China's Yungang Grottoes popular with tourists

Tourists now go beyond photo ops and focus more on in-depth travel.

This is Cave 12 of the Yungang Grottoes, known as the Music Cave. It contains many carvings of musicians holding instruments, depicting a palace orchestra.

The Yungang Grottoes were built during the Northern Wei period, commissioned by the imperial family and nobility, with the purpose of restoring Buddhism, its symbols and structures,

which had been severely damaged during a period of Buddhism persecution.

There are more than 50,000 Buddha statues of various sizes inside.

This outdoor giant Buddha raises his right hand with the palm facing outward.

Tourists raise their hands to give him a "high five".

This visitor said that her heart feels calm here. She said she is amazed by the history of such a beautiful architectural site. She also said she feels a sense of national pride.

LUKAS\German tourist said "So far this place is insane, I like to do art myself so I would say the craftsmanship, the size, the scale and the paint and the colour."

Sometimes I would wish for more English translation, but that's still quite nice.

Besides appreciating the art, some tourists pay more attention to the social history behind the caves.

This tourist from Xinjiang said among the four major grottoes of China, this is the last one he visited. He described Yungang Grottoes as a product of history.

He said that the Northern Wei period was a very important historical period for the northern and southern ethnic groups in China.

Datong hosted nearly 70 million tourist visits last year, with an average annual growth rate of 30% over the past three years.

Ms Sung saw that tourism in Datong was becoming more and more popular, so she switched from the media industry to becoming a full-time tour guide.

The scenic area provides "electronic guide" options, for example, which is a mobile phone audio service guiding tourists every step of the way.

But Sung said human guides can add extra dimensions to their commentaries.

She explained that people born around the 1970s, might join tour groups to go for a quick look, checking off one spot after another.

However the post-2000 generation seeks more in-depth travel experiences.

The peak tourist season here is from April to October, and tickets cost 20 yuan more than the off-season price of 100 yuan.

The tourist attraction also sells merchandise.

For example, this product transforms the solemn Buddha statue into an adorable doll

boosting the economy surrounding the Grottoes.