Tucked into a remote corner of Yunnan Province, the Stone Treasure Mountain Grottoes are one of China’s best-kept secrets. Tourists rarely venture this far, but those who do are rewarded with some of the finest ancient relics they’ve ever seen.
Located at the top of Shabaoshan, these grottoes and rock carvings have been watched over by the Bai ethnic group. They date to the Tang Dynasty, making them roughly 1,300 years old. Local tourism officials are working on a plan to preserve the carvings, though this is still underway.
These carvings are important because of their position between Tibet and Eastern China. Many depict Guanyin, an important Mahayana Buddhism deity. This is recorded proof of the spread of this brand of Buddhism from Tibet into Yunnan, a region once associated with Theravada Buddhism.
In all there are 16 grottoes in the region, and among these are nearly 140 distinct Buddhist statues. The most concentrated selection of grottoes is close to Shizhong Temple.
Getting There & Away
Shaxi is the closest town, reached in 40 minutes by minibus. From here it is an hour to Jianchuan Bus Station, an important transport hub with links to Lijiang and Dali. The airport in Xiaguan isn’t far off and it offers direct 45-minute flights to Kunming International Airport.