Two significant Silk Road cave complexes in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region opened to the public for the first time on Saturday. The Ya’er Lake Grottoes and Shengjinkou Grottoes in Turpan are now accessible after extensive restoration and digital enhancements.
The Ya’er Lake Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site, received visitors after a year-long restoration project. The caves date back to the fifth century and were originally a Buddhist monastery. Tourists experienced the site’s history through virtual reality (VR) glasses, which allowed them to view digitally restored Buddha statues. Wang Juan, a tourist from Korla, described the experience as immersive and lifelike.
The Ya’er Lake Grottoes feature 22 caves, many adorned with murals and inscriptions in multiple languages like Chinese and Old Uygur. The caves are split into two levels: an upper tier for meditation and a lower tier that likely served as living quarters. Currently, Cave 4 and Cave 7 are open to the public.
These grottoes are part of the Jiaohe Ruins, one of the best-preserved ancient clay cities in the world. Jiaohe, along with other ancient Silk Road sites, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2014. Wang Jiandong, the head of the ruins’ administrative office, explained that digital tools were used to enhance the restoration efforts, giving visitors a blend of virtual and physical experiences.
About 40 km away, the Shengjinkou Grottoes also opened on Saturday. This site has 13 caves dating back to the seventh century, where significant discoveries like murals, pottery, and paintings on silk were made. The site is now offering 300 visitor slots per day.
In total, the Turpan Basin is home to 14 known grotto sites, with over 400 caves. As a key stop on the ancient Silk Road, Turpan’s caves reflect the region’s role as a Buddhist hub that connected Central Asia with China.
With these two Silk Road cave complexes now open to the public, Turpan boasts the most accessible cave sites in Xinjiang.
