- 龙门石窟 lóngménshíkū Longmen GrottoesThe Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site consisting of thousands of Buddhist statues carved into the limestone cliffs near [[洛阳|洛陽|luo4 yang2]] in Henan Province. Also known as the [[伊阙石窟|伊闕石窟|yi1 que4 shi2 ku1]].
- 云冈石窟 yúngāngshíkū Yungang GrottoesAncient Buddhist temple caves located near the city of [[大同|大同|da4 tong2]] in Shanxi Province, dating primarily from the Northern Wei Dynasty; they are a major UNESCO World Heritage site known for their elaborate rock-cut architecture and thousands of statues.
- 敦煌石窟 dūnhuángshíkū Dunhuang CavesThe Buddhist caves in Dunhuang, Gansu province; it is the world's largest site of Buddhist art and is also known as the [[莫高窟|莫高窟|mo4 gao1 ku1]] or [[千佛洞|千佛洞|qian1 fo2 dong4]].
- 四大石窟 sìdàshíkū the Four Great GrottoesThe four most famous Buddhist cave sites in China, namely the [[龙门石窟|龍門石窟|long2 men2 shi2 ku1]] at Luoyang, the [[云冈石窟|雲岡石窟|yun2 gang1 shi2 ku1]] at Datong, the [[莫高窟|莫高窟|mo4 gao1 ku1]] at Dunhuang, and the [[麦积山石窟|麥積山石窟|mai4 ji1 shan1 shi2 ku1]] at Tianshui.
- 克孜尔石窟 kèzī'ěrshíkū Kizil CavesKizil Caves, a complex of Buddhist rock-cut caves dating from the 3rd to 9th centuries, located in Baicheng County, Xinjiang
- 炳灵寺石窟 bǐnglíngsìshíkū Bingling Temple GrottoesA series of Buddhist caverns located in Yongjing, Gansu Province, containing hundreds of stone statues, clay sculptures, and murals dating from the Western Qin to the Ming Dynasty. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014, the name refers to the Tibetan phrase for "Hundred Thousand Buddhas".
- 大足石窟 dàzúshíkū Dazu Rock CarvingsA series of religious sculptures and carvings dating back as far as the 7th century, located in Chongqing (formerly part of Sichuan province); they are notable for including Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist imagery.
- 响堂山石窟 xiǎngtángshānshíkū Xiangtangshan GrottoesXiangtangshan Grottoes, a group of Buddhist cave temples located in Handan, Hebei Province; built primarily during the Northern Qi Dynasty, they are a significant site for the study of 6th-century Buddhist art.
- 巩县石窟 gǒngxiànshíkū Gongxian GrottoesA group of Buddhist grottoes located on the north bank of the Luo River in Henan province, dating back to the Northern Wei dynasty; also known as [[净土寺|淨土寺|jing4 tu3 si4]].
- 天龙山石窟 tiānlóngshānshíkū Tianlongshan GrottoesA collection of Buddhist cave temples located near Taiyuan in Shanxi province, containing statues dating from the Eastern Wei to the Tang Dynasty.
- 石窟寺 shíkūsì cave templeA type of Buddhist temple architecture carved directly into mountainsides or cliffs. This style flourished in China from the 4th century to the Tang Dynasty, often featuring elaborate Buddhist sculptures or wall paintings. Notable examples include the Dunhuang, Yungang, and Longmen caves.
- 莫高石窟 mògāoshíkū Mogao CavesThe Mogao Caves, a system of Buddhist cave temples and wall paintings near Dunhuang in Gansu Province
- 赫色尔石窟 hèsè'ěrshíkū Kizil Cavesgroup of Buddhist rock-cut caves located in Baicheng County, Xinjiang, also known as the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves
- 麦积山石窟 màijīshānshíkū Maijishan GrottoesThe Maijishan Grottoes, a major Buddhist cave complex in Tianshui, Gansu Province; famous for its North Dynasty clay sculptures and cliffside statues.
- 伊阙石窟 yīquèshíkū Longmen Grottoesalternative name for the Longmen Grottoes, a complex of Buddhist cave temples in limestone cliffs near Luoyang, Henan Province