The Yungang Grottoes, together with the Dunhuang Grottoes, the Longmen Grottoes and the Maijishan Grottoes, are known as the four major grotto art treasure houses in China. These treasure troves of grotto art are the precious heritage of ancient Chinese culture, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists to visit with their exquisite carving skills and rich cultural connotations.
The Yungang Grottoes are located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain in the western suburbs of Datong City, Shanxi Province, China, and are one of the World Cultural Heritage Sites. The excavation of Yungang Grottoes began around 460 A.D., and after many dynasties, a large-scale and majestic grotto group was formed. The statue style of Yungang Grottoes is unique, with Buddha statues, Bodhisattvas, flying heavens and so on as the main themes, showing the charm of ancient Chinese Buddhist art.
The Dunhuang Grottoes are one of the four major treasure houses of grotto art in China, located in Dunhuang City, Gansu Province. The excavation of the Dunhuang Grottoes began around 366 A.D., and after many dynasties, many grottoes represented by the Mogao Grottoes were formed. The statue style of Dunhuang Grottoes is diverse, there are both solemn Buddha statues, and there are vivid and lively images such as Feitian and Lux, which are the treasures of ancient Chinese art.
Located on both sides of the Yi River between Longmen Mountain and Xiangshan in Luolong District, Luoyang City, Henan Province, the Longmen Grottoes are one of the four major treasure houses of grotto art in China. The excavation of the Longmen Grottoes began around 493 A.D. and has gone through many dynasties to form a large-scale grotto group. The statue style of Longmen Grottoes is gorgeous and delicate, with Buddha statues, bodhisattvas, heavenly kings and other main themes, showing the prosperity of ancient Chinese Buddhist art.
Located in the Maijishan Scenic Area of Tianshui City, Gansu Province, the Maijishan Grottoes are one of the four major grotto art treasure houses in China. The excavation of the Maijishan Grottoes began around 384 A.D., and after many dynasties, the grottoes represented by Maijishan were formed. The statue style of Maijishan Grottoes is rough and bold, with Buddha statues, Bodhisattvas, wrestlers and so on as the main themes, showing the majestic momentum of ancient Chinese Buddhist art.
Each of China's four major grotto art treasures has its own unique artistic style and historical background, but they are all precious relics of ancient Chinese culture and treasures of Chinese civilization. These treasure troves of cave art are not only treasures of Buddhist art, but also an important heritage of human culture, which are of great value for the study of ancient Chinese history, culture, religion and other aspects. At the same time, these treasure troves of grotto art are also an important resource for Chinese tourism, attracting a large number of domestic and foreign tourists to visit and appreciate.