Dunhuang
The Mogao Grottoes are considered one of the most important collections of Buddhist art in the world. At its peak during the Tang dynasty (618–907), the…
Must-see attractions in Gansu
Gansu
With its succession of squeaking prayer wheels (3km in total), hawks circling overhead and the throb of Tibetan longhorns resonating from the surrounding…
Gansu
Set among wild, green mountains southeast of Tianshui, the grottoes of Maijishan hold some of the most famous Buddhist rock carvings along the Silk Road…
Gansu
Originally dating to 1098 (Western Xia dynasty), this stunning temple contains an astonishing 35m-long sleeping Buddha – China’s largest of this variety…
Gansu
One of the classic images of western China, this huge fort once guarded the narrow pass between the snowcapped Qilian Shan peaks and the Hei Shan (Black…
Gansu
Tucked away down the backstreets of Xiahe not far from Labrang Monastery, Snowland Art is a family-style fine art and handicrafts training school set up…
Dunhuang
Six kilometres south of Dunhuang at Singing Sands Dune, the desert meets the oasis in most spectacular fashion. From the sheer scale of the dunes, it’s…
Milarepa Palace Buddhist Temple
Gansu
A towering nine-storey layer cake of a temple, the Milarepa Palace is both deeply steeped in mystery and unusual in the Tibetan world as different…
Dunhuang
On the road to Singing Sands Dune is this sparkling museum that takes you on an artefact-rich journey through the Dunhuang area (from prehistoric to Qing…
Gansu
With its relative inaccessibility, Bǐnglíng Sì is one of the few Buddhist grottoes in China to have survived the tumultuous 20th century unscathed. Which…
Gansu
By the Huangyanghe Reservoir (黄羊河水库, Huángyánghé Shuǐkù), it's hard to appreciate how massive the 15m-high Shakyamuni Buddha statue at Tiantishan Grottoes…
Dunhuang
The weird, eroded desert landscape of Yadan National Park is 180km northwest of Dunhuang, in the middle of the Gobi Desert’s awesome nothingness. A former…
Gansu
Running north from Jiayuguan Fort, this section of the Great Wall is believed to have been first constructed in 1539, though it was reconstructed in 1987…
Gansu
Mǎtí Sì translates as 'Horse Hoof Monastery', a reference to when a heavenly horse left a hoof imprint in a grotto. Between the 5th and 14th centuries a…
Gansu
Kongtong Shan, 11km west of Pingliang, is one of the 12 principal peaks in the Taoist universe. It was first mentioned by the philosopher Zhuangzi (399…
Dunhuang
The Jade Gate Pass, 78km west of Dunhuang, was originally a military station. Together with Sun Pass, it formed part of the Han dynasty series of beacon…
Dunhuang
This Han dynasty military post was one of the two most important gates marking the end of the Chinese empire along the ancient Silk Road. Today, a dusty…
Gansu
Running between fields near the village of Changchengxiang (itself named after the Great Wall), this section of Great Wall makes for an interesting…
Gansu
This hoary Ming dynasty temple was founded in 1483 in honour of Fuxi, the father and emperor of all Chinese people. A statue of Fuxi is in the main hall,…
Dunhuang
About 180km south of Dunhuang, the 40-plus caves of the Yulin Grottoes face each other across a narrow canyon. The interior art spans a 1500-year period,…
Gansu
Rising up on the Sichuan side of White Dragon River is this monastery – otherwise dubbed the Sichuan Monastery – built in 1413, home to around 700 monks…
Gansu
With an interior splashed with murals and illuminated by a combination of yak-butter candles and electric lamps, the golden 31m-tall Gongtang Pagoda is a…
Gansu
The lovely Confucian Temple is testament to the grandeur of old Qinzhou. Today the temple is open to all, a gorgeous haven of peace and tranquillity,…
Jiayuguan Museum of the Great Wall
Gansu
Located inside Jiayuguan Fort, this excellent and highly informative museum contains photos, artefacts, maps, Silk Road exhibits and models to show just…
Zhangye Danxia National Geopark
Gansu
The swirling orange, yellow, white and brown lunar landscape of this national park is the result of sandstone and mineral deposits that have eroded into…
Gansu
The Ganjia Grasslands, 34km from Xiahe, aren’t as pretty as those at nearby Sangke, but there is more to explore. From Xiahe a bumpy road crosses the…
First Beacon Platform of the Great Wall
Gansu
Atop a 56m-high cliff overlooking the Taolai River south of Jiayuguan, a large, crumbling and wind-eroded chunk of packed earth is all that remains of…
Gansu
A fascinating active monastery with a minute pavilion to the right of the entrance containing a well whose ‘magic waters’ (神水, shénshuǐ) are said to…
Lanzhou
This temple, built during the Yuan dynasty (1206–1368) for a fallen Tibetan monk, stands on a hilltop in lovely White Pagoda Park (白塔山公园, Báitǎ Shān…
Gansu
Expanses of open grassland dotted with Tibetans and their grazing yak herds highlight a trip to the village of Sangke, 14km from Xiahe. Development has…
Gansu
These tombs date from approximately AD 220–420 (the Wei and Western Jin periods) and contain extraordinarily fresh brick-wall paintings (some sadly…
Gansu
This large Ming-era temple complex divides into two sections: the Confucian Temple and the Wenchang Hall, both fine examples of traditional architecture…
Gansu
Zhangye's main square is dominated by this good-looking and elegant nine-tiered brick and wooden pagoda. Though first built during the Northern Zhou…
Gansu
This elegant 12-storey brick pagoda dates from AD 488 and is surrounded by a tranquil complex of both unpainted and colourful wooden temple halls with old…
Lanzhou
This museum has an intriguing collection of Silk Road artefacts with English descriptions, including inscribed Han-dynasty wooden tablets used to relay…
Gansu
This museum facing the Confucian Temple is dedicated to the Xixia (Western Xia; 1038–1277), the kingdom established by the Tangut people in a region…
Lanzhou
Originally founded in the 8th century, this expansive, much rebuilt and active Taoist temple features five halls and was among the most important Quanzhen…
Dunhuang
Located 35km west of Dunhuang, there are 16 caves hidden in the cliff face of the Dang River (Dǎng Hé, 党河) gorge, ranging from the Northern Wei to the…
Gansu
The three-storey Barkhang serves as the monastery’s traditional printing temple. With rows upon rows of more than 20,000 wood blocks for printing, it’s…
Gansu
A repository of vivid and bright murals, the hall encapsulates a startlingly fierce 12m-high effigy of Hayagriva – a wrathful manifestation of the usually…
