Yellow River Stone Forest

The Yellow River courses through uncountable terrains and regions, but the Stone Forest in Gansu Province is definitely one of the more dramatic landscapes it graces. The Stone Forest is well-known for its peculiarly shaped towers of rock and heart-stopping mountain precipices that stretch out beyond the horizon.     

 

Nowadays, a geographical park has been established in southern Jingtai County to preserve the Yellow River Stone Forest four billion years ago. Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Spot is located in Longwan Village in Jingtai District of Baiyin City. It was formed by the rising of the Earth's crust. Just as beautiful as the famous Stone Forest of Yunnan, Yellow River Stone Forest Scenic Spot is composed of many sand stalagmites and stone pillars in various sizes and shapes. 

Some are about 80-200 meters (262-656 feet) tall. Unique pattern on the cliff sides formed by water and wind erosion made the stone forest more attracting. The fabulous scenes reflect the prodigious craftsmanship of nature's creation. People have imaginatively given many peaks vivid names, such as "Lovers under the Moon", "The Goddess Looks at the Moon", "Qu Yuan Asks Heaven" and "A Gleam of Sky".

Unique rock formations proudly sun themselves while peaks as sharp as swords stab at the sky. Inexplicable holes puncture otherwise uninterrupted rock faces. Rock arches and windows defy gravity. Some rock faces are so immense, smooth and perfectly vertical that many visitors wonder if they’ve been reshaped by mechanical means.

The views from above the Stone Forest slowly reveal that they share little in common with the views from within, which are marked by obscure rock contours and a touch of claustrophobia. From above, the “forest” transforms into a sea of jagged edges, tinged in sepia. Stunningly desolate, the broken layers of precipices receding into the distance appear entirely devoid of life. It’s a beautiful meditation on the painstaking and relentless passage of time, and a peek at a quiet and forsaken world that somehow offers solace in our ephemeral lives.

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Mogao Caves

The Mogao Caves or Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 492 temples 25 km southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis strategically located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province, China. The caves may also be known as the Dunhuang Caves, however, this term also include other Buddhist cave sites in the Dunhuang area, such as the Western Thousand Buddha Caves, and the Yulin Caves farther away.

This honeycomb of caves was constructed over a millennium, from the 4th to the 14th centuries, and represents the height of Buddhist art and the world's richest treasure house of Buddhist sutras, murals and sculptures. It is situated 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang city on cliffs in the eastern Singing Sand Mountains. Dating back to the Han Dynasty, the caves contain Buddhist sculpture and frescoes from ten dynasties ending with the Tang.

The art features of Mogao Grottoes, as an organic integration of architecture, sculpture and murals, systematically recorded a variety of aspects of cultural exchanges between China and the West during more than ten dynasties lasting for 1000 years from the Sixteen Kingdoms to Yuan Dynasty, which has become the rare cultural treasures and wealth of the human beings.

Tang Dynasty is the heyday of Dunhuang Mogao Buddhist art. After this period, the local economy around Dunhuang declined and the production of Buddhist art lessened dramatically. In AD 366, during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a monk named Yue Seng chiseled the first cave here. The endeavor continued through later dynasties, including the Northern Wei (386-534), Western Wei (535-556), Northern Zhou (557-581), Sui (581-618), Tang (618-907), Five Dynasties (907-960), Song (960-1279), Western Xia (1038-1227) and Yuan (1279-1368), resulting in the fantastic group of caves that can been seen today.

 

The traveler will note traces of Indian Buddhist art in the earlier works. More recent works depict all walks of life and activities in a local setting. You will relive the daily routines and special events as captured by the artists while you are exploring the 750 caves. There are also ups and downs in the artistic quality over the centuries, depending on the fortunes of Buddhism with available art patronage. Artists in each dynasty painted with their distinctive palette.

Thirty main caves are open to the public, and most visitors manage to visit no more than fifteen in a day. The caves are all clearly labeled with numbers above the doors. They are not lit inside, in order to preserve the murals, but guides carry flashlights and visitors should bring their own as well.

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Gansu Provincial Museum

Located at Qilihe of Lanzhou City, the Gansu Provincial Museum is a local comprehensive museum. First built in 1956, the Museum's predecessor is the Science Education Hall of Gansu built in 1939. After several name changes, the Museum got its present name in 1956 and was opened to the public in 1958. Covering a construction area of 180,000 square meters, it is one of the best sights in the city and a visit is well worthwhile.

 

The museum is divided into two sections-natural resources and historic exhibits. It houses collections of various color-painted potteries of Neolithic Age and treasures of ancient grottoes. In addition, the museum is home to precious linen and silk fabrics, books, wooden and bronze vessels, a great many bamboo slips for writing from the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220), frescos and so many other items. A 4-meter-tall Mammoth fossil replica is stored in the museum whose remains were excavated from the Yellow River basin in 1973. Aside from the prehistoric presentations, there are also rare animal exhibits, such as pandas, golden monkeys and red -crowned cranes.

The world-famous bronze Galloping Horse's Hoof Stepped on a Flying Swallow, also named as Galloping Horse, is a treasure of Gansu Provincial Museum. Excavated in 1969 in Wuwei County, Gansu Province, the piece depicts a vigorous horse with long tail waving and head perking. Its three hooves are in the air, galloping like lightening. What makes this sculpture amazing is the right back hoof of this galloping horse lands on the back of a small flying bird. The bird turns in surprise to look at the big creature on its back. At the same moment, the horse's head also turns slightly in attempt to know what has happened. The whole statue is honored as the mysterious and rare treasure in the history of Chinese ancient sculpture art.

There are many other halls such as The Hall of Natural Resources. The museum is very accessible and comprehensive for its size. There were exhibits on the Silk Road, prehistoric animals, Buddhism, and other elements. It will give you some good insides about local history and culture. Considering its location and the local resources, it is a place worthwhile to visit.

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Five Springs Mountain Park----- the Largest Park in Lanzhou

Located within the Five Springs Mountain at the foot of Gaolan Mountain, the Five Springs Mountain (Wuquan Mountain) Park is well-known for its tranquil and beautiful scenery with lush forests, gurgling springs and ancient temples. The park is the largest in Lanzhou, occupies 266,400 square meters (2,867,599.56 square feet) on Five Springs Mountain.

There are always legends and stories behind beautiful scenic spots in China. Five Springs Park is no exception. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.- 24 A.D.), a famous general, Huo Qubing, was dispatched by the Emperor to go on a punitive expedition to the Hun people, a minority group who lived in the northwestern part of China at that time. Since the troops had traveled from Chang'an (now Xian ), General Huo and his soldiers were exhausted when they arrived at the foot of Gaolan Mountain. They couldn't find any water nearby, so General Huo forcefully jabbed his horsewhip five times into the ground. Abruptly five springs spurted water into the air. Thereafter the locals called the mountain the Five Springs Mountain. While this story sounds surreal, the quality and the quantity of the five springs are true. They have flowed and served the locals for several thousand years. In 1955, it was officially opened as a park. Local authorities added a zoo, an amusement park for adults and another for children.

The Five Springs Mountain has been a famous scenic area since 2,000 years ago, at the top of which a temple was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), with a waterfall falling from the west and east sides of the mountain respectively. The west waterfall and the east waterfall are commonly called the West Dragon Mouth and the East Dragon Mouth by the locals.

The Middle Peak of the Five Springs Mountain, the highest point in the park, reaches 1,600 meters (5,294 feet). It serves as the park axis. Ganlu Spring, Juyue Spring, and Mozi Spring are distributed over the Middle Peak area. Meng Spring and Hui Spring are located on either side of Middle Peak.

When you pass the Tibetan Buddhism Mani Temple, you will see the first spring, Ganlu Spring, on the top of the mountain. Ganlu means sweet dew or timely rain in English. Ancient Chinese emperors and officials often asked the god in charge of agriculture in heaven to bring rain to assure a harvest in the coming year. They prayed and offered sacrifices at an altar on the mountaintop. Thus when it rained, people considered it timely rain or sweet dew.

Juyue Spring is the most magical one among the five springs because of its unique location. This spring is in the shape of a well. Ju means to hold something in two hands, while Yue means the moon. When combined, these two characters mean this spring could hold the moon in her hands. What a beautiful picture! Especially around the time of Middle Autumn Day, you can very clearly see the shadow of the moon reflecting in the spring.

Mozi Spring means to touch or feel the stone to learn the gender of a fetus. Because a Buddha in charge of birth is worshiped in the Dizang Temple near the Mozi Spring, people believe the Mozi Spring can tell whether it will be a boy or a girl. The last two springs are located on the two sides of Middle Peak. The spring on the east side is Meng Spring. It is said that if people use the water from this spring to make Meng Tea, which is produced on Mt. Meng, Sichuan Province, the flavor will be extraordinary. The other spring was named Hui Spring. Hui means benefiting someone. The quantity of Hui Spring was so great that it even met local water supply needs. Today the flow is less.

The five springs are not the only tourist magnet. This park is also a famous scenic religious spot. The natural beauty of the five springs is enhanced by verdant groves while the temples make it a famous religious destination. The temple fair is held on the Five Springs Mountain on April 8th each year, during which the ceremony of washing figures of Buddha, flower exhibitions and various kinds of cultural activities are available, attracting thousands of Buddhist devotees each time. Five Springs Park not only offers visitors a place to relax, but also provides a place to learn about Buddhism.

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Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves

Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves is located on the Small Jishi Hill, about 35 kilometers (about 22 miles) west of Yongjing County in Lanzhou City. Being one of the very noted four caves in China, it is the second to Mogao Caves. The statues in it date from various dynastic eras and show the differing cultures, clothing and physical features of the worshipped gods. The earliest temples are at the highest elevation and have characteristic Indian-style features and artistic style. In respect of artistic value and was added to the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014.

Bingling means 'ten thousand Buddhas' in the Tibetan language. The starting construction time of Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves dates back to the Western Jin Dynasty (265-316). In the following dynasties, the caves had been excavated many times. There are now 183 niches, 694 stone statues, 82 clay sculptures and some 900 square meters' (about 1,076 square yards') of murals, which are all well preserved.

Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves are mainly made up of the upper temple, the lower temple and the caves in between. Being a Buddhist cave temple, the main characters in the caves are Sakyamuni, Kwan-yin, Amitayus Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, and other Buddhas. Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves are still kept comparatively intact. In total there are 183 cave niches, 776 statues, over 900-square-meter (about 1,076 square yards) murals as well as six ink and carved inscriptions. The caves of the Tang Dynasty take up more than two thirds of the area.

With elegant postures, flying robes and ribbons, the statues are life-like. Among the caves, Cave No.169 is worthy of a particular mention. Made in the Northern Dynasties (386-581), it is the most imposing and delicate one which holds the clay sculptures of Kwan-yin, Dali Buddha (Dali means powerful strength in Chinese), etc. Dali Buddha has a round face, sitting with legs crossed. When we see this sculpture we will feel its expression as being very solemn. On its two sides stands Bodhisattvas with their hair bound, waving bare arms. The colors present us vivid Bodhisattvas and Buddhas. Cave No.125, which holds the stone sculpture of Sakyamuni, is also one not to be missed.

The stone sculptures in Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves represent the social situations and customs during ancient times. In the vicinity of the caves are green hills, crystal water, grotesque stones and precipitous cliffs, which adds more beauty to this artistic site. After the founding of People's Republic of China, the State Council designated the site as a key cultural relic, and placed it under state protection.

The Bingling Caves are quite far away from Lanzhou and can only be reached by boat via the Liujiaxia Reservoir. First you should take bus from Lanzhou to Liujiaxia Dam (about 80 miles, 1 hour driving for 12 Yuan), and then you can take boat to Bingling Temple. Boats leave from near the Liujiaxia Dam in Liujiaxia City, and sometimes also from other docks on the reservoir. The whole cruise will take 2 hours for 10 Yuan a person. And the Bingling Caves only can be reached during summer and autumn because in the rest of year the boat will not be operated and there are no any roads can access to Bingling except water way.

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Labrang Monastery

Labrang Monastery is one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The Labrang Monastery is located at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain northwest of Xiahe County in Gannan Tibetan Nationality Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. A propitious place in the hearts of the Tibetan, it stands by the Daxia River and faces the Dragon Mountain.

There is a beautiful legend about the Dragon and Phoenix Mountains. A long time ago, this place was a boundless sea. After countless changes, mountains and lands appeared. One day, a golden-wing phoenix flew here and rested on one of the mountains in the south. It was so thirsty that it drank all the water; thus the sea dried up. A dragon in the sea was greatly shocked, so it cavorted out of the water, which led to the emergence of a spring at the site where the phoenix drank. As the spring water effused more and more, the Daxia River was formed. So the dragon became the Dragon Mountain and the phoenix became the Phoenix Mountain. And the Daxia River flowed from west to east through the two mountains, eroding the hollow into a basin.

The monastery complex dominates the northern part of the village. The white walls and golden roofs feature a blend of Tibetan and Han architectural styles. The monastery contains 18 halls, six institutes of learning, a golden stupa, a sutra debate area, and houses nearly 60,000 sutras. It has a Buddhist museum with a large collection of Buddha statues, sutras and murals. In addition, a large amount of Tibetan language books, including books on history is available for purchase, together with medicines, calendars, and music and art objects.

The Grand Sutra Hall is the dominant place for the religious activities of the Labrang Monastery and for the adherents' worshipping. On the inside walls there are portraits of Buddha and built-in shrines of Buddha and bookcases. The elegantly decorated hall is splendid enough to give you real enjoyment.

Located in the northwest of the Grand Sutra Hall, the Grand Golden Tile Hall is the highest building in the Labrang Monastery and is strongly tinged with a Nepalese flavor. It is six-storied and the roof is covered with bronze bricks that are washed by gold. In front of the hall gate, a stele hangs on which the Han, Tibetan, Manchu and Mongolian characters were written by the Emperor Jiaqing (1760-1820) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Inside the hall there is a bronze figure of Buddha created by Nepalese artisans.

Prayer Wheels of Labrang Monastery

The Labrang Monastery boasts tens of thousands of statues of Buddha made of gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. There are statues with ivory, sandalwood, jade, crystal and clay as the basic materials. These Buddha statues are all lifelike with kind-looking faces, which give you a real enjoyment of beauty. In addition, the monastery possesses many Buddha hats and many Buddhist treasures adorned with pearls, jadeite, agate and diamonds.

The monastery today is an important place for Buddhist ceremonies and activities. The Labrang Monastery holds seven large-scale summon ceremonies a year, among which the Summons Ceremony in the first lunar month and the Buddhist Doctrine Explaining Ritual in the seventh lunar month are the grandest ones.

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Maiji Caves (Tianshui Grottoes)

Work on the Maiji caves began in the late Qin Dynasty (221 BC - 206 BC), progressing through to the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). The Northern Wei (386 - 534) period was also a time of its great prosperity, and Buddhism began to prevail as a cultural force. Subsequent dynasties added to and sometimes rebuilt the caves according to the styles of the era. Interestingly, although the statues were built at the same location, none of them maintained a similar style with those preceding it. Statues from each dynasty clearly developed distinct elements.

Maiji Mountain Arts is famous for its beautiful clay art. If Dunhuang mural is a large hall, Maiji Grottoes then can be called as great Sculpture Museum. Heights of the statues here vary from 20 centimeters (about 8 inches) to 15 meters (over 49 feet). Besides 194 Buddhist caves and niches, containing more than 7, 200 clay statues, there are also murals of over 1, 300 square meters (about 1, 555 square yards) in the Maiji Caves as well. These statues are works of art that reflect ancient craftsmanship and dedication to the Buddhist ideal. Rarely can one find caves and statues carved over sheer cliffs in China, and this is one of the most distinguishing features of Maiji Caves. Being carved on the cliff, these caves are connected by plank roads that hang precariously along the face of the cliff. Visitors can only reach each cave by using these plank roads, which offers a breathtaking experience.

Another curious feature of the statues is their trend toward secularization, that is, a move toward depicting the icons as man rather than god. Except for statues built in the early period, almost all Buddhist statues look affable and accessible. They were no longer gods standing high in the heaven, but rather became more like common people.

Because of its exquisite clay statues and superb sculptural skills, Maiji Caves acquired special recognition. Their emphasis is on exquisite statues and beautiful natural scenes, while the others' are on florid murals or magnificent stonecutting. There are other places of interest near Maiji Mountain as well, Xianren Cliff, Shimen Mountain, Quxi and Maiji Arboretum, all offer fine panoramic views of mountains, rivers and plants in Northwest China.

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