01City Guide
Maijishan Grottoes
麦积山石窟
Adults Focused
Admission
Type A: CNY 80, includes the grottoes; Type B: CNY 25, excludes the grottoes.
Typical Visit
2.5-3 hours
Quick Facts
Ticket
Collect an admission ticket with valid ID at the ticket office; ask there about any charge and separately priced services.
Hours
Summer: Tue-Sun 09:30-17:00; last entry 16:30. Winter: Tue-Sun 10:00-16:00; last entry 15:30. Closed Mondays except public holidays.
Transport
No direct metro; Dadiwan Museum main entrance, Wuying Town (五营镇), Qin'an County
Duration
Half day
Best Time
Spring to autumn; plan around seasonal opening hours
How to Visit
1
Treat Dadiwan as a half-day county excursion to Wuying Town, Qin'an County.
Travel from Tianshui or Qin'an directly to the Dadiwan Museum main entrance; self-driving or a hired car makes the return journey easier to manage.
Tip:This is not a walk-in museum stop in central Tianshui. Do not leave county-level transport arrangements until after closing time.
2
Arrive within the seasonal opening hours and begin with the indoor galleries.
In summer, the museum opens Tuesday to Sunday from 09:30 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30. In winter, it opens from 10:00 to 16:00, with last entry at 15:30. It is closed on Mondays except public holidays.
Tip:Arriving after last entry cannot be solved by shortening the gallery visit; the outdoor site section will also become rushed.
3
Complete entry formalities at the ticket office first.
Individual visitors collect an admission ticket with a passport or other valid ID; groups need to reserve in advance. Store large luggage as required by the museum.
Tip:Do not assume you can enter without identification or go straight inside; incomplete documents can prevent entry that day.
4
Follow the order: museum, early village remains, then the large building remains.
Start with the galleries for archaeological context, continue to the reconstructed village area around F301, then visit the F901 large-building remains if they are open; plan the whole visit as a half-day outing.
Tip:Visiting the outdoor remains first may leave too little time for the galleries and makes the archaeological sequence harder to understand.
5
Prepare for the outdoor section with grippy shoes, water, and return-time buffer.
Reaching the higher remains involves sloping paths; stay within marked open areas and behind protective barriers.
Tip:Do not wear smooth-soled shoes on the slope, touch the remains, or cross protective boundaries.
Highlights
- Indoor displays and the archaeological site can be visited together, letting you see the evidence before the landscape.
- Multiple Neolithic phases are represented through dwellings, painted pottery, and burials.
- The reconstructed village area around F301 helps explain the form of semi-subterranean dwellings.
- The F901 large-building remains show the archaeological importance of early communal architecture and floor technology.
- Painted pottery, incised symbols, and early painting-related finds provide useful lines of inquiry in the galleries.
Insider Tips
✦Ticketing: Ask at the ticket office about that day's admission-ticket rules, any charge, and separately priced services; do not treat free entry as a fixed planning assumption.
✦Groups should reserve before arrival; independent visitors should carry a passport or other valid ID.
✦If you are not driving, settle the return vehicle, pick-up point, and waiting time before entering the museum.
✦Work backward from the 16:30 summer or 15:30 winter last-entry cut-off and allow time for entry formalities.
✦Gallery and site rules differ; follow entrance and on-site signs for luggage, photography, and heritage-protection restrictions.
More Tianshui Attractions
02City Guide
Tianshui Maijishan Scenic Area
天水麦积山风景名胜区
Adults Focused
Admission
Type A: CNY 80, includes the grottoes; Type B: CNY 25, excludes the grottoes.
Typical Visit
1-2 days
03Historic Walk
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伏羲庙
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CNY 20 for adults
Typical Visit
60-90 minutes
04Historic Walk
Tianshui Ancient City
天水古城
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Typical Visit
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05Historic Walk
Yuquanguan Scenic Area
玉泉观景区
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CNY 20 for adults
Typical Visit
1.5-2 hours
06Historic Walk
Tianshui Museum
天水市博物馆
All Ages
Admission
Free with a timed reservation
Typical Visit
1.5-2 hours