Yungang Grotto 39

CHINA, Shanxi, Datong

Located in the west area, this central pillar grotto was constructed between the years 494 and 524. It measures 6.3 m in width, 6.03 m in height, and 6.25 m in depth. The doorway is arched and two windows are cut into the upper wall above it.
The central pillar is in the style of a wooden tower-style pagoda. Each of the stories has a corrugated tile roof supported by bracket sets. There are five niches on each side, separated by columns and surrounded by relief carvings. The niches on the first, fourth, and fifth stories are arched, while those on the second and third stories are either arched or trapezoidal. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are sculpted either individually or in pairs in each niche. These figures are seated in a variety of postures and form various mudras, but are otherwise similar in appearance.
The east, west, and back (north) walls of the grotto are filled primarily with 13 tiers of Buddha niches. The niches are almost identical and contain Buddhas seated cross-legged with their hands forming the dhyana (meditation) mudra. In the middle of each wall is a larger trapezoidal niche containing carvings of a seated Buddha flanked by standing Bodhisattvas.
On each side of the arched doorway on the front (south) wall are four tiers of niches, while the space above the doorway is filled with two rows of Buddha figures similar to those on the east and west walls.
The external wall around the doorway originally featured carvings as well, but of these, only a warrior figure and some honeysuckle patterns on the lintel still remain.