Bingling means 'ten thousand caves' in Tibetan. Binglingsi, was an important Buddhist centre on the Silk Road, connecting the Tibetan Empire with Han China. The natural and manmade caves, caverns and cliff faces are located in the Xiaojishi Mountains, on the north bank of the Yellow River. The caves are illustrated with wall paintings, sculptures and inscriptions. The art dates 5th c AD to early 20th century AD (from the Western Jin Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty). Binglingsi is only accessible by boat, during summer and autumn when the water is high enough for visitors to disembark.