Yungang Grottoes and Datong Highlights
Datong, China
Visit the renowned Yungang Grottoes and admire the Buddhist cave art. Continue to Shanhua Monastery. Return to Datong and enjoy a tour of the highlights including the exquisite Huayan Temple and the renowned Nine Dragon Screen.
Today, proceed to visit the renowned Yungang Grottoes, one of the top four Buddhist Grottoes of China. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the entire complex houses up to 51,000 statues sitting in 252 caves!
Afterwards, you will visit the Shanhua Monastery, which is the earliest surviving building from the 11th century. It was built during the Kaiyuan period of the Tang Dynasty with three main halls: Mahavira Hall, Sansheng Hall and the Main Gate.
Return to Datong city and visit the Huayan Temple, a great example of a Liao Dynasty architecture originally built in 1038AD and one of the best preserved. Afterwards, admire the famous Nine Dragon Screen, decorated with brightly colored glazed tiles, carved dragons and animals.