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View of Lanzhou & Yellow RiverBingling Si
The Bingling Si Grottoes can be visited in summer. I am told that access is only by water, and that the water in the Yellow River is too low most of the year. I visited the second week of August. Skies were clear and the air was mild. No humidity.
This is an extraordinary trip. I was expecting this to be a highlight of my trip to China, but I was not really prepared for the incredible beauty of the site.
There is a tourist ferry that takes you to the grottoes for about 95 rmb per person. I am told the trip takes approx. 2 hours each way and that you get about 90 minutes at the site. I knew beforehand that I probably wanted more time at the site, and that there would be the option of taking a private speedboat. Someone will approach you at the parking lot before you reach the ticket office for the regular boat. We were given and accepted the price of 600 rmb. A driver takes you 30 minutes by car to the powerboat launch area, and the speedboat ride is 30 minutes. The firs time you round the bend in the car and see the Yellow River, it is a magnificent sight. We spent 2.5 hours at the site. If you like rollercoasters, you will love the speedboat ride. It is wild. When you hit a wave, you will be sent into the air, I assure you. Think of it as a 30 minute rollercoaster ride. Still, I was able to take great photos on the trip.
There are grottoes to visit with the regular admission price of 50rmb per person, but these are fairly unimpressive. Once you are at the site, you will have the option of visiting two additional grottoes which are accessed from the giant staircase. This will cost an additional 300rmb per person, so this winds up being an expensive trip. I felt it was well worth the experience. The staircase is next to the giant buddha. You will also be approached at some point by somebody who will offer to take you by jeep to a further monastery. We did not do this. There is also a small, very nice museum at the grottoes with some beautiful relics and several places that serve food, bottles of cold water and tea at the dock where the boat lands. You could really make a longer day of it, if you wanted. Just make sure that the boat driver knows how long you intend to stay.
