Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.80

v2.c11.80

Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534 CE) was the thriving period of Buddhist grotto art of northern China. From 460-465 CE, five grottoes were excavated in Yungang, Datong, Shanxi, and five Buddhas were built, with the highest one of nearly 17 m, the second highest one of 15.5 m, grand carving and majestic style macro thick. Though they were influenced by Gandhara art and Gupta art, modelling, temperament and clothes of Buddha still showed the dignity of national emperors of northern China. As for the numerous reliefs with Buddha Jataka story and Buddha biography story in Yungang Grottoes, obviously, they were the copy of reliefs in Gandhara area, and might have been made by the rubbings of Gandhara relief. Later, Buddha modelling of Yungang Grottoes had the localisation tendency, and Chinese artistic characteristic was increasingly significant. Buddhist grotto art works such as Dunhuang Grottoes, Maijishan Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes basically went through a similar process. These grottoes were important materials of knowing the development history of Chinese ancient Buddhism, carving, architecture and music and conducting research on India-China art exchange history.