The Grottoes on Xumi Mountain are located at the east slope of Xumi Mountain, 55km north-west of Guyuan County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
The name of the Xumi Mountain is translated from Sanskrit, which means a treasure mountain. With the hills, trees and rivers, the grottoes enjoy a beautiful surrounding. Judged by the form of grottoes and the style of sculptures, they were initially built in the late Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and completed with the effort in Sui and Tang Dynasties (581-907). According to the inscription for the reconstruction in the twelfth year (1476) of Chenghua reign during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it was named the Jingyun Temple in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and renamed as the Guoguang Temple in the Ming Dynasty. Originally there were more than 130 grottoes with temples on the ground. However, only 20 well preserved grottoes remain, scattering on the five peaks, called by the locals as the Dafo Lou (Great Building of Buddhism), Zisun Gong (Palace for offspring), Yuanguang Temple, Xiangguo Temple and Taohua Cavern (Peach Blossom Cavern), winding for two kilometers.
The Buddha and Bodhisattva in the grottoes built in Northern Wei Dynasty have wide foreheads, thin faces, high noses, narrow eyes, and small mouths. Their hair is combed up into high buns. The Buddha wears cassocks, and the Bodhisattva has the upper body naked and wears dress drooping to the ground. The form of grottoes is very similar to that of the Indian Zhiti (a sculptural style in India) grotto.
The grottoes built in the Sui Dynasty are located in the middle or south of the grotto group. Besides inheriting the style of one Buddha accompanied by two Bodhisattvas in the Northern Wei Dynasty, Anan and Kasyapa were added. Some pillars are decorated with performers playing reed-pope wind instrument, Pipa, or the Chinese harp. Some ceilings are decorated with embossment of Flying Apsaras.
Although the grottoes built in the Tang Dynasty are still square in layout, they no longer have pillars in the center. The figures of Buddha are mostly sitting on the lotus seat in tailor-fashion, with gentle and sedate expression on the face and teaching or beckoning hand gestures. Their cassocks have smooth lines, impressing the viewers with feelings of movement and high quality.
The second cavern is the largest on Xumi Mountain. In this cavern, there is a sitting sculpture of Sakyamuni of over 25 meters in height. His hands are on the knees and legs droop down, and his face is round with serene and stately expression. The Bodhisattva sculptures are mainly females with one hand resting on the chest and the other holding a bottle. Their hair is combed into a high bun or decorated with a jewelry crown. With a string of beads over the chest, bracelet on the arms and the manteau drooping down from their shoulders to the ground, these statues appear both elegant and civilized, which are good examples of the artistic style of the Tang Dynasty.
In the grottoes on the Xumi Mountain, there remain many inscriptions left from the Tang, Song, Western Xia, Jin and Ming Dynasties (618-1644) and some steles from the Ming Dynasty, which are important first-hand materials for studying the spread of Buddhism during the Tang, Song, Jin, Western Xia, and Ming dynasties.
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