The Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves, also known as the Bingling Grottos, are a series of Buddhist caves situated on the steep cliffs along the north bank of the Yellow River in southweste Yongjing County. It can be only reached after traveling 46 miles by car and then by boat.
Bingling is a translation of Tibetan, which means Ten Thousand Buddha. Today, there are 183 caves, 694 stone statues, 82 clay sculptures, and 900 square meters of murals. All the statues, sculptures, and murals are valued for their superb craftsmanship and artistic appeal. These caves stretch for 200 meters and include the caves that span the dynasties of the Weste Qin, North Wei, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
The jouey itself is also impressive, especially within close proximity to the caves. The face of the cliff, standing 60 meters high, is part of the northe side of a gorge formed by the Yellow River. Below the caves themselves is the Liujiaxia Reservoir, so expansive that it takes a good three hours to cross, allowing you to drink in the magnificent scene.
