The colossal Buddha from Cave 20, dated from the 5th century, has the height of 14m and is a remarkable example of art in China. There is also another smaller Buddha behind the central figure. There are holes in the wall which served to hold the shield made of wood that protected the Buddha. The bottom parts of these figures are ruined because of the material which is soft and manageable for sculpting. The sandstone rock served for carving of the details which can be seen in a perfectly shaped mandorla and robe of Buddha. This material was partly destroyed by harsh weather, including strong wind and fluctuating temperatures. The faces of the figures have been restored although they are not exactly the same as the original figures were. The cave 20 is one of the earlier caves in this location.
There are many examples of sculptures from this period in these caves. “The caves at Yungang in Shanxi Province in central China, contain many examples of the earliest phase of Buddhist sculpture in China, including the monumental seated Buddha in Cave 20. This Buddha is easy to see from a great distance and has long ears and the traditional clothes which s Buddha wears. The face resembles a mask, the shoulders are strong and the drapery has central Asian style. This colossal sculpture does not have many human characteristics and seems to be strong and severe looking. The Wei dynasty ordered for this figure to be carved because they respected tradition and were Buddhists. “Most Wei rulers were avid patrons of Buddhism, and under their rule the religion made its greatest advances in the north”. Seated Buddha is located in open space and there is no protection around the figure today.
Buddhism first appeared in India in the 5th century BCE and later it spread to central part of Asia. “To the Chinese of the Six Dynasties, beset by conquest warfare and social devastation, Buddhism offered consolation in life and the promise of salvation after death”. This religion was official and that is why it was promoted in art as well. The seated Buddha in Cave 20 in Yungang represents the element of faith of the Chinese people which was encouraged by the rulers. “Thousands of temples and monasteries were built, and many people became monks and nuns”. People needed something to believe in and religion offered them a sense of purpose in life.
The caves in Yungang are from the ancient Chinese period which celebrates Buddhism. They are located near Datong in Shanxi province and they represent a specific kind of a temple. The architecture used for creating these figures is cutting rock and this site is a famous example of Buddhist sculpture. There are about 51 thousand Budda figures in this place and in 2001, Yungang caves were listed on the World Heritage List made by UNESCO as a significant and influential masterpiece of cave art.
Buddhism has to be practiced in order for it to fulfill one’s needs and it is done through meditation as well. The figures of Buddha were created from ancient times so that people could have a materialized deity. “Isolated from urban settlements, cliff-side caves created a heightened ambience of access to alterity. Contact with other spaces and times thus became imaginable”. People used meditation and visualization and figures of Buddha could only have helped them achieve their goal, repent for their sins and become one with the Buddha.
There are certain characteristics which are typical for the Buddha figures in Yungang. “The aureole of the main seated Buddha in Cave 20 displays more elaborate raised, threadlike patterns”. These are elements of the sculptures which were used for creating the figures of Buddha in the fifth century. It is also significant to mention the influence of Wei rulers. “The assumption of the primary importance of Chinese or southern influence on Buddhist art of northern China during this period is tied to historical attitudes toward the non Chinese origin of the Northern Wei rulers”. Therefore there are other cultural influences that can be seen in the sculptures which were ordered to be made by the Wei dynasty. There are different influences involved in this case and they are not conflicting.
In the 5th century, the Yungang caves were cave temples which had niches and this whole complex is now called “the tower-shaped stupa with niches”. These caves were constructed in 4th century for religious purposes although they also acquired historical and artistic significance. Seated Buddha is a very interesting figure because of being colossal and because of its location and the fact that it belongs to the ancient times. There are 53 caves in the complex and there are pagodas as well. The fusion between Indian art and Chinese is remarkable and it is related to Buddhism. The caves were constructed for almost 5 decades and it took several thousand workers to complete this task. This place is holy because it is related to the practice of Buddhism. Each cave has a number and cave 20 has specific importance because of the Seated Buddha who represents the glorious times of the Wei dynasty and their power.
Caves have been used as sanctuaries for meditation for a long time and the primary function of the figures was to make people more aware of the comfort the should seek in religion. However, in the beginning these caves were not only meant for religious purposes. “Some of these caves were probably not intended primarily for monastic practice proper nor wholly devoted to meditation, but were rather used for memorial services or as merit-making activities on the part of local elites”. In spite of that, the Wei dynasty practiced Buddhism and they wanted the Chinese people to be happy with their religious choices. They could find peace and serenity by watching a colossal figure such as Seated Buddha in Cave 20 and there were also many other figures in other caves.
The sculptures of Northern Wei in Yungang caves are considered to be provincial as opposed to metropolitan. “What is often implied in such an understanding is that the metropolitan ateliers are the most skilled, knowledgeable, and advanced in visual style and religious expression”. However, these sculptures are among the oldest example of Buddhist culture and that is why they should not be criticized. The ruling dynasty was the most significant about the promotion of religion such as Buddhism. “The huge projects honoring Buddha with cave temple-execution in Yungang and later in Longmen, took place under imperial patronage”. It was the duty of the emperors to help strengthen Buddhism because they had financial sources and the power to celebrate deities such as Buddha. “As early as fourth century of the Common Era, a particular type of icon featuring a bodhisattva seated in a pensive pose began to appear in Buddhist cave temples in Central Asia, and in the following centuries it spread to North China”.
Northern Wei dynasty “participated in the rapid and drastic transformation of the contours of Northern Buddhism, the most significant and peculiar development being the widespread application of the so-called “Liangzou Mode” “. This mode is particularly important in the construction of the Yungang caves. Yungang caves are a significant historical site which is under the protection of UNESCO for its great contribution to the support of Buddhism in China. The Wei dynasty was protecting Buddhism and showing to the people that they should seek for consolation in religion.
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