Yungang Grottoes (Part ii)

Grottoes 16-20 are the earliest of Yungang's remaining grottoes, which hold five large Buddhist statues. Legend has it that they were modeled after five emperors of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The statue in Grotto 20 in the open air is the most spectacular. Grottoes 5 and 6, and Wuhua Grotto are the quintessence in the whole. The grottoes in the west part (Nos. 21-53 and some that are not numbered) were built later and in smaller sizes, displaying the Sinicization of Buddhist art with each passing day.