City: Gansu
Top Things to do in Gansu
Top Hotels in Gansu
- 1. 7 Days Premium Lanzhou Xiguan Shizi Zhongshan Bridge
- 2. Home Inn (Lanzhou Pedestrain Street)
- 3. 7 Days Inn (Lanzhou Jingning Road)
- 4. Dunhuang Guest House
- 5. Xihu Yinfeng Hotel
- 6. New Victory Hotel
- 7. Sunshine Plaza Hotel
- 8. Zugong Building Hotel
- 9. Ningwozhuang Hotel
- 10. Home Inn (Lanzhou Yongchang Road)
The 10 Best Caverns & Caves in Gansu, China
Gansu (Chinese: 甘肃, Tibetan: ཀན་སུའུ་ Kan su'u) is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the northwest of the country.
Restaurants in Gansu
1. Mogao Caves
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 874 reviews
Located in the Gobi desert, the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas feature beautiful wall fresco paintings and more than 3,000 sculptures dating from the forth to the fourteenth century.
Reviewed By garyr0bertb - China, null
The Mogao Caves or grottos, Dunhuang are amazing and one of the best places I have been to in Asia. I visited Mogao on New Year’s Day 2021, minus 6 degrees centigrade but no snow. I had an English-speaking Chinese tour guide who was excellent – her English was very good; her knowledge of history, art and religion was extensive; and she was gracious in answering my questions. I’ve studied Chinese history at university but Western lecturers and textbooks are no match for a local person who is a part of the culture! I visited 12 caves as this is the low season. If you visit in other seasons, you will see 8 caves. I was mesmerized by the Buddhist sculptures and murals, especially as I could see an evolution of styles through the centuries. The 492 Mogao Caves have art works ranging from the 5th to the 17th Centuries CE with restorations occurring during the Qing Dynasty, even into the early 20th Century. I was amazed at the resilience of the art to earthquakes and humidity, but also perturbed by the looting and vandalism of European and American treasure hunters in the early 20th Century. I spent 5 hours at the caves. This included the tour, visiting the museum (which has special exhibitions), buying books at the giftshop (two in English), having a coffee at the café, and wandering around taking photographs. Some Important Tips: # In high season, there is a daily limit of visitors. # You cannot take photos inside the caves and in parts of the museum. This is important as the light from phones and cameras (even without flash) damages the murals. Be respectful, don’t complain. # You need to go to the Mogao Caves Exhibition Centre first to purchase a ticket (140RMB). This is 5 kms from the centre of Dunhuang town. (Taxi – 30RMB or bus). Here you can watch a film if you wish. Please ask about the frequency of shuttle buses, especially in low season. In 2021, you will need a clear Health Code on your mobile phone (same as per booking into your hotel). # The shuttle bus will take you to the Mogao site 20 kms away (part of the ticket price). # Follow the passengers to the entry gate and show your ticket. If you want an English tour guide, please let them know here. I am unsure which other languages are available. # You cannot choose the caves you wish to see but all groups will see the main ones. # Don’t forget the onsite museum, gift and bookshop and café. # Shuttle buses leave regularly to the Exhibition Centre. From here, hop on a town bus or grab one of the waiting taxis in the car park back to Dunhuang town. # Doing a little reading about Tibetan and Chinese Buddhism, and Chinese history beforehand might influence your experience.
2. Maiji Shan Caves
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 125 reviews
Reviewed By garyr0bertb - China, null
I visited Maijishan Grottos in December 2020 as I wanted to see the area in snow and avoid the huge summer crowds. I have visited hundreds of places in China (an Australian working in Guangzhou) and this is undoubtedly one of my top 3 favourites. I think ‘grottos’ is a more apt name than caves as the openings in the cliff face are quite small. Maijishan is one of the four famous grottos of China, the others being Mogao, Yungang, and Longmen – all in different provinces. One does not have to be a Buddhist, or even spiritual to appreciate the awesomeness, craftsmanship and cultural value of these grottos. The eagle-eyed will see an evolution of styles spanning the dynasties and centuries. Visiting Maijishan needs preparation and some of the information I found on websites seems now to be incorrect. I flew from Guangzhou to Lanzhou for a week. I took a taxi from my hotel to Lanzhou West Train Station; then caught the high speed train from Lanzhou West Station at 7.05am and arriving at Tianshui South Station at 8.33am (159RMB for 1st class ticket one way). I walked to the far end of the station and descended two escalators to the bus station in the basement. I waited about 40 minutes and caught BUS 60 to the entrance of the Maijishan site. Bus 60 is a tourist shuttle bus costing 7 RMB each way. I think there are only 2 morning buses in winter but more in other seasons. Once arriving at the site, pay 80RMB to enter, then choose to walk to Maiji Mountain (It took me 20 minutes walking briskly uphill along a road) or take a small electric vehicle (there will be a small charge). Walk up a steep set of stone stairs to the second admission gate. Here you just show your ticket and enter OR pay extra for a private tour in which extra grottos will be open for viewing. I chose not to have a private tour as it was a minimum of 600 RMB per grotto and in winter, there are no English-speaking guides. I caught the 2pm shuttle bus back to the station, and then the 4.05pm high speed train to Lanzhou. By 6.30pm I was sipping craft beers near the Zhengning Night Market and editing my photos. I was totally amazed at the technology of the ‘out-of-cliff walkways’ (totally safe I think), the view of the valleys and mountains, and of course the hundreds of Buddha-clad grottos. Most of the grottos are protected by metal gauze; however, I placed my iPhone camera in a gap and took oodles of great photos. I also had a downloaded guide of the grottos and read this beforehand. There are a few larger, gauzeless grottos open all the time, and these had amazing sculptures and murals depicting a thousand years of evolving Buddhist history. I won’t provide any details of the sculptures as I think these need to be discovered. A few tips if travelling privately from Lanzhou: # Best to use the high speed train – forget slow trains and buses as these leave little time to explore the mountain; remember to use the special entry and exit channel by showing your passport and train ticket # have the correct names of the high speed stations in Chinese characters for the taxi drivers etc # book the high speed train tickets in advance – use a Chinese travel agency or a Chinese friend who can book and pay online # bring your passport, and your mobile phone with the latest Health Record for the province (if travelling in 2021) # bring water and snacks, comfortable walking shoes to negotiate the stairs and walkways, and appropriate clothes for the season # don’t whinge if many of the grottos are protected by gauze as cultural heritage is more important than photo addictions; there are c. 200 grottos and 7000 sculptures – you do not need to see them all! # take it slow and easy on the steep stairs and on the overhang walkways; be conscious of people around you in tight spaces # avoid Chinese national holidays at all cost
3. Yulin Grotto
4. Tianti Grottoes
5. South Grotto Temple
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1 reviews
6. Wanxiang Cave
7. Baishiya Karst Cave
Overall Ratings
1.0 based on 1 reviews
8. Wensushan Grottoes
9. Gangcha Karst Cave
10. Tianfo Temple Grotto
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