Plan at a glance
Location, tickets and seasonal hours
Lingquan Temple Grottoes is in Nanping Village, Shanying Town, Anyang County, Anyang. The entrance has a “Lingquan Grottoes Scenic Area” sign, and the navigation destination is “Lingquan Temple Grottoes.” Admission is CNY 40, and reservations are usually not required. In the peak season, roughly May to September, opening hours are about 09:00–17:30; in the low season, roughly October to April, they are about 09:00–17:00.
The drive from central Anyang takes about 40–60 minutes, making a private car or chartered vehicle the practical choice. Public transport requires complex transfers and should not be planned like a normal city attraction. Allow 1.5–2 hours for a short visit or 2–3 hours for the complete route.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
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The Great Abode Grotto and Sui guardian figures
Two Sui-period guardian-warrior reliefs, each about 2 metres high, stand on either side of the entrance to the Great Abode Grotto. They are the easiest focal point in the grotto area to identify. Visitors interested in stone carving, Buddhist sites and early sculpture can study the armour, posture and carved details.
The grottoes and cliff carvings are spread across the mountain slopes, with different levels of damage, repair and preservation. Follow the open trail, do not touch the carvings and do not enter protected areas.
The cliff-carved pagoda forest and double stone pagodas
The cliffs of Baoshan contain 156 carved stone pagodas dating from the Eastern Wei to the Song period. The cliff-carved pagoda forest requires continuous walking and close observation. Inside the temple compound are Tang-period and Northern Qi double stone pagodas, which can be visited after the cliff area.
The site covers several dynastic periods and suits visitors willing to spend time with grottoes, niches and stone-pagoda details. It is remote and involves mountain walking, so use the complete-route estimate if you want to see the wider pagoda forest.
Build your day
1.5–2 hours: the Great Abode Grotto, pagoda forest and double pagodas
Enter the scenic area and go first to the Great Abode Grotto to see the guardian-warrior reliefs on both sides of the entrance. Continue to the cliff-carved pagoda forest, then visit the Tang and Northern Qi double stone pagodas inside the temple compound before returning along the open route.
This route covers the most concentrated and recognisable sights at Lingquan Temple Grottoes. The mountain roads and carved areas require walking, so wear shoes with good grip, carry water and use the day's vehicle arrangements for the return.
2–3 hours: a closer look at grottoes and niches from different periods
After the Great Abode Grotto, pagoda forest and double pagodas, continue to the grottoes and niches from different periods on the mountain slopes. A complete visit suits visitors interested in Buddhist art, grotto archaeology and historic architecture.
Lingquan Temple Grottoes and Ma Family Manor can form a one-day route focused on historic architecture and stone carving. They are far apart, so arrange parking and the return route separately; public transport is not a direct connection between them.
Get there
Driving and chartered vehicles
Driving from central Anyang takes about 40–60 minutes. Set the destination to “Lingquan Temple Grottoes,” then look for the “Lingquan Grottoes Scenic Area” sign after reaching Nanping Village in Shanying Town. A private car or chartered vehicle is the practical choice; when chartering, agree on the return time and pick-up point.
Public transport requires several transfers and takes much longer, so it is not comparable in convenience to driving. Return vehicles may not be available at any time near the scenic area; confirm the return arrangement when you arrive.
Know before you go
On-site tickets, walking and weather
Admission is CNY 40 and reservations are usually not required; arrange the ticket at the visitor centre according to the day's sales procedure. Peak-season hours are about 09:00–17:30 and low-season hours about 09:00–17:00. Mountain and grotto paths are affected by rain, wet surfaces and visibility, so reduce cliff walking in poor weather.
Follow the open route through protected stone-carving areas, and do not touch or climb the grottoes and niches. The Great Abode Grotto, cliff-carved pagoda forest and double stone pagodas are separated by walking sections, so bring water and wear shoes suited to mountain paths.
Return travel and food
The site is remote and public transport is limited. Drivers and chartered-vehicle visitors should confirm the vehicle before leaving. Food options nearby are limited, so carry water and simple food; arrange a full meal back in Anyang or combine the trip with the Ma Family Manor direction.
Lingquan Temple Grottoes and Ma Family Manor are not suitable for relying on a last-minute taxi as the only return plan. Confirm the entrance, parking and return arrangements for each stop separately.