber features carvings of the “Three Holy Beings of the Western Pure Land.” The central statue， Amitabha Buddha， is 10 meters high， seated with legs down. He has a round and plump face. His right hand is raised， while the left rests on his knee， exuding a transcendent aura. The Bodhisattvas on both sides have serene and dignified expressions. Regarding the carving period of these three statues， there are four theories： Northern Wei， Sui， early Tang， and middle Tang， mainly based on the stylistic analysis of the sculptures. The prevailing consensus tends to favor the early Tang period.

How were the large caves of Yungang excavated？ There has only been speculation without conclusive evidence.

In 1993， during the archaeological excavation in front of Cave 3 at Yungang， unexpected remnants from the Northern Wei dynasty， indicating an unfinished excavation， were discovered in the antechamber on the east side of the cave entrance. This revelation unveiled previously unknown procedures and methods of cave excavation. The uneven ground inside the cave was filled with rectangular or circular pits left after removing the rocks， as well as stone blocks that had been cut into rectangular or circular shapes but not yet transported out. All of these indicate that the excavation and stone extraction were carried out in a planned， orderly， and systematic manner.

When removing rectangular stone materials， intersecting “田（tian）” shaped grooves were first chiseled on the rock surface. Then， a groove with an inclination angle of 30° to 40° was chiseled diagonally into one end of the stone block， followed by inserting iron wedges and using a lever to pry along the natural texture of the rock. The method of extracting circular stone blocks was a bit more complicated. Multiple iron wedges were placed around the grooves， and the stone block was soaked in water for over ten minutes before being extracted using hammers and chisels. Why did they go through such laborious efforts to cut the stones into rectangular or circular shapes？ It turns out that circular stones were usually processed into grinding discs for daily use， while rectangular stones were transported back to Pingcheng （the capital） for the construction of the palace. For example， the stone used for the outer perimeter of the rammed earth platform at the Northern Wei Mingtang site， discovered in the south of Datong City， originated from Mount Wuzhou.

Cave 4： Yungang’s Swansong

This is an unfinished central-pillar cave with a structural form resembling an inverted “品（pin）” character， similar to Cave 39. Due to the incomplete lowering process of the overall structure， Cave 4 appears to be hanging on the rock face when viewed from the outside. The rock quality in this area is porous， and the sculptures inside the cave have suffered significant weathering. The central pillar Buddha and the heads of the bodhisattvas have been extensively damaged by theft. In the 1940s， the Japanese discovered an inscription on the south wall of the cave from the Zhengguang period of the Northern Wei Dynasty （520--525） that read， “For the Late Husband Serving as Pingyuan Prefect” （now weathered beyond recognition）. This is the latest cave at Yungang with a confirmed date. During that period， the Northern Wei regime was facing turbulent times， much like the fate of this abandoned cave that could not continue its construction， becoming a lament on the historical wasteland of Mount Wuzhou.

Cave 5： Yungang’s Largest Buddha

Caves 5 and 6 form a pair of twin caves. Due to its rock structure， the four-story wooden pavilion in front of the caves is grand and magnificent. It was constructed under the supervision of Tong Yangliang， the Governor General of Xuanda， in the eighth year of the Shunzhi reign （1651） during the early Qing Dynasty. The “Yungang Mo Yun” from the Eight Scenic Wonders of Yunzhong refers explicitly to this location. Only when you enter Cave 5 do you realize your insignificance. That inexplicable sense of awe， sentiment， and admiration stems from within as if long-hidden energy has been ignited and struck. Cave 5 belongs to the category of a large statue cave with a domed ceiling. The main statue is a seated Buddha in meditation， standing at a height of 17 meters. It is the largest Buddha statue in the Yungang Grottoes. Although it has been repainted and mended with clay in later periods， it still retains its majestic appearance. The Buddha’s face is round but also squarish， with slightly lowered eyes， draped in a hanging robe， and the hands in a gesture of meditation， forming the meditation mudra， while sitting in the lotus position. On the east and west walls are attendant standing Buddhas， together depicting the subject of the Three Buddhas of the Three Worlds. As for the excavation of Cave 5， some people say it was built for Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty. If this is true， how do we understand that a large statue cave with a domed ceiling， which is traditional-style， was chosen for an emperor eager to innovate and promote sinicization？ Therefore， the question of whom it was specifically carved for remains a mystery of the Yungang Grottoes.

The niches on the east and west walls of Cave 5 are not arranged in strict symmetrical patterns. The Buddha statues no longer wear the Indian-style robe draped over the right shoulder but instead adorn themselves with ample gowns and loose girdles that are decorative and elaborate， reflecting the new changes in Yungang’s sculptural style during the Taihe reforms. The Buddha statue on the west side gazes into the distance with a noble countenance， featuring a straight nose， arched eyebrows with white whiskers in between， and slightly upturned corners of the mouth， displaying grace and elegance. The circular nimbus around the Buddha’s head is intricately carved with flame-like patterns， symbolizing power and radiance. It appears vigorous and bold， with a dense and vigorous flame-like design. The Buddha statue on the east side retains the original carving from the Northern Wei Dynasty in the head area， while the neck and the rest of the body were later painted and restored using clay during the Ming and Qing dynasties， resulting in a bulky figure with disproportionate proportions.

The south wall of the cave is divided into layers of niches， and on each side of the clear windows， there are five-tiered square pagodas supported by large elephants. The trunks of the elephants hang down vertically， while their two front legs are firmly grounded， creating a stable and powerful composition. The pagodas gradually decrease in size from the bottom to the top， with each tier projecting outward， and inside the niches， there are seated meditating Buddhas. The pinnacle of the pagoda soars high with seven-tiered rings and is adorned with a gemstone. On the upper corners of the cave entrance， there are two standing Bodhisattvas facing each other. One holds a Bo Mountain incense burner in one hand while the other holds a lotus bud， with delicate facial features and plump cheeks， exuding a calm and peaceful expression as if immersed in the joy of hearing the Dharma.

In life， we often encounter situations where we eagerly head towards our desired destination， overlooking the beauty along the way， which is an incomplete journey. The same applies to appreciating Yungang. We should slow down and perceive and savor the greatness and intricacy of the ancient craftsmen. While the grand Buddha in Cave 5 is undoubtedly remarkable， we must not overlook other details， such as the fierce-looking Vajrapā?i protectors on the lower levels of the cave entrance. They wear armor in the style of the Western Regions， with double-winged helmets and friendly facial expressions. One hand is raised while the other rests on the waist， standing with legs apart， exuding a majestic presence. On the upper level， two Buddha figures sit under a tree， with the lush sacred tree canopy resembling an umbrella. The two Buddhas sit side by side， draped in robes over the right shoulder， with their hands forming the gesture of meditation， exuding a serene expression. This image has become another representative work symbolizing Yungang， following the open-air Buddha in Cave 20. Despite the theft and damage to the heads of the four flying Apsaras figures on the top of the cave entrance， it does not detract from the overall composition. Their graceful postures and muted colors give the impression of an elegant ink painting.

Cave 6： Exquisite Carvings and Cultural Diversity

If there is one cave in Yungang that best embodies the historical blending of various cultures， it is undoubtedly Cave 6.

Cave 6， formerly known as the “Shakyamuni Buddha Cave” or the “Great Four-faced Buddha Cave，” belongs to the Pagoda Temple Cave group. At its center stands a 15-meter-high square pagoda pillar， creating a spiral space where devotees can circumambulate the pagoda， worship， and practice meditation. The lower part of the pagoda pillar has four niches on each side， with numerous depictions of Hu （Central Asian） people. They have curly hair styled in reverse， thick eyebrows and beards， high noses and large ears. Some have goatees; others have sideburns， and a few wear bird feather headdresses. They come in different appearances， each reflecting their unique individuality and ethnic characteristics. This showcases the social history of Hu people from countries like Persia and Sogdiana gathering in the capital city of Pingcheng （present-day Datong）. In recent years， a large number of cultural relics， including gold and silverware and glassware， with distinct features from the Western Regions， Persia， and Sasanian regions， have been unearthed in the Datong area， further confirming the prosperity that this city once enjoyed. On the upper part of the pagoda pillar， there are four standing Buddha statues， and at each corner， there is an intricately carved white elephant carrying a nine-level pavilion-style square pagoda. The exquisite craftsmanship presents a perfect combination of Gandharan style and Chinese pagoda design.

Unmissable Yungang

Zhao Kunyu

Jiangsu Phoenix Art Publishing House

April 2022

98.00 （CNY）

Zhao Kunyu has been working at the Yungang Research Institute for 38 years and is currently a research fellow and the director of the Yungang Grottoes Museum. He has been engaged in research on cave art and has published over 40 academic papers and several monographs.