Cave 12, also called cave of music, is divided into the front and back chambers. the outer wall surface of the front chamber was carved with wood imitated roofs and eaves as weel as columns. the top portion of the north wall are 14 celestial musicians, whistling, beating drums, playing panpipe, lute, flute, harp, zither, bili, harp, waist drum, conch and other musical instruments respectively. on the lintel of the entrance are a group of celestial dancers, whose dancing postures are the exact representation of that in secular world. the celestial musicians with strong physique on the ceiling show the physical characteristics of the minorities of northern china. the shape and playing style of the musical instruments as well as the types of band combination carved in this cave reveal the court orchestra and social music system in northern wei dynasty, which are precious materials to study the history of ancient chinese music. The Yungang Grottoes, in Datong city, Shanxi Province , china, with their 252 caves and 51, 000 statues, represent the outstanding achievement of Buddhist cave art in China in the 5th and 6th centuries. The Five Caves created by Tan Yao, with their strict unity of layout and design, constitute a classical masterpiece of the first peak of Chinese Buddhist art.
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