Today, you will explore the Yungang Grottoes, one of the Four Great Caves of China and a World Heritage Site. Preserved to the present in the Grottoes are 53 caves and over 51 000 statues. It not only shows the exquisite carving skills of ancient craftsmen, but also contains rich Buddhist culture and historical value.
We will visit Cave 5, the largest of the Yungang Grottoes and the most representative. The central seated statue of the Third Buddha in the cave is 17 meters high, which is the tallest statue of Buddha in the Yungang Grottoes.
In the afternoon, you will visit an amazing structure, Jiulong Wall. Nine lifelike dragons are depicted on it. The Nine Dragon Wall symbolizes suppressing evil spirits and blessing peace.
Next, you will visit Huayan Temple - the largest and best preserved temple built by the Khitan during the Liao Dynasty. The temple's architecture is unique from most traditional Chinese buildings in that it faces east rather than south, due to the fact that the Khitan people were sun worshippers.
At the end of the tour, you will take the high speed train back to Beijing.