Yungang Grottoes Travel Guide, Datong, Shanxi

1. Opening Hours Nov 1–Jun 16: 8:30–16:30 Jun 17–Sep 14: 8:00–18:00 Sep 15–Sep 17: 7:00–18:00 Sep 18–Sep 30: 8:00–18:00 Oct 1–Oct 7: 8:00–18:00 Oct 8–Oct 31: 8:00–17:00 2. Ticket Prices Peak season (Apr 1–Oct 31): CNY 120/person Off season (Nov 1–Mar 31): CNY 100/person Discounts: Children aged 6 and under or under 1.2m in height: Free Minors aged 6–18 and full-time students with a bachelor's degree or below: Half price with valid ID or student ID Seniors aged 65 and over, active military personnel, and people with disabilities: Free with valid ID 3. Transportation Public transport: Take bus 3, 12, 37, or 603 to Yungang Station. Self-driving: Navigate to "Yungang Grottoes Scenic Area." There is a parking lot in the scenic area. Taxi: About 30 minutes from downtown Datong. Direct bus: There is a direct bus between Datong Ancient City, Hanging Temple, and Yungang Grottoes. CNY 39/person. However, the time and location are fixed. 4. Attractions Grottoes: The core attraction of Yungang Grottoes, divided into east, middle, and west sections. About 40 caves are open to the public. Caves 5 and 6 are twin caves with exquisite murals. The open-air seated statue of Sakyamuni in Cave 20 (Buddha Cave) is representative. Lingyan Temple: A modern building modeled after the description in the Commentary on the Water Classic. Grotto Museum: Displays grotto fragments and provides information on the history of the grottoes. Freshly ground coffee, desserts, and souvenirs are available. 5. Recommended Routes Short route (2.5–3.5 hours): Tanyao Square > Buddha Avenue > Buddha Relief Wall > Lingyan Temple (Mountain Hall and Water Palace) > Grottoes > Yungang Museum > Food Street Long route (1 day): Tanyao Square > Buddha Avenue > Yungang Art Museum > Yungang History Museum > Buddha Relief Wall > Lingyan Temple (Mountain Hall and Water Palace) > Grottoes > Yungang Museum > Performance Center > Yungang Northern Wei Shadow Puppetry and Puppet Museum > Premier Zhou Memorial Hall > Shibing Art Museum > Food Street 6. Reminders The Yungang Grottoes have suffered serious theft and destruction. More than 2,000 statues have been found, and countless others have been lost overseas. Please protect the cultural relics when visiting. Most of the statues in the Yungang Grottoes do not have eyes. The eyes were added during the Liao and Jin dynasties. To protect the grottoes, all new buildings outside the scenic area are made of mahogany, costing hundreds of millions of yuan. Please respect the historical relics when visiting the Yungang Grottoes. Do not touch or take photos of prohibited areas. Keep quiet and do not disturb other visitors or the tranquility of the artworks. Due to seasonal and weather changes, there may be changes in transportation and dining. We recommend planning in advance and staying in touch to deal with any emergencies.