What is the difference between Maijishan and Yungang? Where are the Yungang Grottoes

Although both are three Buddha offerings, but the specific form of expression is significantly different, the three Buddhas of Maijishan are three sitting Buddhas of equal height, and Yungang 20 Caves are obviously different, the volume of the statue has obvious differences, the main statue is obviously larger than the Buddha on both sides of the wall, the form of the three Buddhas of Maijishan is to show an equal relationship, and Yungang 20 Cave is clearly reflecting a relationship between the Lord and the coercion, causing this obvious contrast should be because the Yungang Grottoes belong to the royal series of grottoes, The attached niche in the cave is also one of the differences between the two, in the early cave of Maijishan Grottoes, the small ear niche is one of its important features, and in the Yungang 20 cave, there is also the existence of this kind of small ear niche, the small niche in the cave does not make a regular layout, and the position in the cave is also weaker than the early cave of Maijishan.

There is a great similarity between the early caves of Maijishan and Yungang, especially the caves of Maijishan and the 20 caves of Yungang, such as the shape of the caves, the style of statues, the belief system, etc., and there must be a direct connection between the two.

We also need to see that there are many differences, one is that the two have received different influences in some specific expressions, and the other is the influence of regional and political and cultural factors. The statue combination and statue content of the early caves of Maijishan are relatively single in the form of expression, while the statue combinations and statue contents of the early caves of Yungang are much richer, and many themes appear relatively late in the Maijishan caves.

The characteristics of the Dunhuang grotto sculpture are that the clay sculpture is painted!

The characteristic of the sculpture of Maijishan Grottoes is that it is exaggerated and deformed!

The Longmen Grotto sculpture is characterized by delicacy!

The sculptures of Yungang Grottoes are bold and domineering, Wenhua heritage, and royal taste are even better! The main differences: different times of excavation, different rulers

Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes first, Longmen Grottoes second, Yungang Grottoes third, Maijishan Grottoes temporarily fourth.

Yungang Grottoes is located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, 17 kilometers away from the western suburbs of Datong City, Shanxi Province, northern China. There are 45 main caves, 252 large and small cave niches, more than 51,000 stone carving statues, it is one of the largest ancient grottoes in China, and the Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang, the Longmen Grottoes of Luoyang and the Maijishan Grottoes of Tianshui are called the four major grotto art treasure houses in China.

The statue of Yungang Grottoes is magnificent, the content is rich and colorful, it can be called the crown of Chinese stone carving art in the 5th century AD, and is known as the treasure house of ancient Chinese carving art. According to the excavation time, it can be divided into early, middle and late three periods, and the grotto statue style of different periods also has its own characteristics. The early "Tanyao Five Caves" were magnificent, with a rich and simple atmosphere of the Western Regions.

The grottoes in the middle period are famous for their elaborate carvings and ornate decorations, showing a complex and varied and magnificent artistic style of the Northern Wei Dynasty. Although the scale of the late cave chamber is small, the figures are thin and handsome, and the proportions are moderate, which is a model of cave art in northern China and the origin of the "skinny and clear statue". In addition, the music and dance and acrobatic carvings left in the grottoes are also the embodiment of the popularity of Buddhist thought at that time and the reflection of social life in the Northern Wei Dynasty.

The Yungang Grottoes vividly record the historical trajectory of the development of Buddhist art from India and Central Asia to Chinese Buddhist art, reflecting the process of gradual secularization and nationalization of Buddhist statues in China. A variety of Buddhist art statue styles have achieved unprecedented integration in Yungang Grottoes.

Yungang Grottoes is one of the three major caves in China.

I don't know if I can help you, but here are some interesting stories you can check out

1, Yungang Grottoes: It was a spring in the early years of peace, the ancient and silent southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain broke the earth, the body Luo rock fireworks bloomed and splashed, the cold Wuzhou Mountain has never been as solemn. From the dialogue between metal and stone, out of the Buddha's clan, the tribe of the monks, the camp of the gods, and the group of flying immortals, they ignore time and space, walk between religious beliefs and imperial symbols, and tell a new chapter of Buddhism about "worshipping the Buddha is worshipping the Son of Heaven".

2, Maijishan Grottoes: The famous Buddha stele in Cave 133 is the tenth stele, with Shakya's vow in the Buddha Heaven as the core, from the burning lamp to the Nirvana in the Suluo Forest on the bank of the Xiruopati River. A total of Buddhist stories such as the birth of the elephant, the birth under the tree, and the saying of the Wangshecheng are carved.

3. Longmen Grottoes: According to legend, in ancient times, there was a large area of smoke and waves in the south of Luoyang, surrounded by green mountains and green grass. People graze cattle in the mountains, fish in the lakes, and live a peaceful life.

There was a hard-working child in the village who went to the mountains every day to shepherd sheep, and often heard strange sounds from the ground that "it can't be opened", and when he came home, he told his mother about it. After thinking about it, his mother told him that if he heard it again, he would reply, "Yes!"

Who knew that before a sound was heard, the sky collapsed, Longmen Mountain split from the middle, and the turbulent lake poured out of the crack, rushing and roaring around Luoyang City, and flowing thousands of miles to the East China Sea. After the water flows, countless clear springs burst out from the cliffs and stones, and are stored as fragrant ponds and waterfalls. On the cliff wall of the two mountains, there are countless honeycomb-like cave ridges, the shadows in the cave ridges are full of stone statues, some eyebrows are clear and beautiful, some are unclear outlines, thousands of postures, it is a wonder.

Since then, the Longmen Grottoes have become famous all over the world.

The Yungang Grottoes are located at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain, 17 kilometers west of Datong City, Shanxi Province, northern China. This "business card" of Shanxi has a huge attraction for tourists from all over the country and even the world.

According to historical records, Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty ruled at a young age, and his grandmother Empress Dowager Feng "listened to the government in the court", at that time people called the two of them "two emperors" or "two saints", as the Yungang Grottoes built under the auspices of the royal family, the large double caves that appeared during this period were actually the symbols of imperial power at that time.

A black inscription above the east wall of Yungang 11 Cave, for "Taihe Seven Years of Statue Record" is the earliest existing Wei tablet inscription in Yungang Grottoes. The stele is rectangular, 78 centimeters long, 37 centimeters high, the full text is 336 words, it records the deeds of 54 good men and women who studied Buddhism in Taihe seven years of the Northern Wei Dynasty by Kyoto Pingcheng to study Buddhism and the deeds of "for the prosperity of the country, respecting the image of the stone temple and the Bodhisattvas".

Well worth it.

One of the four major grottoes of Chinese Buddhism (the other three caves are Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes). Maijishan Grottoes is located on a solitary peak in the West Qinling Mountains on the south side of Maijishan Township, 50 kilometers southeast of Tianshui City, Gansu Province. The Maijishan Grottoes were founded in the Sixteen Kingdoms Later Qin (384-417 AD), and then repeatedly repaired and expanded, and were basically completed in the Sui Dynasty at the end of the sixth century AD, and have been completely preserved to this day.

Maijishan Scenic Area covers an area of 215 square kilometers, including Maijishan, Xianren Cliff, Shimen, Quxi and Jieting Ancient Town.