5窟, Majestic Buddha, a Visual Marvel
Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area, Datong City, Shanxi Province
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Introduction
Cave No.5 is a relatively mature cave in the middle period of the Yungang Grottoes. It is believed to have been excavated approximately during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (AD470-494). As this cave was funded by the royal family, the space and Buddha statues are grand and magnificent. As the main body of the entire cave, the plan view of Cave No.5 is elliptical and the top is dome-shaped, with the main Buddha statue layout being the Three Buddhas. Among them, the statue of Shakyamuni Buddha is the tallest among the tens of thousands of Buddha statues in the Yungang Grottoes, standing at 17 meters tall. This Buddha statue has enough space to accommodate more than 100 people standing, with a middle finger that is 2.3 meters long and a distance of 14.3 meters between the knees, making it the unparalleled crown jewel of Buddhist statues in the Yungang Grottoes. As the Yuan Dynasty poet Wang Du described: "It towers above the peaks and perilous pavilions, equal to the heavens. Looking down, the world seems low everywhere." It gives people an extremely shocking visual impact. According to legend, this Buddha statue was ordered to be sculpted by Emperor Xiaowen for his father Emperor Taiwu Tuoba Hong. Currently, Cave No.5 is well-preserved and there are more than 2,300 statues of different sizes, with exquisite carvings, making it one of the precious and relatively complete legacies in the Yungang Grottoes. Address Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area, Datong City, Shanxi Province
Opening hours Monday to Sunday 8:30-17:30 (April 1st-October 15th)
8:30-16:50 (October 16th-March 31st)
The cave belongs to royal investment excavation
