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Located 16 kilometers west
of the city is the Yungang Grottoes, the most
famous historical site in Datong. The grottoes
was first being built during the Northern Wei
Dynasty (386-534). There are all 53 grottoes in
total. In front of the 20th grotto is a seated
statue of Sakyamuni which is the representative
work of ancient sculptures in the Yungang
Grottoes. These Cloud Ridge Caves housed over
fifty thousand Buddhist statues and stretch for
almost one kilometer and has been the main
attraction for both the local and foreign
visitors.
The Buddhist statue
is about 14 meters high. The lines of the statue's
face are very graceful with a pair of bright
piercing eyes. In 2001, the Yungang Grottoes was
included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage
List.
Admission: 50 yuan
Transport:
Visitors may catch a bus from the Xinkaili Bus
Station in west of Datong to the Yungang
Grottoes daily. The bus journey will take
slightly over an hour.
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