What do 51,000 ancient statues have in common? They all call the Yungang Grottoes in China home! This masterpiece of early Buddhist art is near Datong in Shanxi province, northeastern China. Carved into sandstone cliffs over 1,500 years ago during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534/535 CE), the grottoes contain 254 caves. The highlight is the massive Buddha in Cave 5, which is a jaw-dropping 17 metres tall. But don"t stop there—each cave offers something unique. Some are like ancient storyboards, depicting tales from Buddhist scriptures, while others showcase detailed carvings of monks, deities, musician and even scenes of daily life under Wei rule.
Yungang Grottoes, Datong, China
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA
-
Glenariff Forest Park, County Antrim, Ireland
-
Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia
-
Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
-
Scottish Blackface sheep, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
-
Flooded crypt, Basilica of San Francesco, Ravenna, Italy
-
Blue Spring, Te Waihou Walkway, New Zealand
-
Jasper National Park in Alberta, Canada
-
Gangi, Sicily, Italy
-
Peña Falcon rock, Monfragüe National Park, Spain
-
Maya site of Copán, Honduras
-
Greater flamingos at Pont de Gau Ornithological Park, Camargue, France
-
Humpback whales, Monterey Bay, California, United States
-
Snow leopards, India
-
Mount Sopris, Colorado, USA
-
Family of humpback whales, Dutch Harbour, Alaska
-
Moorea, French Polynesia
-
Ammonite fossil from Madagascar
-
Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
-
Tulips at Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye
-
Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan, India
-
Lake Bled, Slovenia
-
Anshun Bridge, Chengdu, China
-
Grizzly bears
-
Canyonlands National Park, Moab, Utah, United States
-
Jackson Square, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
-
Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona, USA
-
Huangshan Mountains, China
-
Skyscrapers in Manhattan
-
Atlantic spotted dolphins near Santa Maria Island, Azores, Portugal
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

