Stand on Fuxi Road in the Qinzhou District and you are already at the centre of things: the Fuxi Temple on one side, the Tianshui City Museum beside it, and the lanes of Tianshui Ancient Town opening off the same street. Tianshui rewards travellers who like their history layered rather than packaged, with Buddhist grottoes carved into a cliff face, Taoist temples on the hills above the city, and a breakfast culture built around one buckwheat dish.
The city suits travellers moving between Xi'an and Lanzhou who want to break the journey with something substantial, and anyone interested in early Chinese art, cave temples and Silk Road history. Most sights sit in or near the Qinzhou District, and the Maijishan area lies outside the city and needs its own half day or more.
This guide covers the sights and experiences worth your time, ordered with the strongest first, followed by a plan for a single day and answers to common questions.
Top things to do in Tianshui
1. Maijishan Grottoes
A series of Buddhist grottoes cut into a vertical cliff in Maiji Mountain Scenic Area, with sculptures and murals produced over many centuries by monks travelling the Northern Silk Road and by local Buddhists. It is one of the four major grottoes in China and the single strongest reason to come to Tianshui.
Expect to climb stairs, and note that the grottoes and Maijishan National Park share the same area, so you can combine the two. A direct tourist bus leaves from the South Train Station from 07:00 and takes around an hour.
2. Maijishan National Park
The park around the grottoes, best known for the cliff carvings but also holding a botanical garden. Give yourself time beyond the grottoes themselves if you want to walk the grounds.
Entry is priced separately for off and peak season, and the park is open 08:00-17:00. Coming from the city, the direct tourist bus from the South Train Station is the simplest approach.
3. Fuxi Temple
An ancient Taoist temple dedicated to Fuxi, the mythical deity credited with the bagua, or eight trigrams. It is not a huge complex, but it is well worth visiting, and it anchors the Fuxi Road area.
Bring your passport, as it is required. The Tianshui City Museum sits on the west side of the temple, so the two fit naturally into one stop.
4. Tianshui City Museum
A museum on Fuxi Road with an extensive collection of ancient pottery and bronzeware from the area, housed inside the Fuxi Temple complex. It is free, which makes it an easy addition to a temple visit.
It closes on Mondays and no entry is allowed after 17:30. Several bus routes serve the street, including nos. 7, 14, 18, 21, 24, 26, 83 and 96.
5. Yuquan Temple
An ancient Taoist temple overlooking Tianshui, dating from the Yuan dynasty. It is still possible to drink from the spring, for a donation.
Opening hours shift with the season: 08:00-18:00 from April to October, and 08:30-17:30 from November to March. The elevated position makes it a good counterpart to the sights down in the Qinzhou District.
6. Tianshui Ancient Town
An ancient town blending directly with modern buildings, near the Fuxi Temple, with many stores selling food and merchandise. It can be explored slowly in one to two hours.
There are multiple roads in, so look for the big Chinese gate. The complex lights up at 20:00, which gives you a reason to return after dinner.
7. Hushi Ancient Residence Construction
A residence built during the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty by Hu Laijin, a scholar who passed the imperial examination. It is divided into a South and a North Residence, and the South Residence has been converted into the Tianshui Folk Museum.
It is free and closes on Mondays, with hours of 08:30-17:30. Pair it with the Fuxi Temple area, which is close by.
8. Nanguo Temple
One of the most famous Buddhist temples in Tianshui, with a long history, and a place for meditation and prayer as much as for sightseeing. It is a good stop for experiencing the city's traditional culture.
It is open 08:30-17:00 and lies in Nanguo Subdistrict in the Qinzhou District. Allow a quiet hour rather than rushing it into a crowded schedule.
9. Immortals' Cliffs
Temples built under the shelter of enormous overhanging cliffs decorated with Buddhist carvings, in the Maijishan District. Seeing everything requires a lot of walking uphill, so if your time is short you may only manage one of the cliffs.
From the city, bus no. 37 stops near the Tianshui Railway Station. From Maijishan National Park you can take bus no. 39 or the special shuttle bus. No tickets are sold after 17:00.
10. Tianshui Industry Museum
A former electrical equipment factory turned into a museum, displaying old machinery and telling the story of the city's industrial history. It is free and makes an unusual contrast to the temples and grottoes.
It is open 09:00-18:00 and closed on Mondays, except when Monday is a public holiday. Bus nos. 9, 18, 21 and 26 stop nearby.
11. Wushan Water Curtain Cave Scenic Area
Cave temples in Luban Gorge in Wushan County, west of Tianshui, with ancient rock paintings and carvings. The star attraction is the Lashao Temple Buddha, said to be the largest cliffside Buddha carving in the world.
To get there, take a bus to Wushan County from either the Tianshui Bus Terminal or the Tianshui West Bus Station and get off at Luomen Town; from there take a cab or public bus to the scenic area, noting that the bus stops at an unmarked stop opposite Luomen Bus Station. Hours are 08:00-17:30 in summer and autumn, 08:30-17:00 in winter and spring.
12. Confucius Temple
A temple in the city, free to enter, and a straightforward stop to fold into a walk through the Qinzhou District.
It is open 08:30-18:30. Combine it with the nearby religious sites rather than making a separate trip.
13. Taizi mosque
A mosque on Da Zhong Zhong Lu, with Halal food available nearby. It is a practical stop as much as a sight, useful if you are looking for somewhere to eat in the area.
Pair it with the Houjie Mosque, which is also free to enter, if you are tracing the city's religious sites in one walk.
14. Tianshui Folk Culture Village
A site displaying traditional handicrafts, folk dances and dramas from the Gansu region, where visitors can take part in the production and performances. It suits anyone who wants the folk side of the region rather than its monuments.
It is open 09:00-18:00 and sits on Xihuang Avenue Middle Road, about 160 metres east of Hexie Jiayuan.
15. Maijishan Ski Resort
A winter resort in Maiji Mountain Scenic Area offering skiing and snowboarding, for travellers visiting in the colder months. It is a change of pace from the historical sights.
It is open 09:00-17:00. If you are already heading out to the Maijishan area, this is the seasonal alternative to the grottoes.
If you only have one day
Morning. Start at the Fuxi Temple when it opens, passport in hand, then step next door to the Tianshui City Museum on the west side of the temple. Walk the short distance into Tianshui Ancient Town and take it slowly, allowing an hour or two among the food and merchandise stalls.
Afternoon. Head up to Yuquan Temple for the views over the city and the spring, then continue to Nanguo Temple before it closes at 17:00. If time allows, fit in the Hushi Ancient Residence Construction and the Confucius Temple, both in the same part of the Qinzhou District.
Evening. Return to Tianshui Ancient Town for the 20:00 lighting, which gives the same streets a different character. Eat locally: Guagua, the sticky boiled buckwheat dish seasoned with chili oil, sesame paste, mustard, oil, salt, vinegar and garlic paste, is normally eaten as a breakfast, so if you missed it in the morning, look for Tianshui malatang hot pot instead, whose numbing spiciness comes from Maiji peppercorns and Gangu chili peppers.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Tianshui?
The city has four distinct seasons of comparatively equal length. Winters are cold but dry, with a January 24-hour average of −1.5 °C, while summers are warm and somewhat humid, with a July 24-hour average of 23.2 °C. Much of the annual rainfall falls from June to September.
Do I need my passport for the temples and museums?
A passport is needed at the Fuxi Temple. It is worth carrying it with you generally, since it is the document you would present at ticketed religious sites.
How do I reach the Maijishan area without a car?
A direct tourist bus leaves from the South Train Station from 07:00 and takes around an hour. From Maijishan National Park to Immortals' Cliffs you can take bus no. 39 or the special shuttle bus, and bus no. 37 serves Immortals' Cliffs from near the Tianshui Railway Station.
What should I eat in Tianshui?
Guagua is the signature dish, a sticky boiled buckwheat flour meal seasoned with chili oil, sesame paste, mustard, oil, salt, vinegar and garlic paste, normally eaten at breakfast. Tianshui malatang hot pot is the other dish to seek out, with its numbing spiciness coming from local Maiji peppercorns and Gangu chili peppers.
Work out which of these fit your dates, check the opening days for the museums, and start building your route through the Qinzhou District and out to Maijishan.