The chest of this Buddhist statue at Yungang Grottoes was scarred by years of wind and water erosion at Cave No 3, Sept 5, 2013. [Photo by Guo Rong/chinadaily.com.cn]

Yungang Grottoes, located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Hill, 16 kilometers west of Datong city in Shanxi province, represent the outstanding achievements of Buddhist cave art in China during the 5th and 6th centuries.

Most of the 252 caves and 51,000 statues were constructed during the Northern Wei Dynasty in the mid-5th century, when Chinese Buddhism was at the peak of its popularity.

The statues are among the few remaining historical relics from the dynasty.

Cave No 16 to 20, created by monk Tan Yao, with their strict unity of layout and design, constitute a classical masterpiece of the first peak of Chinese Buddhist art.