Xining Beishan Temple

Xining Beishan Temple

Xining Beishan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located among the steep cliffs of Tulaoshan Mountain north of the Huangshui River in Xining, it has historically been known as Tulaoshan Temple, Yongxing Temple, and Beichan Temple, and is now also called Tulaoguan. First built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, it has a history of over 1,500 years. The *Commentary on the Water Classic* states: “There is an earthen tower atop the mountain, backed by the hills and plains to the north. The peak rises 300 feet high, as if cut into the shape of a tower. Below it lies a shrine, with carved walls and ancient remnants still preserved.”

Beishan Temple is largely built with caves, and Northern Wei Dynasty murals are preserved in the cliffside grottoes. Two ten-meter-tall Vajra Buddha statues were carved from the mountain rock, but due to erosion by rainwater, only one remains faintly visible today. The current Beishan Temple was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty. At the mountaintop stands the Ningshou Pagoda, while the cliffs feature the “Nine Caves and Eighteen Halls,” connected by winding plank walkways and corridors—making it a rare example of temple architecture in Qinghai. Tulaoshan Mountain is rugged and majestic, and Beishan Temple is nestled within the perilous cliffs, exuding exquisite ingenuity.