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<div>{{more citations needed|date=November 2017}}<br />
{{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site<br />
| child = <br />
| WHS = Bingling Cave–Temple Complex<br />
| image = Bingling Temple 02.jpg<br />
| image_upright = 1.2<br />
| caption = The Great Maitreya Buddha<br />
| location = [[Yongjing County]], [[Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture]], [[Gansu]], [[China]]<br />
| part_of = [[Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor]]<br />
| Type = Cultural<br />
| Criteria = ii, iii, iv, vi<br />
| ID = 1442-027<br />
| coordinates = {{coord|35|48|38|N|103|02|54|E|format=dms}}<br />
| year = 2014<br />
| area = {{convert|132.62|ha|sqmi|abbr=on}}<br />
| buffer_zone = {{convert|2044.37|ha|sqmi|abbr=on}}<br />
| website = <br />
| embedded = <br />
| locmapin = China<br />
| map_caption = Bingling Cave–Temple Complex in China<br />
}}<br />
The '''Bingling Temple''' ({{zh|t=炳靈寺|s=炳灵寺|p=Bǐnglíng Sì}}) is a series of grottoes filled with [[Buddhist]] sculpture carved into natural caves and caverns in a canyon along the [[Yellow River]]. It lies just north of where the Yellow River empties into the [[Liujiaxia Dam|Liujiaxia Reservoir]]. Administratively, the site is in [[Yongjing County]] of [[Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture]] in [[Gansu]] province, some {{convert|100|km|0|abbr=on}} southeast of [[Lanzhou]]. This temple, along with other sites along the [[Silk Road]], was inscribed in 2014 on the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage List]] as the [[Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor]] World Heritage Site.<ref>{{cite web |title = Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor |url = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1442/multiple=1&unique_number=1985 |website = UNESCO World Heritage Centre |publisher = United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |access-date = 17 Apr 2021}}</ref><br />
[[Image:Bingling01.jpg|left|thumb|upright=1.2|Smaller relief images]]<br />
The caves were a work in progress for more than a millennium. The first grotto was begun around 420 CE during the [[Western Qin|Western Qin dynasty]]. Work continued and more grottoes were added during the [[Northern Wei|Wei]], [[Sui dynasty|Sui]], [[Tang dynasty|Tang]], [[Song dynasty|Song]], [[Yuan dynasty|Yuan]], [[Ming dynasty|Ming]], and [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] dynasties. The style of each grotto can easily be connected to the typical artwork from its corresponding dynasty. The Bingling Temple is both stylistically and geographically a midpoint between the monumental Buddhas of [[Buddhas of Bamiyan|Bamiyan]] in [[Afghanistan]] and the Buddhist Grottoes of central China, [[Yungang Grottoes]] near [[Datong]] and [[Longmen Grottoes]] near [[Luoyang]].<br />
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Over the centuries, earthquakes, erosion, and looters have damaged or destroyed many of the caves and the artistic treasures within. Altogether there are 183 caves, 694 stone statues, and 82 clay sculptures that remain. The relief sculpture and caves filled with buddhas and frescoes line the northern side of the canyon for about 200 meters. Each cave is like a miniature temple filled with Buddhist imagery. These caves culminate at a large natural cavern where wooden walkways precariously wind up the rock face to hidden cliff-side caves and the giant [[Maitreya Buddha]] that stands more than 27 meters, or almost 100 feet, tall.<br />
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==Tourism==<br />
The sculptures, carvings, and frescoes that remain are outstanding examples of Buddhist artwork and draw visitors from around the world. The site is extremely remote and can only be reached during summer and fall by boat via the Liujiaxia Reservoir. Boats leave from near the Liujiaxia Dam in Liujiaxia City (Yongjing County's county seat), and sometimes also from other docks on the reservoir. The rest of the year, the site is inaccessible, as there are few roads in the area. From central Lanzhou it takes 2.5 hours to reach Bingling Temple by car through very winding roads.<br />
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== See also ==<br />
* [[Buddhist art]]<br />
* [[History of Buddhism]]<br />
* [[List of colossal sculpture in situ]]<br />
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== References ==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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== External links ==<br />
{{Commons category-inline}}<br />
<br />
{{Buddhism topics}}<br />
{{Gansu topics}}<br />
{{Authority control}}<br />
{{Coord|35.810555555555|103.04833333333|region:CN-62_type:landmark|format=dms|display=title}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:Buddhist grottoes in Gansu]]<br />
[[Category:Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture]]<br />
[[Category:Western Qin]]<br />
[[Category:Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Gansu]]<br />
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in China]]</div>45.3.0.156