If you have spent any time wandering through the rolling hills and jagged peaks of Liyue, you have probably stumbled across those glowing, orange structures known as the Shrines of Depths. I remember the first time I saw one: I was desperately out of stamina, clinging to a cliffside, and wondering what kind of loot was hidden behind that shimmering barrier. These shrines are basically the ultimate treasure troves for early and mid-game players, offering a total of 400 Primogems if you hit all ten of them.
In this guide, I’m going to walk you through exactly where to find every single shrine in the land of the Geo Archon. I will also show you how to snag the keys you need to open them, because nothing is more frustrating than trekking to a remote island only to realize you forgot your key at home.
How to Get Every Liyue Shrine of Depths Key
You can’t just pick the locks on these things. You need specific Liyue Shrine of Depths Keys, and there are exactly ten of them available in the game. I found that the easiest way to get your first few is by simply clearing out the one-time domains as you level up. Here is a breakdown of where I grabbed mine:
- Domain of Forsaken Ruins: You will get one key here when you hit Adventure Rank 24 and clear the trial.
- Domain of the Wayward Path: This one unlocks at Adventure Rank 27 and gives you another key for a first-time clear.
- Hidden Palace of Guizang Formula: This is a two-for-one deal. You get one key for the Voyage to the Sanguine Sky level (AR 30) and another for Travels of the Moonlit Venturer (AR 35).
- The AR 35 Ascension Quest: When you finally clear the trial to move your World Level up at AR 35, the game hands you three keys at once.
- World Quests: You can pick up the remaining three keys by completing specific stories. I highly recommend starting with The Chi of Yore near Wuwang Hill, The Tree who Stands Alone in Mingyun Village, and Treasure Lost: Treasure Found at the Guili Assembly.
If you are struggling with some of the harder combat encounters in these quests, you might want to have the best gaming character build to make sure your team is up to the task.
Why Your Team Composition Matters for Exploration
Before we head out, let me share a bit of technical nerdiness that helped me save a ton of time. Not every character moves at the same speed. In the Genshin engine, tall male characters like Zhongli or Diluc actually cover more ground per second than shorter characters because of their longer stride.
I usually run a team with two Anemo characters for the 10 percent movement speed buff, and I always keep a tall male character for sprinting. If you are lucky enough to have Yelan or the Wanderer, you are basically cheating at this point. Yelan is the queen of horizontal speed, while the Wanderer is essential for those vertical climbs in Minlin.
Every Liyue Shrine of Depths Location
Now, let’s get into the actual hunt. I like to start from the north and work my way down, but you can tackle these in any order that fits your current exploration progress.
1. The Stone Gate Peak
This shrine is perched on the ridge between Mondstadt and Liyue. I usually teleport to the Stone Gate waypoint and climb the cliffs to the east. It is a bit of a hike, so keep an eye on your stamina bar. Standard sprinting drains 18 stamina per second, so take it slow if you haven’t maxed out your Statues of the Seven yet.
2. The Wuwang Hill Waterfall Cave
This is the one most people miss. It isn’t actually on the hill: it is hidden inside a cave at the base of the mountain. If you head west from the Hidden Palace of Zhou Formula domain, look for a big waterfall. The cave entrance is right next to it, and the shrine is tucked inside.
3. North of Mingyun Village
Teleport to the waypoint north of the village and head northeast toward the lake. This one is pretty easy to spot since it sits right out in the open near the water. While you are here, it is a great time to hunt for the Geoculus locations since a few are hidden in the nearby ruins.
4. The Guyun Stone Forest Island
I saved this one for a bit later in my playthrough because it is way out on the southernmost island of the archipelago. You can swim there if you use a stamina-reduction food, but the pro tip is to find the pinwheel mechanism on the nearby rocks. Activating it with Anemo creates a wind current that lets you glide most of the way there.
5. The Jueyun Karst Outcrop
This shrine sits on top of a very tall, skinny rock formation in the middle of Jueyun Karst. I found that gliding from the high waypoint at Mt. Aocang is much easier than trying to climb it from the ground.
6. The Bishui Plain Island
Look for the island in the lake northeast of the Clear Pool and Mountain Cavern domain. It is sitting right in the middle of the water. If you don’t want to swim, you can use a Cryo character like Kaeya to walk across the water.
7. The Subterranean Tunnel in Minlin
From that same Clear Pool domain, head south toward the large dragon statue. There is a breakable wall next to it: smash it and follow the tunnel inside. You will have to take a few turns (right, then left), but eventually, you will find the shrine hidden deep underground.
8. The Nantianmen High Cliffs
This one is a vertical challenge. Teleport to the Nantianmen waypoint and start climbing the massive cliffs directly behind it. I recommend using a character with a climbing passive like Xiao to save on stamina.
9. The Dunyu Ruins Overlook
Teleport to the waypoint south of Tianqiu Valley and climb the mountains to the east. You will find the shrine overlooking the Dunyu Ruins from a high ledge. The view from here is actually one of my favorites in the whole region.
10. The Lisha River Cave
Last but not least, head south from the Domain of the Wayward Path. When you reach the river mouth where it meets the sea, glide down and look back toward the cliff. There is a cave entrance at the water level, and the shrine is partially submerged inside.
The Lore Behind the Shrines
I have always found the history of these places fascinating. If you look closely at the architecture, you will see a lot of Norse and Scandinavian influence that doesn’t match the rest of Liyue. These are actually ruins from a Unified Civilization that existed long before the Archon War.
The most heart-wrenching bit of lore is found near the Sal Terrae area. That region belonged to Havria, the God of Salt, who was a gentle soul who refused to fight in the war. She was eventually betrayed by her own followers, and her death caused a massive explosion of salt that turned everyone around her into statues. It is a grim reminder of Teyvat’s history, and it makes looting these ancient ruins feel a bit more significant.
What Kind of Loot is Actually Inside?
When you finally pop one of these open, you aren’t just getting a few grey artifacts. Each shrine contains a Luxurious Chest with some very specific rewards:
- 40 Primogems
- 90 Adventure EXP
- 10 Geo Sigils
- 5,000 Mora
- A random assortment of 3-star weapons and artifacts
One thing I noticed is that you will often find the White Tassel polearm in these chests. Don’t fodder that weapon: it is actually incredibly strong on certain characters like Cyno because it is one of the few 3-star weapons with a Crit Rate substat. You also have a high chance of getting artifacts from the Berserker and Exile sets, which are great for managing your Energy Recharge in the early game.
Keep in mind that while the World Level affects the enemies you fight outside, the loot inside the Shrines of Depths is fixed. I suggest opening them as soon as you get a key, as those Primogems and Adventure EXP points are way more valuable when you are still trying to hit AR 45.
Updated: Apr 8, 2026 03:09 pm