ABSTRACT

Yungang was built as a royal memorial sponsored by Northern Wei rulers, high-ranking officials, eminent clergy, and devotees in a rather short period. At the time, Yungang amassed human resources and material from different places, both foreign and domestic. The archaeological discoveries in and around Yungang have shed great fresh light on a comprehensive view of the Yungang complex as a significant rock-cut Buddhist monastery, and corroborate the mention in the Jinbei stele inscription of the "stone chambers on the northern terrace" in Yungang. The archaeological evidence also indirectly testifies to the authenticity of the records in the Jin stele inscription. Without the discovery of further written documentation, the Jin stele inscription will remain a valuable source in study of Yungang. The technological and scientific ingenuity of the workers involved in making the Yungang caves is largely unknown and remains a big question for scholars.