Datong, Shanxi Province, China
Sunday, October 8, 2006
16 km West of
Datong lies a series of carved Buddhas inside sandstone cliffs. One of the most striking accomplishments of Buddhist art, it holds over 50,000 statues. But most of them are eroded from coal emissions. The ones worth watching are inside of dark caves protected by wooden facades. Yet again, I had to fight my way into the caves. The flash will damage the sandstone more than the pollution, so it is forbidden. There are 20 caves, and once you've seen about the 5 main ones, there is no point on seeing them all.(I remember back in Europe how there was a quota on how many churches and museums you could see, well here in China there is a quota on how many temples and Buddhas you can see.) In the end, it's just another sight that leaves the chinese savour in your travels.
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