Ganglong Grottoes

Ganglong Grottoes

Ganglong Grottoes

The Ganglong Grottoes in the Ganglong Valley east of Keti in Menyuan County are among the few relatively well-preserved grottoes in Qinghai. Carved during the Jin Dynasty (the name “Ganglong,” meaning “snow valley” in Tibetan, comes from the valley’s winter snow that is slow to melt). The grottoes are hewn into a red sandstone cliff that stretches 100 meters from north to south and is 50 meters high, consisting of a Buddha statue and a stone stupa. The stupa features a lotus base, a hemispherical body, thirteen umbrella wheels, and a sun-and-moon finial. Its midsection has an oculus window housing numerous clay Buddha statues made of red clay. This is a typical stupa, standing 6 meters tall with a base 2 meters wide. To the left of the stupa is a carved statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, 1.2 meters high and 1.8 meters wide, and to the right is a smaller Buddha figure. On the northern side of the stupa is a tall cliff face engraved with Tibetan inscriptions, the Six-Syllable Mantra, small stupas, small Buddha statues, and Chinese characters reading “The pagoda was built in the year of Wuyin.” These cliff carvings and Buddha figures record the enduring faith and devotion of the Tibetan people in this region through the ages. Nestled against mountains and near water, the grottoes are simple and natural, rich in unique ethnic cultural significance and steeped in long history. The Ganglong Valley boasts stunning scenery, with perilous rocks scattered across the valley floor, deep and narrow gorges, overlapping mountain ridges, rugged peaks in diverse shapes, and majestic, elegant mountain slopes. Strange rock formations abound, the river water is crystal clear, and the riverbed stones take on various forms. The valley is lush and green, dotted with wildflowers in vibrant bloom, birds chirping in the quiet ravines, presenting a picturesque landscape of verdant mountains and clear waters — a beautiful natural garden.