The Bingling Temple Grottoes lie in Yongjing County, within the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province, China. The site is also known as Bingling Si or the Thousand Buddha Caves of Bingling. It is a component of a UNESCO World Heritage listing, and its cave temples are cut into cliffs along the Yellow River.
What you will see
The grottoes hold Buddhist sculptures and murals that together span more than 1,600 years. The earliest of the works date to the Western Jin Dynasty, which gives the site a long and layered record of religious art. Visitors who enjoy seeing how painting and carving changed across many centuries will find the range of the collection the main draw.
Planning a visit
- Location: Bingling Temple, Yongjing County, Linxia, Gansu 731600, China.
- Setting: The caves sit beside the river, so the surroundings are as much a part of the experience as the interiors.
- Contact: +86-930-8821305.
Because the grottoes are spread across a riverside landscape, it is worth allowing time to move between the cave sites at an unhurried pace. Checking directly with the site before travelling is sensible for current arrangements.
The wider area
Yongjing County is in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, a region shaped by its Hui community and its position along the Yellow River. A trip to the grottoes can be paired with time spent exploring the county and the prefecture around it, which adds a sense of the local life that surrounds this ancient religious site.