National Parks of ChinaOverview
| Designation | UNESCO World Heritage (cultural, 2001) AAAAA tourist attraction |
| Province | Shanxi |
| Location | West of Datong, Shanxi |
| Latitude, longitude | 40.1, 113.1 Google Maps |
| Highlights | Northern Wei Buddhist sculpture |
| Nearby cities | Datong, Taiyuan, Hohhot |
| Nearby sites | Mount Heng (Northern Sacred Mountain), Mount Wutai, Badaling & Thirteen Tombs of the Ming Dynasty, Yesanpo, Xibaipo and Mount Tiangui, Stone Flower Cave |
| Themes | Grottoes, Statues, Buddhism, Stamps |
About
The Yungang Grottoes are cut into Wuzhou Mountain about 15 km west of Datong, Shanxi, and are one of China’s three great grotto complexes. Begun under the Northern Wei in the fifth century, they comprise 252 caves and about 51,000 figures.
Stamps
The first stamp of the 1988 definitive set R24 “Chinese Grotto Art” shows the great Northern Wei Buddha at Yungang.
On 13 April 2006 China Post issued 2006-8 “Yungang Grottoes”, four stamps and a souvenir sheet, all Northern Wei: Shakyamuni, two offering bodhisattvas, an attendant bodhisattva, and Shakyamuni.