Yulin Caves 榆林窟

About Yulin Caves

Their murals and painted figures belong to the same broad artistic world as Dunhuang, yet the narrow river setting gives the complex a different atmosphere. Cave interiors combine passages, chambers and, in some cases, central pillars. A guided selection lets you compare the painted narratives and figures with the architecture designed around them; the route does not include every cave.

Yulin Caves (榆林窟), also called Yulin Temple or Wanfo Gorge (万佛峡), were cut into conglomerate cliffs of the Yulin River gorge about 70 kilometers south of Guazhou, taking their name from the elm trees along the valley. No inscription records their founding date; based on cave form and mural style, the earliest confirmed remains are Tang-dynasty, with construction continuing through the Five Dynasties, Song, Uyghur and Western Xia periods into the Yuan, while Ming- and Qing-era work was mainly repair. The caves were listed among the first group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 1961.

Forty-three caves survive, 32 on the east cliff and 11 on the west, forming part of the Dunhuang cave-art system with the Mogao and Xiqianfodong caves; the Dunhuang Academy records over 5,200 square meters of murals and more than 270 painted sculptures. About 14 Tang-dynasty caves survive, mostly later renovated; Cave 25, the best-preserved example of Tang murals, is generally dated to the late 8th century, around the Tibetan occupation of Guazhou, and combines old Tibetan inscriptions with Buddhist imagery. The murals, painted on an earthen render with mineral and organic pigments rather than as frescoes, depict buddhas, bodhisattvas, donor portraits, farming and craft scenes, and musicians alongside Buddhist narratives.

What to look for

• The painted Buddhist scenes and figures within the authorised cave selection.
• The two cliff faces and the elm-lined Yulin River between them.

Location & getting there

Getting to Yulin Caves

Arrange a road transfer from Guazhou to the Yulin Grottoes visitor and ticket-checking area south of the county town. Use the official reservation arrangements, then follow the assigned guided route into the gorge.