GUYUAN
Guyuan is located in the south of Ningxia, about 460km from Yinchuan. There is an interesting set of Shiku (Buddhist Grottoes) at Xumi Shan (Treasure Mountain), which is about 50km north-west of Guyuan. Xumi is the Chinese version of the Sanskrit word sumeru, which translates as 'treasure mountain'.
Cut into five adjacent peaks are 132 caves containing more than 300 Buddhist statues dating back 1400 years, from the Northern Wei to the Sui and Tang dynasties. The finest statues are in caves 14, 45, 46, 51, 67 and 70. Cave 5 contains the most famous statue on Xumi Shan: a colossal Maitreya Buddha, standing 19m high. It remains remarkably well preserved even though the protective tower has long since collapsed and left it exposed and vulnerable to the elements.
There is no regular transport to the caves, but you can catch a bus from Guyuan directly to Sanying. Sanying is on the main road 40km north of Guyuan near the Xumishan turn-off. From Sanying you can hop on a minibus to Huangduobao and then jump on a tractor (Y2) up to the caves. Alternatively you can hire a taxi from Sanying for about Y50 return.
