China's first theme museum focusing on the Silk Road and Buddhist artwork opened in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region on Thursday.

The Xumishan museum covering 5,558 square meters showcases the history of the Silk Road and the development of the Buddhist Xumishan Grottoes through multimedia displays and other exhibits.

The Xumishan Grottoes, which were built between the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and the Tang Dynasty (618-907), have more than 500 Buddhist statues and were listed as a key state-level cultural site in 1982.