They were discovered in 1937 and 1938 by a team of architectural historians including the prominent early 20th-century historian Liang Sicheng.
Bangunan-bangunan tersebut ditemukan pada 1937 dan 1938 oleh sekelompok sejarawan arsitektur termasuk sejarawan awal abad ke-20 berpengaruh Liang Sicheng.