BEIJING, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- A book series on the Yungang Grottoes, a 1500-year-old Buddhist sculptural site, has been published after nearly seven years of preparation.

Containing 12,710 pictures and information on 59,265 sculptures carved in 45 caves, the 20-volume series reflects the beauty of the grottoes in terms of culture and art.

The series, summarizing former studies and showing results of new archaeological research on the grottoes, is the most complete and authoritative image file of the Yungang Grottoes to date.

The book series has entered the collection of the National Library of China and the School of Archaeology and Museology of Peking University.

Located to the south of Wuzhou Mountain in Shanxi, the Yungang Grottoes was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2001.