After a thousand years, it’s still very stunning up close

🇨🇳 Wuwei Secret Realm｜Tianti Mountain Grottoes: A Thousand Years of Buddha’s Light Shining Over the Desert 🎨

🌟 The Origin of Chinese Grottoes! A Thousand-Year-Old Buddha Kingdom on a Cliff That Will Blow Your Mind!
If you’ve seen the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, look here! Tianti Mountain Grottoes are the true "ancestors of the grotto world"—carved during the Northern Liang period (1,600 years ago!), 100 years earlier than the Mogao Caves! The level of awe made my knees weak 😱

📍 Address: Dengshan Village, Huangyang Town, Liangzhou District, Wuwei City (recommended to drive or hire a car)
🕙 Opening Hours: Peak season 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM｜Off-season 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM
💰 Ticket Price: 30 RMB (Such great value!)

📸 Two Must-See Photo Spots:
1️⃣ Cave 13 Giant Buddha:
An open-air seated Buddha standing 28 meters tall! Standing at the Buddha’s feet and looking up instantly gives you goosebumps! Best to shoot in the morning when the sunlight makes the Buddha’s face shine with golden light ✨
2️⃣ Grotto Walkway:
Walk along the cliffside plank road, each cave is like a "blind box" from different dynasties. Don’t miss the Tang Dynasty painted flying apsaras, their colors are incredibly well preserved!

🚗 Directions:
1️⃣ Wuwei City ➡️ Tianti Mountain (about 1-hour drive)
The road is great, and you can see the Qilian Snow Mountains along the way! The mountain road near the scenic area feels like a scene from "Westworld"~
2️⃣ Core Grotto Area:
Recommended itinerary: first admire the panoramic view from afar ➡️ worship the giant Buddha up close ➡️ explore the small caves along the plank road (takes 2-3 hours total)

⚠️ Important Tips:
• Bring! Sunglasses! The white sandstone reflects a lot 😎
• Drones must be registered in advance (no flying over Buddha statues)
• No restaurants nearby, bring your own snacks and water
• After October, remember to wear a down jacket, the canyon wind is very strong

💡 Fun Fact:
The reservoir here is super beautiful! After visiting the grottoes, be sure to go to the reservoir’s edge to capture the amazing sight of the Buddha’s reflection in the water. It’s said that when the reservoir was built, Premier Zhou specially approved the protection of these grottoes, or else we wouldn’t be able to see them today 😭

🔥 Hidden Gem:
Look for the "Kissing Flying Apsaras" in Cave 18! Two flying apsaras with lips almost touching, known as the earliest "grotto sugar" moment 💏