Buddhism originated in India and spread into the hinterland of China around the first century. In Southern and Northern dynasties, grottoes were carved in cliffs to house statues of Buddha and sacred murals. In Sui and Tang dynasties, grotto art made great strides. The Three most famous groups of grottoes are Yuangang Grottoes in Datong, Shanxi province, Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang, Henan province, and Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Gansu province. They are world-famous for their great number of rich and colorful Buddhist frescos, sculptures and statues.

Yungang Grottoes are the most eminent among Buddhist artistic works of Northern Wei Dynasty. They are cut into the foot of a mountain, and stretch 1,000 m from east to west. They contain thousands of Buddhist sculptures of various sizes, among which the biggest one in 17 m high.

The largest cave in Longmen Grottoes was hollowed out during Tang Dynasty. Buddhist status in these grottoes show the influence of the esthetic concepts of Indian and Central Asian.

Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang used to have over 1,000 caves, but nowadays, there remain only a few hundred, of which 60 to 70% were made in Sui and Tang dynasties. The walls and ceilings of the grottoes are covered with colored frescos, including works of many famous painters such as Wu Daozi, Yan Liben, etc. totaling more than 45,000 square meters. The frescos depict Buddhist stories. Many of them reflect the prosperity of Tang Dynasty. Mogao Grottoes boast over 2,400 status, almost half of which date from Sui and Tang dynasties.