Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All China Tianshui Bingling Temple
AO Edited

Bingling Temple

A hidden Buddhist gem accessible only by boat.

Tianshui, China

Added By
David Koppers
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Bingling Temple Buddha   DavidK / Atlas Obscura User
The Great Maitreya Buddha   DavidK / Atlas Obscura User
Buddhas at Bingling under CCTV protection   DavidK / Atlas Obscura User
Boat to Bingling   DavidK / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Looking for a remote destination in central China? Look no further than the grottoes at Bingling Temple in the country's north-central Gansu Province. Massive crowds are a common feature of many attractions throughout China: This is a good spot to escape the crowds. The temple is tucked away in a little-traveled, remote corner of the country. 

The temple complex is massive, featuring 183 caves and niches, 82 clay sculptures, almost 1,000 square yards of frescoes, and 694 carved stone statues. The temple was built in 420 during the Western Qin Dynasty. Over the centuries, more and more cave temples were excavated and others were added to. Some of the painted frescoes in the caves date back to the Ming Dynasty, which lasted from 1368 to 1644. The site also features a giant Buddha carved into the rock face.

No roads are available to get to Bingling Temple, so you need to take a boat to reach the site. Large tourist boats leave from the outskirts of Liuxiajia in Yongjing County. Smaller motorboats are also available. These boats transport you from the Liujiaxia Reservoir toward the Yellow River and finally to the secluded cove of Bingling Temple. 

If you are lucky, you may have the entire place to yourself. But, as with most places in China, you are never truly alone: CCTV cameras guard against looting and vandalism. Some of the more delicate frescoes have been put behind glass enclosures. A walkway will guide you to the main attraction, the colossal Great Maitreya Buddha.

Related Tags

History & Culture History Archaeology Statues Cave Paintings Caves Temples Buddha Buddhism

Know Before You Go

Locals in Liujiaxia can usually point you towards to where boats leave for the Bingling Temple. It's recommended that you spend at least half a day at the site. 

Community Contributors

Added By

DavidK

Published

August 23, 2023

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Bingling Temple
Qinzhou District, 316国道 邮政编码
Tianshui, 741000
China
35.826674, 103.019997
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Labrang Meditation Huts

Gannan Zangzuzizhizhou, China

miles away

White Horse Temple (白马寺)

Haidong Shi, China

miles away

The Great Thangka

Xining Shi, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tianshui

Tianshui

China

Places 2

Nearby Places

Labrang Meditation Huts

Gannan Zangzuzizhizhou, China

miles away

White Horse Temple (白马寺)

Haidong Shi, China

miles away

The Great Thangka

Xining Shi, China

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tianshui

Tianshui

China

Places 2

Related Places

  • A worn statue of a Japanese monk picks his nose.

    Kawagoe, Japan

    Five Hundred Arhats

    Hundreds of statues of Buddha’s disciples meditating, napping, sneezing, and picking their noses.

  • Carved Buddha.

    Siem Reap, Cambodia

    The Reclining Buddha of Baphuon Temple

    Though it was originally dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, Baphuon was converted to a Buddhist temple in the 15th century, complete with a massive hidden statue.

  • Thotagamuwa, Sri Lanka

    Aluviharaya Rock Cave Temple

    Ancient cave temple near a massive Buddha statue.

  • Funerary stelae and graves from past centuries (note that these are not the Bone Buddhas).

    Osaka, Japan

    Bone Buddhas at Isshin-ji Temple

    This temple is home to a group of Buddha statues made from thousands of bones and ashes of the deceased.

  • Dhamnihawa Stupas

    Kapilvastu, Nepal

    Dhamnihawa Stupas

    A pair of stupas that archaeologists believe were built to honor the parents of Siddhartha Gautama (aka Lord Buddha).

  • Kannon and their thirty-three avatars.

    Kamakura, Japan

    Thirty-Three Avatars of Kannon

    In the former treasury of a popular temple, a rare sculptural depiction of Kannon’s diverse avatars.

  • Alcoy, Spain

    La Sarga Cave Paintings

    These 7,000-year-old cave paintings depict life in Neolithic Spain.

  • Buddha at Seokguram

    Gyeongju, South Korea

    Seokguram Grotto

    Visiting this grotto is symbolic of a spiritual journey into Nirvana.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.