Bingling Temple

As a grotto enthusiast, I have long been fascinated by the Bingling Temple Grottoes, which are among the earlier grottoes carved in China and are famous in Gansu Province. The difficulty of access had always been a concern, as online guides suggested that one must take a boat trip via the Liujiaxia Reservoir, with infrequent boat schedules that limit the actual visiting time of the grottoes, potentially missing out on special caves. If one were to travel by land, the mountain roads are said to be very inconvenient, so I had never made the trip. Finally, I saw a one-day land route itinerary on a platform, allowing for a round trip from Lanzhou within a day. Thinking it would be worth the effort, I immediately signed up to fulfill my wish. In the morning, we boarded the bus near the Gansu Museum, and in just over two hours, we arrived at the Bingling Temple Grottoes. The journey was very smooth, and upon asking the driver, I learned that the roads had been well-built for four or five years. It seems that the information on several travel platforms is not comprehensive enough, and it would be better to search on that particular platform for more accurate details. The Bingling Temple Grottoes are located on the west cliff of Dasigou in Jishi Mountain, Yongjing County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. Before the Western Han Dynasty, this area was inhabited by the Qiang people, and before the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was known as 'Tangshu Cave,' with 'Tangshu' being a transliteration of the Qiang language for 'ghost cave.' After the Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty, it was named Bingling Temple, with 'Bingling' being a simplification of the Tibetan 'Xianba Bingling,' meaning 'thousand Buddhas' and 'Maitreya Buddha continent of ten thousand Buddhas.' According to historical records, the excavation of the Bingling Temple Grottoes dates back to the Tai Shi era of the Jin Dynasty (265 AD). Since then, the grottoes have been continuously carved, constructed, repaired, and expanded, especially during the Tibetan Empire period and the long-term operation of Tibetan Buddhism, gradually increasing in scale and forming a famous grotto temple with both Tibetan and Han styles, second only to the Mogao Caves. The Western Qin, Northern Wei, Tang Dynasty, and Ming Dynasty were the four most prosperous periods of Buddhism in the history of Bingling Temple. The grottoes from the Western Qin period mainly include caves 169, 192, and 195, with the Buddhist art style of the Western Regions clearly reflected in the statues of this period. The Northern Wei period's grottoes are mainly represented by caves 126, 128, 132, etc., fully reflecting the Central Plains Buddhist art style of slender necks and clear bones, and wide clothing with broad belts. The statues from the Northern Zhou to the Sui Dynasty evolved from the Northern Wei style of slender necks and clear bones to a style of full-bodied and upright beauty. Most statues from this period are proportionate, plump, and graceful in movement, with a solid sense of form. During the Tang Dynasty and the Tibetan Empire, due to the prosperity of Buddhism, a new wave of statue creation arose, and the Bingling Temple Grottoes entered their second major period of excavation. The statues from this period focus on the rhythm of the figures' movements, with body shapes and postures tending towards natural beauty. The famous Maitreya Buddha statue in niche 171, carved into the mountain, is 27 meters tall and was originally made of clay on a stone base. Although the clay part has long been destroyed, it still retains the Tang Dynasty features of a full and kind face with proportionate features. Around the Yuan and Ming dynasties, Tibetan Buddhism was introduced to Bingling Temple, and a large amount of renovation and repainting was done on the existing caves, leaving a situation where the Buddhist art of Han Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism coexist in the same cave. The Bingling Temple Grottoes have four levels, with 183 niches, 694 stone statues, 82 clay sculptures, and about 900 square meters of murals, distributed along a 200-meter-long and 60-meter-high cliff on the west bank of Dasigou. Although the number is not large, the content is rich. Walking along the west bank, the individual scale of the cliffside grottoes is small, and one cannot enter to visit but can only appreciate from the outside. With the guidance and explanations of the tour guide, the overall viewing experience is good. Moving forward, there are many small cliff carvings on the cliff walls, which are also exquisite. At the end of the west bank are the famous Tang Dynasty Great Buddha of cave 171 and the two special caves above it, caves 169 and 172. Cave 169 is the largest, earliest, and richest in content of the Bingling Temple Grottoes, and is the essence of the grottoes. It is more than 50 meters above the ground, originally a natural cave, 26.75 meters wide, 15 meters high, and 19 meters deep. The cave is very spacious, with 24 existing niches, with niches 6 and 7 being the most representative. Niche 6 is located on the north wall of the cave, with a Buddha and two Bodhisattvas sculpted inside, with inscriptions of Amitabha Buddha, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. The Buddha's image is lively, with rich expressions and natural, flowing lines of the robes, full of dynamism. The circular halo behind the Buddha is painted with flame patterns, and the interior of the halo is painted with musicians, five on each side. Above Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, Buddhas from all directions are painted, in two rows. The cave also contains the earliest existing inscription from the Western Qin period, 'Jian Hong Yuan Year,' which has high historical value. Crossing the bridge to the east bank, the Nirvana statue in Northern Wei cave 16 is also wonderful. The Buddha statue has been relocated, removing the original Tang and Ming dynasty re-sculpted layers, and restored to its original Northern Wei appearance, which is quite an achievement. Gansu's famous grottoes are mostly managed by the Dunhuang Academy, and personally, I feel that the Bingling Temple Grottoes offer one of the best visiting experiences. A fifty yuan ticket allows you to visit all the ordinary caves, and the tour guide is patient and meticulous. The special caves 169+172 cost 300 yuan, which is great value for money. Although it requires climbing a steep wooden ladder 50 meters high, it is still worth the effort. However, when we visited during the off-season, there were hardly any people, and we could go up and down at will. If it were the peak season, there might be restrictions, as the wooden ladder can only accommodate one person at a time, and the number of people allowed in the caves is also limited, which would affect the visiting experience. Another special cave is Northern Wei cave 3, with prices ranging from 60 to 90 yuan, which is also very exciting. Bingling Temple is located in Jishi Mountain, Yongjing County, and is home to the famous Bingling Danxia. The cliffs on both sides are spectacular, with the Yellow River winding through, reflecting each other beautifully. While visiting the grottoes and enjoying the scenery, one can also take a boat to Linxia Geological Park to see the magnificent Danxia landforms and the vast blue waves of the Liujiaxia Reservoir.

A severely underestimated small city on the Yellow River, recommended to everyone!!! Just a 1.5H drive from Lanzhou, there lies a small city with both beauty and brains—Gansu Yongjing. It boasts thousands of miles of lake scenery from the Yellow River and Liujiaxia Reservoir, as well as various cultural landscapes such as grottoes and ancient temples. Just one visit will leave you deeply shocked and regretting not coming sooner!!! Yongjing has a very comfortable climate, with temperatures only in the 20s during the early morning and late evening of the hot summer, and a cool breeze even in the shade during the day. 🗺Transportation ✈Plane: Fly to Lanzhou then take a bus or rent a car to Yongjing 🚗Self-driving: 1.5H from Lanzhou, all asphalt road surface🛣 🈶Tour Route 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝟏: Lanzhou➠Dinosaur National Geopark➠Liujiaxia Dam➠Liujiaxia Bridge➠Benzigou Viewing Platform➠Yellow River Flower Embankment (Tulip Park)➠Stay in Yongjing County 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝟐: Yongjing➠Qinghuang Confluence Viewing Platform (Jingwei Distinct Viewing Point)➠Bingling Temple Grottoes➠Luojia Cave Temple➠Return trip ✅✅✅✅Must-visit Checkpoints 1⃣ Bingling Temple Grottoes World Cultural Heritage, one of China's five major grottoes. The cliffs retain stone carvings and murals from the Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, majestic and spectacular. The most shocking are the Maitreya Buddha statues over 20 meters high and the mysterious special caves, especially recommended are caves No. 169 and No. 172, which are grand in scale and rich in content, with a large number of exquisitely unique statues and murals, and are also the earliest dated grottoes in China (⚠No photography allowed in special caves‼) General ticket: 50 yuan (⚠Special cave prices vary) 2⃣ Liujiaxia Reservoir The Yellow River is cut off by a dam as tall as a 50-story building, forming a spectacular high gorge and flat lake. The lake water is blue and clear, calm and waveless, and can be called Gansu's Erhai Lake. You can take a boat to tour the beautiful scenery. Ticket: Free 3⃣ Dinosaur National Geopark A museum mainly featuring dinosaur elements, displaying many dinosaur skeletons and footprints. Ticket: Free 4⃣ Yellow River Demarcation Line The muddy grey-yellow Tao River and the clear blue Yellow River meet at the edge of Yongjing city, forming a clear and distinct Jingwei spectacle. The Yellow River also becomes the true "Yellow" River here!! 5⃣ Yellow River Flower Embankment Located in the county's sea of flowers park, in July/August, the verbena blooms, turning the sea of flowers into a summer 💐, just like the lavender fields of Provence. Super photogenic!! Ticket: Free 6⃣ Luojia Cave Temple An ancient Ming dynasty temple built on a cliff, with halls hanging in the air and beautifully carved beams and painted rafters, and many exquisite Buddha statues and murals inside the cave. Ticket: Free 7⃣ Yellow River Gorges The rushing Yellow River is flanked by the uniquely shaped loess stone forest peaks on both sides, like a spectacular scroll! 🏠Accommodation | Yongjing Yellow River Pearl Hotel ✔Business hotel prices, five-star hotel experience ✔Convenient parking 🍛【Food Recommendations】 🎈Halal Wen Sheng Hand-Grabbed King: A local restaurant often frequented by locals, with good hand-grabbed lamb and braised loofah!! 🎈Zuhaier Copper Pot Shabu: The lamb rolls and highland barley cakes are delicious.

Transportation Bingling Temple Grottoes are located in Linxia, but it's completely feasible to do a round trip from Lanzhou in one day, and it can also be included in the Gannan travel route. There are two ways to get there: one is by land, driving from Lanzhou takes about two and a half hours, with many winding mountain roads, all paved, but still tiring to drive; the other is to take a boat from Liujiaxia Pier and go by water, which is faster, but since you need to return on the same boat, the visiting time is limited. If you're not looking at the special caves, the water route is fine. Tickets You must buy a basic ticket for Bingling Temple Grottoes, which allows you to see the ordinary caves, priced at 50 yuan. Tickets for the special caves are sold separately, with the most famous caves 169 and 172 bundled at a price of 300 yuan. For the ordinary cave explanation, no matter how many people are in the group, it's only 50 yuan. If you buy a ticket for the special caves, it comes with a guide for those caves. When I went, the guide for the ordinary caves sounded like an emotionless recitation machine, but was very serious and detailed when explaining cave 169, so the guiding experience depends entirely on the guide's mood and state. It's recommended to watch a documentary about the grottoes in advance to understand the background knowledge, otherwise, even if the guide explains, it's hard to understand. Tour Route The route through Bingling Temple Grottoes is quite simple. After entering, you first see the Yellow River Danxia at p2, and after checking tickets, you walk a short distance to see the ordinary caves one after another (p7-p15). Continue walking to the big Buddha (p5), where you can go up to the special caves 169 and 172, the stairs look very steep (p16), but it's not too difficult to climb slowly. After seeing the big Buddha, you can cross the bridge to a small room to see the reclining Buddha (p6), and then the tour is over. So the main grottoes are all in the first half, and you can take your time to look carefully. I spent a total of more than 2 hours there (including the special cave 169). Most of the caves in Bingling Temple are not covered by iron nets, so the visual experience is better. Bingling Temple Cultural and Creative Bingling Temple Grottoes are now managed by the Dunhuang Academy, and perhaps drawing on the successful experience of the Mogao Grottoes, the cultural and creative products of Bingling Temple Grottoes are very attractive, but there are few types, and many are from the Mogao Grottoes placed here for sale. On the way to the ticket checkpoint after entering, you can see them. There are also vending machines selling cultural and creative products in the scenic area, but they are more expensive than in the store, so it's better to buy them in the store. Liu Jiaxia Checkpoint Bingling Temple Grottoes are close to the Liujiaxia Reservoir, so if you have enough time, you can also check out the Liujiaxia Huangtao Confluence Viewing Platform (p18), where the muddy river is the Tao River, and the clear one is the Yellow River, the confluence of the two rivers is quite magical. Additionally, Wei Jiapo next to Liujiaxia can also be a stopover point, known as the 'Little Erhai', but I haven't been there, so I won't elaborate. Food: You must try the authentic Yellow River carp near the Liujiaxia Reservoir, as well as the local pot. Personal tips: For friends who are not interested in religious beliefs, there's no need to go, and it might be better to just go to the Liujiaxia Reservoir. I joined a tour group on Ctrip, and a Buick business car just took me and two other girls, the driver took us around for a spin, it was really super cost-effective (this depends on luck, normally they would fill the car).

In Gansu Province of Northwest China, there lies a magnificent land where nature and culture intertwine—Yongjing, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture. Not only does it boast the spectacular Liujiaxia Reservoir and the Danxia landforms, but it also harbors a wealth of historical and cultural relics, making it an ideal choice for travelers to explore the unknown and embrace nature. Must-visit attractions: The marvel of Danxia and the fusion of water hues • Liujiaxia Reservoir: As the first large-scale hydropower station on the upper reaches of the Yellow River, Liujiaxia Reservoir is not only a miracle of Chinese hydraulic engineering, but its vast expanse of blue waves and the surrounding rolling mountains also form a breathtaking landscape painting. Taking a boat ride on the lake, one can get a close view of the 'Yellow River Stone Forest' and experience the awe-inspiring beauty of 'high gorges leading to a vast lake.' • Bingling Temple Grottoes: Located upstream of the Liujiaxia Reservoir, this millennium-old temple is hidden between cliffs and boasts exquisite grotto sculptures from the Northern Wei to the Ming and Qing dynasties, hailed as a 'treasury of Eastern sculpture art.' Wandering through it is like traveling through time, conversing with history. Detailed Address • Liujiaxia Reservoir: Within the territory of Yongjing County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province • Bingling Temple Grottoes: In the Xiaojishi Mountains about 50 kilometers southwest of Yongjing County, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province Transportation Tips • Getting to Yongjing: You can first fly to Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport, then take a long-distance bus or rent a car to Yongjing, which takes about 2 hours. • Internal Transportation: It is recommended to rent a car or hire a car service locally for more flexible exploration of the attractions. To visit Bingling Temple Grottoes, you need to take a boat from the Liujiaxia Reservoir dock. Food Recommendations • Hand-grabbed Lamb: How can you not try the authentic hand-grabbed lamb when in the Northwest? The meat is tender and flavorful, served with garlic paste and pepper salt, each bite is a supreme temptation for the taste buds. • Beef Noodles: A Gansu specialty, a steaming bowl of beef noodles with chewy noodles and a rich broth, is a warm comfort during the journey. Recommended Nearby Attractions • Taiji Island: Located on the south bank of the Liujiaxia Reservoir, named for its resemblance to the Taiji symbol. The island is shaded with green trees and fragrant with flowers, making it a great place for cycling, walking, and getting close to nature. • Yellow River Gorges: Including Bingling Gorge, Liujiaxia, and Yanguoxia, each gorge has its unique scenery. Taking a boat tour, you can enjoy the magnificent views of the Yellow River canyons all at once. Yongjing, this land nourished by the Yellow River, tells its millennia-old stories in its unique way. Whether it's the fantastical colors of the Danxia landforms or the profound cultural heritage of the Yellow River, they all inspire longing and are unforgettable. A visit here is sure to be a journey of harmonious resonance between the soul and nature.

A public aviation travel Pearl of the Yellow River Garden Hotel carries the expectation of accommodation, and the independent large garden truly lives up to the name of the garden hotel. A large wetland lake view, RV self-driving tour base, barbecue camp, log cabins, children's outdoor playground, with complete hardware facilities, it's just the empty boardwalk that makes one feel lonely when walking on it. Exiting the hotel is a food street in the new district, with green belts and shops on both sides of the road, and parking lots set up in between. There is an entrance and exit every hundred meters, making it impossible to park randomly on the roadside. Such design is quite rare even in the capital city, which is very admirable. Tai Chi Island, I never really saw its true face, but the park is filled with dazzling colors of large marigolds and sage, and you can scan a code to ride a bike anywhere. As a leisurely urban central park, this area is considered luxurious and precious. Visiting Luojia Cave Temple, suddenly dark clouds loomed, and a storm came swiftly. The red cliffs and Danxia under the muddy Yellow River were dazzling. It was like the legend of the Shengle Vajra dual-body statue, with a bit of joy and a bit of sorrow. But in just a moment, the rain dispersed, the clouds vanished, and the blue sky reappeared. The hanging temples of Luojia Cave Temple, the cypresses hiding the rocks, climbing the steps, the white pagodas and flags, the scent of butter, vaguely reminded me of those days in Tibet. A Gelug sect Tibetan Buddhist temple, under the jurisdiction of Labrang Monastery. The boardwalks on both sides were closed and could not be passed through. The caves on those red cliffs were once the refuge for the people and also the place of asceticism for monks. I found a legend about Luojia Cave, where a monk in practice fell in love with a village girl, and both became Buddhas. That is the story of the dual cultivation flesh statue in the temple. Because of love, they became Buddhas. The dual cultivation of blessings and wisdom in Tibetan Buddhism is perhaps more secular, making it easier to teach the people. Red cliffs and hanging temples, under the blue sky, there is a breathtakingly beautiful perspective. Standing on the mountainside overlooking Yongjing County, surrounded by mountains, the Yellow River flows past, nourishing and nurturing the pearl of the small town. In the city, the famous Wensheng hand-grabbed Yellow River carp, fermented bean curd, and yogurt are also excellent. Walking at night in the bustling center of the old city. A lively market starts, with strong barbecue smells, warm barley porridge, a cup of sweet roasted milk tea, wandering the streets of a foreign land, yet feeling exceptionally warm and affectionate. Bingling Temple's one-day mountain trail winds, Sister Stone Peaks, the waterborne Buddha land, there is no more beautiful grotto scenic area than this. The confluence of the Huang and Tao rivers, the boundary between green and yellow in the Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl, speedboats and tour boats stir up the white waves. Liujiagou Bridge, winding up to the viewing platform, the deep blue, the clear green, so the Yellow River can have such colors. Fortunate to have chosen Yongjing, all the beautiful scenes, none missed.

#chinatrip The Bingling Temple is a series of grottoes filled with Buddhist sculpture carved into natural caves and caverns in a canyon along the Yellow River. It lies just north of where the Yellow River empties into the Liujiaxia Reservoir. It is a great display of culture migration and appreciation in older times. Very old artifacts of Buddhism embeded in nice mountain caves. Huge sitting and large lying Buddha. You have to go there from Lanzhou via bus and finaly on the yellow river by boat. Takes about 2.5 hours each way but worth to see.