Yungang Grottoes, Datong, China 11 Feb 2025

Yungang Grottoes, Datong, China

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 over 15 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, musicians and even scenes of daily life under Wei rule.

© Eric Yang/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A sky full of stars
11 Feb 2024Folegandros Island, Cyclades, Greece
11 Feb 2026Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California, USA

More Desktop Wallpapers:

6 May 2024The ruins of an ancient monastery, Skellig Michael, Ireland
Magnificent moss, magnified
21 Dec 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Were halfway there
12 Oct 2025Village of Saranac Lake, New York, United States
18 Jun 2024Snæfellsnes, Iceland
2 Jan 2026Aerial view of Venice, Italy
25 Dec 2025Merry Christmas!
21 Dec 2025Winter solstice
18 Feb 2024World Whale Day
13 Feb 2026Third Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge connecting Laos and Thailand
In fine feather
Prehistoric trails
12 Mar 2024Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, USA
A different kind of toucan
Where history comes alive
24 Sep 2024Skaftafell, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
This lake is no mirage
9 Apr 2024Skagit Valley Tulip Festival
Come on, guys, this way!
3 Feb 2024Carnival of Venice
28 Apr 2025Impala in Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
30 Mar 2025Mothering Sunday
17 Dec 2024Traditional red fishermens cabins, Reine, Norway
The grass looks greener on this side
A cuddling pair of Taiwan yuhina
Season of light in the City of Light
9 Aug 2025International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples
1 Nov 2023Haut-Barr Castle
16 Sep 2024Wallabies, Australia