Xumishan Grottoes (Chinese: 須彌山石窟) are a collection of more than 130 Buddhist cave temples located on the eastern edge of Mount Xumi (須彌山) in Guyuan (Chinese: 固原) City, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (寧夏回族自治區), China.
There is a museum next to the entrance, tourists can view the simulations of ancient Xumishan Grottoes built by computer.
The construction of Xumishan Grottoes began in the Northern Wei (北魏) Dynasty (A.D. 368-534) and were put under periodic reconstruction during later dynasties until the Tang (唐) Dynasty (A.D. 618-906).
Xumishan Grottoes has been subdivided into 5 scenic sites, Xiangguo Temple is one of the most popular sites, you can see statues, wall paintings and inscribed stelae inside the cave.
Xumishan Grottoes are situated along the Silk Road, an important route for the spread of Buddhism.
Xumishan Grottoes in Tang Dynasty reached the most prosperous period of grottoes with a large amount and large scale of grottoes in exquisite craftsmanship.
Xumishan Grottoes are threatened by wind erosion, earthquakes, looting, vandalism and insufficient management, which have been listed among the top 100 endangered architectural and cultural sites in the world.
