Get to know Yungang District
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- Administrative area
- District · 市辖区
- Part of
- Datong
- Chinese name
- 云冈区
- Local areas
- District guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 742.00 km²
- Population · 2020
- 684,753
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
The grottoes
The caves extend for about a kilometre along the southern foot of Wuzhou Mountain (武周山), sixteen kilometres west of Datong. Carving took place between 460 and 525. The complex includes forty-five principal caves and more than fifty-one thousand sculpted figures. It entered the World Heritage List in 2001.
Art and the industrial landscape
The National Cultural Heritage Administration identifies Indian, Central and West Asian artistic elements at Yungang, alongside Greek and Roman architectural forms and decorative motifs. Jinhuagong National Mine Park adds an industrial heritage destination to the district’s sights. The park lies 12.5 kilometres west of Datong.
Sources for this guide
走进云冈 - 云冈区人民政府 · Yungang District Government
云冈石窟 · National Cultural Heritage Administration
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-26.
Explore Yungang District
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Yungang District
Yungang Grottoes · Plan your visit
Getting there
Yungang District is about 20 km in a straight line from central Datong. Search for 云冈区 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Start with Yungang Grottoes. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Datong →More in Datong
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Photo: Yungang Grottoes · xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0. Wikimedia thumbnail; fitted to the ranking-card frame.
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.