The Bingling Grottoes (Bingling shiku), also known as the Bingling Temple (Bingling si), are a series of Buddhist caves that are situated on a not easily accessible cliff face, some 80km from Lanzhou. At some point the caves were named the Thousand Buddha Caves (Qian fodong), despite the fact that there have never been more than 200 grottoes. The total at present is 183.

These are some of the oldest caves in China and thankfully, despite their age, they still contain many well preserved statues and murals. Although a little out of the way, the grottoes are a day trip that should not be missed.

The first cave was built here in 420 AD, by daring Buddhists who descended from the cliff on ropes to carve their masterpieces. Although the cave complex was enlarged gradually over many centuries, it is the work of both the Song (960-1279 AD) and the Ming (1368-1644 AD) Dynasties that remains most impressive. The temple was, in-between these golden years, to become a Tibetan Monastery (in the Yuan Dynasty, 1271-1368 AD).

Within and on the cliff are a series of winding walkways and stairs that will lead you around the site. The caves, carved out of the cliff's porous stone, contain over 700 statues, of both clay and porous rock, and hundreds of frescoes. Of the statues, the largest is a giant 27 meter-high seated Maitreya, the future Buddha, and the smallest is a miniscule 25 centimeters. It is the lower caves (Xia si) that are the most impressive. Cave 169 is considered to be one of China's oldest grottoes, housing a faded Buddha and 2 Boddhisattvas. This cave, in an area of 200 square meters, also holds the earliest epigraph of any of China's caves.

Besides the temple, the journey itself is impressive, especially within close proximity to the caves. The cliff face, 60 meters high, is part of the northern side of a gorge formed by the Yellow River. Below the caves themselves is the Liujiaxia Reservoir, that will take a good three hours to cross, allowing you to enjoy at your leisure the stunning scenes before you!

Independantly, take a bus from Lanzhou's West Bus Station (or from the Victory Hotel) bound for Yongji, getting off at the Liujiaxia Port (usually depart 07:30, 80km, 2.5hrs, RMB10). Catch a boat bound for the temple from here. The boat trip costs around RMB80 (no student discounts) and takes about three hours. You can also bargain down the price for a motorboat (up to 8 people, one hour, around RMB500-600).