The Yulin Caves

· Location: on the banks of the Yulin River, Guazhou County, Gansu Province
· Time needed: 2–3 hours
They are also known as the sister caves to the Mogao Caves. The thrill of being in them can't compare to the Mogao Caves but the site is much less crowded than Dunhuang's Mogao Caves.
There are 42 caves with 250 colored statues and about 5,000 square meters of mural paintings. The artistic skills and painting compositions in the Yulin Caves are similar to those in Dunhuang's Mogao Caves.
The sixth cave's Maitreya Buddha is 25 meters high and is covered with gold foil, making it look very majestic. The 11th cave's Eighteen Arhats have vivid faces and poses.
· Read more about the Yulin Caves.