In the Tang Dynasty, according to the Inscription on Rebuilding Dashiku Temple on Wuzhou Mountain in Xijing, Wujin written by Cao Yan in the seventh year of Jin Di Tong (1 147), "Zhenguan was rebuilt in the fifteenth year (64 1)";
After the early Tang Dynasty, Pingcheng presented a scene of depression, and the construction of Yungang Grottoes was not the main project due to various factors.
During the period of Liao Jin, Liao Xingzong and Daozong, the royal family of Liao Dynasty carried out a large-scale renovation of Wuzhoushan Cave Temple, which lasted for ten years. There are ten temples in front of the grottoes, namely Le Tong, Lingyan, Whale Worship, Zhenguo, National Protection, Tiangong, Chongfu, Tongzi, Huayan and Doulv, and more than 0/000 Buddha statues have been restored.
In the second year of Liaobao (1 122), the Jin soldiers captured Datong, and "the temple was burned and robbed, and the Lingyan Building was completely swept away" ("Dajin Xijing rebuilt the Huayan Temple Monument").
From the third year to the sixth year of the Jin Dynasty (1143-1146), abbot Hui rebuilt the "Lingyan Pavilion" (now the attic outside the third cave). "The weather at the mountain gate will naturally pass." (golden monument).
In the Yuan Dynasty, the temples in Wuzhoushan Grottoes still existed.
In the Ming Dynasty, Yungang in Datong was abandoned again. The name of Yungang began in Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty. In the seventeenth year of Chongzhen in the late Ming Dynasty (1644), Li Zicheng rebels passed through Datong. After the Ministry of National Defense entered Zhang Tianlin, the Qing army entered the customs to capture Datong, and Yungang Temple was once again destroyed and reduced to ashes.
In the Qing Dynasty, Yungang Temple was rebuilt in the eighth year of Shunzhi (165 1). The existing wooden eaves and temples of Caves 5 and 6 were rebuilt at this time. 1696, Emperor Kangxi returned to Yungang Temple in winter and inscribed "Solemn Law". Yungang Grottoes were also renovated during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty.
Modern 1949 People's Republic of China (PRC) was founded, and the main caves of Yungang Grottoes and their former wooden structures (Caves 5, 6 and 7) were well preserved. 1952 a special protection agency has been established, and the grotto cultural relics have been properly protected and opened to the public.
Extended data:
Introduction to grottoes:
The first and second caves are double caves, located at the eastern end of Yungang Grottoes. The two-story square tower is carved in the center of the cave, and the back wall stands like Maitreya. Most of the four-walled Buddha statues are weathered and denuded, with Vimo and Manjusri carved on both sides of the cave entrance on the south wall, and the relief of the original story of the Buddha statue on the lower part of the east wall is well preserved.
There is a square three-story tower column in the center of the second cave, with three pavilions carved on all sides of each floor and five small towers carved on the inner wall of the cave, which is the image data for studying the architecture of the Northern Wei Dynasty.
The third grotto is the largest grotto in Yungang, and there is a broken wall about 25 meters high in front of it, which is called Yao Tan Translation Tower. The grottoes are divided into a front room and a back room. A Maitreya grottoes is carved in the middle of the upper part of the front room, and a pair of three-story square towers are carved on the left and right.
There are three statues carved on the south and west side of the back room, which are round in appearance, full of muscles, fine in corolla and smooth in clothing lines. The height of the Buddha sitting on this statue is about 10 meter, and the height of the two bodhisattvas is 6.2 meters each. Judging from the styles and carving techniques of these three statues, they may have been carved in the early Tang Dynasty (7th century AD).
In the fourth cave, there is a rectangular column carved in the center of the cave, with six Buddha statues carved on the north and south sides and three Buddha statues carved on the east and west sides. Above the cave gate in the south wall is the inscription of Zheng Guangnian in the Northern Wei Dynasty (520-525 AD), which is the latest inscription of Yungang Grottoes.
The fifth cave, located in the middle of Yungang Grottoes, is a group of double caves with the sixth cave. The cave is divided into two rooms, the front and back. The north wall of the back room is the third Buddha, and the central sitting statue is 17 meters high, which is the largest Buddha statue in Yungang Grottoes.
The cave walls are covered with carved niches and Buddha statues. On both sides of the archway, there are two Buddha statues sitting on the top of bodhi trees, which are embossed and fly beautifully. There are five four-story pavilions in front of the two caves, and the existing buildings were rebuilt in the eighth year of Shunzhi in the early Qing Dynasty (AD 165 1).
The sixth cave, the plane of the cave is nearly square, and the center is a two-story square tower column connecting the top of the cave, which is about 15 meters high. Below the tower is a large niche, with a Buddha statue carved in the south, a Buddha statue carved in the west, a sitting statue of Ying Duobao carved in the north and a Maitreya statue carved in the east.
On the two sides of the pagoda, east, south, two or three sides of the cave wall and two sides of the open window, 33 reliefs depicting the Buddhist story of Sakyamuni from birth to enlightenment were carved. This cave is the most representative one in Yungang Grottoes. It is magnificent in scale, rich in sculpture and exquisite in technology.
The seventh hole has three layers of wooden eaves in front of it, and the hole is divided into two rooms. The upper layer of the main wall of the back room is carved with a bodhisattva sitting on a Leo. There are statues of shrines on the east, west and south walls, and the six bodhisattvas on the arch of the south wall are beautiful and lifelike. The reliefs on the top of the cave are flying in the sky, lively and vivid, each with lotus as the center, dancing in circles and moving.
In the eighth cave, there are pigeons Luo Tian riding a peacock with five heads and six arms on both sides, and Luo Tian riding a cow with three heads and eight arms on the east side, which is extremely rare in Yungang.
The ninth cave is divided into two rooms, the front gate archway is octagonal, and the walls of the rooms are engraved with shrines, musicians and maidens, which are vivid and dynamic.
Cave 10 excavated at the same time as Cave 9 is divided into two rooms. There is flying in the front room, with beautiful posture and coordinated proportion. In the upper part of the open window, the composition of the stone carving is complex, exquisite and eye-catching.
Baidu encyclopedia-Yungang grottoes
People's Network-World Cultural Heritage: Yungang Grottoes