Brief information on Bingling Temple Grottoes  

The Bingling Temple Grottoes are carved into red sandstone cliffs at both edges of Dasigou Valley on the side of Jishi Mountain, about 35 kilometers west of Lanzhou. Work on the grottoes began in the Western Jin Dynasty and expanded considerably through the Northern and Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. Bingling means “ten thousand Buddhas” in Tibetan.

The grottoes are made up of three sections: Shangsi, Donggou and Xiasi. Shangsi was damaged by fire in the past, and now only a few Buddha statues remain. Xiasi, however, contains 34 caves and 14 niches, including 694 stone statues, 82 clay figures, 5 stone carvings, clay pagodas and 900 square meters of murals.

Among all the caves in Bingling Temple Grottoes, Cave No. 169 stands out for its steepness and delicacy. Carved during the Northern Dynasties (386-581) into a perpendicular 60-meter cliff, it contains clay sculptures of Guanyin and Dali Buddha (Dali means powerful strength in Chinese). The Grotto covers an area of 200 square meters with many vivid, colorful Buddha sculptures that have various expressions and postures and can give visitors a quiet sense of solemnity. The largest Buddha sculpture, located in Cave No. 171, is 27 meters high and is seated in meditation with legs crossed, with its right hand resting on its lap and the left on its abdomen.

The Bingling Temple Grottoes are the earliest example of grotto carving in Chinese history. Despite being exposed to the elements for thousands of years, they remain treasures that enrich Chinese art history.

*You can download the bilingual note to show it to a taxi driver or someone else to find your way to Bingling Temple Grottoes if you plan to visit Bingling Temple Grottoes and have language problems.

   

Hours: 09:10-11:30, 14:40-17:30, (Tuesday – Saturday, July-November)
Address: 35 kilometers west of Yongjing County, Lanzhou
Transportation: Buses: Take bus from Lanzhou to Liujiaxia Reservoir or Yongjing County, then you can get to Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves by yacht (the only way to go there and back)