Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region - Other Scenic Spots 其它景点

Mount Xumi Grottoes 须弥山石窟

Mount Xumi Grottoes are located on the eastern slope of the mountain about 60 kilometers northwest of Guyuan County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. The ideal geographical position of the mountain has a close bearing on the building of the grottoes. The area used to be a key passage on the ancient Silk Road between the East and the West and also a thoroughfare for exchanges between the Han and other ethnic groups of China. Therefore, it was the scene of many battles. In the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties, people built temples on the mountain in token of their appeal for peace and stability and against war and murder as well as their faith in Buddhism.

The most celebrated place of interest in the mountain is the Giant Sitting-Buddha Maitreya in Grotto No 2. The Maitreya measures 26 meters in height, with its ears the length of two adults put together. The Maitreya has a benign look. It is considered a representative masterpiece of the grotto in the mountain. Grotto No 5 is the biggest of its king in the mountain. Made of a mound hollowed out, it is called the “Haloes of Xumi.” The grotto consists of seven well-preserved Buddhist statues, each six meters tall, and seven Bodhisattva statues. These sculptures look mysterious and fascinating under a few rays of light that enter the grotto through a hole in the mound. Subjected to devastation by earthquakes and windstorms in its 1,400-year history, half of the grotto was caved-in, but it has recently been restored.

The grotto group began its construction around the time of the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and was completed in the Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties. The Buddhist statues, which were made with an artistic approach of realism, reflect the true features of people in the Northern and So9uthern Dynasties (420-581), the Sui and Tang dynasties.

Shahu Lake Tourist Area 沙湖旅游区

This is a popular recreational area 56 kilometers north of the City of Yinchuan. It consists of a lake and golden desert. The lake takes up 660 hectares (1,630.86 acres) and the remaining 300 hectares (741.30 acres) for the golden desert. The visitor can take a boat trip among the reeds on the lake. In the middle of the lake is a small island, about one hectare (2.471 acres) in area. Every year hundreds of thousands of migratory birds come to rest and brood on the island. This is a unique scenic spot that combines picturesque scenery south of the Yangtze River and landscape of the desert north of the Great Wall.

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