Current location - Music Encyclopedia - Chinese History - What is the history and origin of Yungang Grottoes?
What is the history and origin of Yungang Grottoes?
Yao Tan, a famous monk at that time, chose Yuzhou Mountain in Zhong Ling and dug the magnificent Tan Yao Cave, which opened the prelude to the excavation of Yungang Grottoes. Caves 16~20 are the five largest caves in Tan Yao and the symbol of the emperor.

The plane is horseshoe-shaped, with a dome and thousands of buddhas carved on the outer wall. The main statue is Buddha III, with a tall figure, round face, high nose, deep eyes and straight shoulders, showing a strong, vigorous and simple sculpture style. His carving skills inherited and developed the excellent traditions of the Han Dynasty, absorbed and integrated the essence of ancient Indian Gandhara and Datura art, and created a unique artistic style.

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.