Buddhas Buddhas Everywhere!

You say you want to see more pics from my journey to China? Well, alrighty then. These are the Yungang Caves near Datong, China, Shanxi Province. Look closely at Wuzhou Mountain and see the dark dots. Those are all caves full of carved Buddhas.
It really was amazing. And some of the Buddhas were HUGE! I reached halfway between the ankle and the knee on one.
Incidentally, I visited these caves just after eating lunch where I ate donkey for the very first time. It's considered a "specialty dish" of this particular region and I must say.....it wasn't half bad.




Hundreds of smaller carved Buddhas were carved into the cave walls. A tourist website, www.theculturedtraveler.com, says: The temple/monastery comprises 53 grottos with more than 51,000 stone bas reliefs and figures of the Buddha carved out of a living mountain. They range from thumb-size to a 56-foot colossus. The visitor’s eye is dazzled by the multitudes: sitting Buddhas and standing Buddhas, thoughtful Buddhas and smiling Buddhas, Buddhas of every mood and description. They are the oldest stone carvings in China.