These Buddhist grottoes (Xūmí is the Chinese transliteration of the Sanskrit sumeru, or Buddhist paradise) some 50km northwest of Gùyuán are southern Níngxià’s must-see sight. Cut into the five adjacent sandstone hills are 132 caves housing more than 300 Buddhist statues dating back 1400 years, from the Northern Wei to the Sui and Tang dynasties.
Cave 5 contains the largest statue, a colossal Maitreya (future Buddha), standing 20.6m high. Further uphill, the finest statues are protected by the Yuánguāng Temples (caves 45 and 46; 6th century) and Xiànggúo (cave 51; 7th century), where you can walk around the interior and examine the artwork up close – amazingly, the paint on several of the statues is still visible in places.
To reach the caves, take a bus from Gùyuán to Sānyíng (三营; ¥7, one hour). They depart from Wenhua Xilu, by the two big hospitals opposite the night market. From Sānyíng you’ll have to hire a taxi for the 40km return trip (¥100 including waiting time) to Xūmí Shān.
