You're wandering through the jagged stone forests of Minlin, your stamina bar is flashing red, and suddenly you see it. That faint, ghostly blue glow radiating from a stone structure tucked inside a mountainside. It’s a Liyue Shrine of Depths. If you’ve played Genshin Impact for more than an hour, you know the drill. These things are essentially treasure vaults, but honestly, they’re also a massive test of your patience because the keys are scattered across the most random corners of the Geo archon’s domain.
Liyue is big. Like, really big. It’s not just the horizontal distance; it’s the verticality that gets you. You’ll think you’re at the right spot on the map, but the shrine is actually two hundred feet above you on a cliff or hidden in a cave system you didn't even know existed. Each one of these shrines contains a Luxurious Chest. That means 40 Primogems, some Sigils, and a handful of artifacts that are usually fodder but occasionally roll a decent crit stat.
Most people treat these as a "get to it when I get to it" kind of thing. Don't do that. You need those Primogems, especially if you're saving for a rerun or a new five-star. But before you start climbing every rock face in sight, you need to understand how the keys work, because you can't just pick the lock with a rogue's kit.
✨ Don't miss: Guilty Gear I-No Explained: The Rockstar Who Broke Time
Where the Heck Are the Keys?
You can’t just stumble into a Liyue Shrine of Depths and expect the door to open. You need keys. In Mondstadt, the keys felt almost accidental, but Liyue makes you work for them. There are ten shrines in total across the region. If you’re sitting there with zero keys, you’ve probably been skipping your homework.
One of the most reliable ways to snag a key is through the one-time Domains. You know the ones—they have a blue diamond icon and aren't for farming artifacts or talent books. Specifically, the Domain of Forsaken Ruins, the Domain of the Wayward Path, and the Hidden Palace of Guizang Formula (which is a whole puzzle on its own at Luhua Pool) give you keys upon completion. If you haven't cleared these yet, that's your first mistake. They aren't particularly hard, but they do require specific elemental setups.
Then there’s the questing. "The Chi of Yore" (formerly "The Chi of Guyun") is a notoriously annoying world quest that involves fighting three Ruin Guards and a Ruin Hunter simultaneously while defending a pillar. It's a nightmare for low-level players. But, it gives you a key. Another one comes from the "Tree who Stands Alone" quest in Mingyun Village. Basically, if a quest feels long and involves a lot of reading about Liyue's history, there’s a solid chance a shrine key is waiting at the end of it.
Finally, don't forget the World Level ascensions. When you pass the trials to increase your World Level at Adventure Rank 35, you get keys. It’s the game’s way of rewarding you for not getting flattened by a Mitachurl.
Mapping Out the Shrines: A Literal Hike
Let's talk geography.
The shrines aren't evenly spaced. Some are clustered together, while others are so isolated you’ll wonder why the ancient people of Liyue even bothered building them there.
The Northern Reach and Bishui Plain
There’s one sitting right on the border of Mondstadt and Liyue, near the Stone Gate. Most players find this one first because they’re just following the road to Wangshu Inn. It’s perched on a hill, looking over the water. Easy.
But then you have the Wuwang Hill shrine. This place is creepy. It’s perpetually misty, full of ghosts (literally, if you’re doing Hu Tao’s quest), and the shrine is tucked away in a rocky corner that’s easy to walk right past. If you reach the Crimson Witch artifact domain, you’ve gone too far. Turn around and look at the ridges.
The Western Peaks: Minlin and Beyond
This is where the real climbing happens. There are three shrines in the Minlin area alone. One is located near the Clear Pool and Mountain Cavern domain. If you teleport there and head northeast, you’ll find it nestled against the mountain.
The most annoying one in this region is the one near Mt. Aocang. You have to glide down from the teleport waypoint, and if you misjudge the distance, you’re either burning a sweet madame to recover stamina or hitting the ground at terminal velocity. It’s on a ledge halfway down the mountain.
👉 See also: Cleaning your Xbox the right way: Why most people get it wrong
The Southern Coast: Sea of Clouds and Guyun Stone Forest
Down south, things get a bit more spread out. There’s a shrine near the Guyun Stone Forest, which is basically a giant graveyard for ancient gods. To get there, you have to navigate past the "Ruin Guard Island"—you know the one, where four of them wake up at once and turn the ground into a missile-fire zone. The shrine is on one of the smaller, outlying islands. Just bring a shield character like Zhongli or Noelle unless you enjoy being juggled by rockets.
There’s also one near Lingju Pass. This area is a maze of ruins and water. The shrine is high up on a cliff overlooking the valley. If you’re doing the "And This Treasure Goes To..." quest, you’ll likely see it while you’re scouting the area for the scholar.
Why the Rewards Actually Matter in 2026
You might think, "Oh, it's just 40 Primos." But multiply that by ten. That’s 400 Primogems. In the grand scheme of a 180-pull pity, it’s a drop in the bucket, but it’s a free drop. Plus, the Luxurious Chests inside every Liyue Shrine of Depths are one of the few ways to get a decent chunk of Adventure Rank XP in the mid-game.
When you’re stuck at AR 35 or 40 and the story quests have dried up, these shrines are a godsend. They also drop 10 Geo Sigils each. You can trade those in at the souvenir shop in Liyue Harbor for weapon billets. Those billets are rare. Like, "I’ve been playing for six months and haven't seen a claymore billet" rare.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think these shrines respawn. They don't. Once you use a key and open that chest, the blue glow vanishes forever, leaving a dark, hollow stone shell. It’s a bit sad, actually. People also think you can "glitch" inside. Back in the early days of the game, there were some clipping bugs, but those have long since been patched. You need the key. Period.
Another mistake? Using your keys as soon as you get them if you’re at a very low World Level. While the Primogems stay the same, some players argue that the artifact quality scales. Honestly? Just open them. The progress you get from the XP and the early-game gear outweighs the marginal benefit of waiting until AR 55 to get a slightly better 4-star Berserker piece.
Navigating the Terrain Without a Guide
If you’re trying to find these without a second monitor open with an interactive map, look for the silhouettes. At night, the blue glow of a Liyue Shrine of Depths is much easier to spot from a high vantage point like the Qingyun Peak teleporter. Use your "Elemental Sight" too. It doesn't highlight the shrine itself from a mile away, but it helps clarify the geometry of the caves and overhangs where they like to hide.
Liyue’s layout is designed to distract you. You’ll be heading for a shrine and see a Geoculus, then a Seelie, then a bunch of Hilichurls guarding a common chest. Focus. Mark the shrines on your map with a specific icon (I use the little star) even if you don't have a key yet. There is nothing worse than finally getting a key and forgetting which mountain top held the vault.
Actionable Strategy for Completion
Stop wandering aimlessly. If you want to clear these out, do this:
- Check your Quest Log: Finish "The Chi of Yore" and "The Tree who Stands Alone" first. They are the biggest hurdles to getting the full set of keys.
- Clear the Domains: If you see a blue diamond on the map in Liyue that doesn't have a checkmark, go do it. Bring a Cryo or Hydro character, as Liyue domains love to throw Pyro mages at you.
- The "Luhua Pool" Trick: To get the key from the Hidden Palace of Guizang Formula, you need to activate the fire totems that are under the unbroken stone pillars. It's a simple puzzle, but it stumps everyone the first time.
- Mark Your Progress: Use the official HoYoLab interactive map if you have to, but manually check them off. The game doesn't track which specific ones you've opened, only that you've opened "X out of 10" in your achievements.
- Stamina Prep: Before hunting the shrines in Minlin or near Lingju Pass, cook some stamina-reduction food like Barbatos Ratatouille or Cream Stew. You're going to be climbing. A lot.
Once the last shrine is open, you’ll net the "Sanctuary Pilgrim: Liyue" achievement. It’s not just about the loot; it’s about that 100% exploration stat that every Genshin player secretly obsesses over. Get to it. The mountains aren't getting any shorter.