Mount Xumi, lying 55 kilometers northwest of Guyuan County, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, is a gateway to the ancient Silk Road. The grottoes atop the ridges of Mount Xumi are one of the top 10 grotto sites in China. These grottoes are filled with carvings of Buddha that date back to the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), from hand-sized carvings up to the 20-plus-meter tall sculpture of Sakyamuni. The site gained State protection in 1982 and has been put on the Monuments Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites. [Photo: CNR]