云冈石窟

Why this place

The Yungang Grottoes were carved between 460 and 525 CE, when the Northern Wei — a dynasty of Xianbei steppe origin — ruled northern China, and they are the first great Buddhist cave site in China. The mix of Indian, Central Asian and Chinese elements in the sculpture is exactly what you would expect from that moment.

What to see

• Cave 20 and its 17-metre seated Buddha, exposed after the front wall collapsed
• Caves 5 and 6, with their towering Buddhas and carved narrative panels
• The Five Tanyao Caves (16–20), the earliest and most monumental
• The site museum and the reconstructed temple complex

What to eat

• Datong knife-cut noodles and Shanxi vinegar cooking
• Lamb from the surrounding plateau

How to plan

Half a day from Datong, best in the morning light.

Best time

May–October