BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF YUNGANG GROTTOES 导游英语.docVIP

BRIEF INTRODUCTION OF YUNGANG GROTTOES Located 16 km west of Datong City with the northern cliff faces Wuzhou Hills, the Yungang grottoes were hewn out of cliff-sides in a honeycomb pattern, stretching for one km from east to west. They contain China’s largest and earliest stone sculpture. The sculptural works at Yungang are noted for their fleshy, vigorous features and rich variety. The biggest one in the grottoes is 17 meters high; while the smallest is only several cm. the statues of all kinds are vivid and lifelike.（from a glimpse of Chinese culture,廖华英，2008） B Situated at the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountian about 16 kilometers west of Datong City, Shanxi province, Yungang Grottoes were constructed against the mountain and extend around 1 kilometer from east to west. It took 40,000 people 50 years to complete the huge project. Sculptures here are noted for their vigorous festures and rich variety. There remain chiefly 45 grottoes, each having its own unique characters. Take Grotto No.20 for example, it houses a 13.7-meter-high status of Sakyamuni with a full round face, slim lips, a high nose, radiant eyes and ears that extent to the broad shoulders. Yungang Grottoes vividly record the history of Buddhist art transmission from India and Central Asia to China, and reflect the gradual progress of civilization and nationalization of Buddhist sculptures in China. Over the years, Yungang Grottoes has been damaged by both wars and natural erosion. In recent years, the Datong municipal government has intensified its efforts to protect Yungang Grottoes. Huge sum of money has been injected into the renovation of the Grottoes. In December 2001, Yungang grottoes were listed as the World Cultural Heritage in the 25th conference of UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Helsinki, Finland.（from 模拟导游英语实务教程，姚宝荣等，高教出版社） C 2001年12月云冈石窟被列入《世界遗产名录》。 云冈石窟距今已有1,500多年的历史，始建于公元460年，由当时的佛教高僧昙曜奉旨开凿。现存的云岗石窟群，是1961年国务院公布的第一批全国重点文物保护单位之一。整个石窟分为东、中、西三部分，石窟内的佛龛，像蜂窝密布，大、中、小窟疏密有致地嵌贴在云冈半腰。东部的石窟多以造