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Northern Wei Dynasty

Buddha, Cave 20 at Yungang, Datong, China (photo: xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0) — Imagine peering into a cave and seeing a monumental carved Buddha peer right back at you.

Yungang grottoes

by Jinchao Zhao

Central Vairocana Buddha surrounded on either side by a monk, bodhisattva, heavenly king, a Vajrapani (thunderbolt holder), 673–75 C.E., Tang dynasty, limestone, Luoyang, Henan province, (photo: Kevin Poh, CC BY 2.0) — This cave complex reveals how Northern Wei and early Tang rulers used Buddhist imagery to assert authority.

Longmen caves, Luoyang

by Dr. Jennifer N. McIntire

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