[2025 Guyuan Attraction] Travel Guide for Xumishan Grottoes (Updated Mar)

Xumi Mountain Grottoes, located about 60 kilometers northwest of Guyuan City, was an important pass in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and also an important gateway on the Silk Road. Xumi Mountain Grottoes were excavated in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-557) and continued until the end of the Tang Dynasty. Before the Xumi Mountain Grottoes, most Buddha statues were made of clay. Stone carving techniques were gradually adopted from the Xumi Mountain Grottoes. Numerous grottoes were excavated in Xumi Mountain from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and these grottoes reflect different styles of the times. The Buddha statues in the Northern Wei Dynasty have high nose bridges and retain the style of Indian Buddhism. Some statues have thin faces, slender shoulders, and wide robes with large sleeves; the Buddha statues in the Sui Dynasty have long upper bodies, short lower limbs, short necks, and simple and heavy images; the Buddha statues in the Tang Dynasty have a trend of plump bodies and luxurious and gorgeous clothes, showing the extraordinary temperament of Tang Dynasty art. The whole Attraction is divided into two parts: the museum and the grottoes. The two places are far apart. You can also take the sightseeing bus in the Attraction to go to these two places (10 yuan per round Round-trip, additional fee). Visitors can visit the museum first when entering the Attraction. The exhibits in the museum are themed on grottoes and Buddhist art, and are basically replicas. Here you can learn about the Buddhist caves, collections and stories related to Buddhism in various places on the Silk Road. After visiting the museum, you can follow the signs to go down the mountain and cross the river valley to reach Mount Xumi on the opposite bank, and climb the mountain to visit the grottoes. There were originally more than 100 caves in the Xumi Mountain Grottoes, and the exquisiteness of the caves is comparable to that of the Mogao Grottoes, but many have been destroyed by humans. So far, there are more than 20 caves with relatively intact statues. The color of the Buddha statues from the Sui Dynasty (581-618) in the first cave is well preserved; next to it is Cave No. 5, which is the symbol of the Xumi Mountain Grottoes - the Great Buddha Building built in the Tang Dynasty. It was the achievement of Wu Zetian in worshipping Maitreya Buddha nationwide. This Buddha statue is taller than the large sitting Buddha in the Yungang Grottoes and the Vairocana Buddha in the Longmen Grottoes. The 45th, 46th and 48th caves with the most existing statues in the Attraction are all located within the Yuanguang Temple in the Attraction. There are more than 40 statues larger than real people here. Most of the standing Buddhas in the niches are one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas, and the carvings are exquisite. In addition, there are various small Buddhas on the forehead of the niches, and there are musicians holding various musical instruments under the niches. There are reliefs of flying celestial beings flying around the tower pillars on the top of the caves, with various poses and dazzling. These caves were all built in the Northern Zhou Dynasty (557-581). The No. 51 cave in Xiangguo Temple is the largest cave in Xumi Mountain, but it is seriously damaged. In the 1960s, when a reservoir was built near Xumi Mountain, tens of thousands of workers lived in these caves. The transportation to Xumi Mountain Grottoes is not very convenient. There is no direct bus. Tourists need to take a minibus in Guyuan City to Sanying Town, and then transfer to a private car in the town to go to the Attraction.