固原市

Why this place

Guyuan is in the mountains of southern Ningxia, on the old Silk Road route, and its Xumishan Grottoes are a major set of Buddhist caves carved between the Northern Wei and the Tang — over a hundred caves in a river valley, and far less visited than the famous sites.

What to see

• The Xumishan Grottoes — over 130 caves with sculpture, in a sandstone valley
• The Liupan Mountains and the old Silk Road passes
• The Guyuan Museum, with the Silk Road grave goods — including Sassanid and Roman coins found here

What to eat

• Ningxia lamb and mountain cooking
• Guyuan is known for its 'longde' beef and its 'jingning' apples

Best time

May–October