Maijishan Grottoes

Maijishan Grottoes is one of the four major grottoes in China, but the least famous one. I didn't have high hopes before I went there, because I had been to Dunhuang and Longmen before. But I didn't expect it to be so good. Maijishan Grottoes is located at the northern foot of the western section of the Qinling Mountains, 45 kilometers southeast of Tianshui City. It was founded in the Sixteen Kingdoms Later Qin (384-417 AD). The famous Zen monks Xuan Gao and Tan Hong gathered 300 monks to practice Zen. During the Northern Wei, Western Wei, and Northern Zhou dynasties, cliff pavilions were built and thousands of statues were made. The Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties were constantly excavated or rebuilt. The caves were excavated on the cliffs, "as dense as a beehive", and the plank roads "penetrate the clouds". There are 221 existing caves and niches, and more than 7,000 clay sculptures and stone carvings. The murals are more than 1,000 square meters, and there are eight cliff pavilions in the Northern Dynasties. It is known as the "Oriental Sculpture Exhibition Hall".

Among the four major grottoes in China, Maiji Mountain is famous for its exquisite Northern Dynasty clay sculptures and early Western Wei Dynasty murals. Its natural scenery is also second to none among the major grottoes. We started to see it at around 10 o'clock in the morning, walked from the east cliff to the west cliff, and then from the west cliff back to the east cliff, and then went to the west cliff to exit the scenic area. We ate dry food on the cave and did not leave until 3:30 in the afternoon. After personal experience, Maiji Mountain is indeed a magnificent and immortal work among the Chinese grotto temples.

For details about the special caves, please refer to my article.

The caves are as dense as beehives, and the plank roads are stacked one after another. They are so steep and dangerous that they are rarely seen in the world, forming a magnificent three-dimensional building complex. The imitation wooden palace-style stone cliff pavilion is unique and magnificent.

Whether in China or the West, the magnificent buildings that have survived to this day are basically related to religion and belief. This shows how much power the power of faith gave to the ancients, allowing them to transcend life and death to believe and pursue.

Maijishan Grottoes are built on a mountain. The mountain is not high, 142 meters. It is named because it looks like a haystack. Most of the Buddha statues are carved on the mountain. It was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty more than 300 years ago. Later, it was repaired by many dynasties. When I first saw it, I was curious about how the Buddha statues and murals were well preserved after years of erosion. After reading a lot of instructions and careful observation, I found that most of the Buddha statues have been overhauled in recent years. A lot of steel bars are buried in the base of the Buddha statues, and the surface is covered with concrete. So it can be said that they are almost new, and they are just repaired as old as possible. Follow the wooden plank road built on the mountain to visit. It takes about an hour to go around. The big Buddha statue can be approached for observation, and most of the small Buddha statues are locked up and cannot be seen. To be honest, I don’t know much about Buddhism. I just come here to see it. I feel that this Maijishan Grottoes is a bit unworthy of its name as a 5A scenic spot. The scale is too small, and the traces of artificial construction are too heavy. Many Buddha statues have been decorated later and are not original. In addition, after climbing the mountain and getting closer, you can only see a part of the Buddha statue and it is difficult to get a full view of it. It is better to watch it from a distance at the foot of the mountain.

There are two types of tickets for Maijishan Grottoes, 90 yuan for the entrance to the grottoes and 25 yuan for the entrance without the grottoes. If you take the scenic area shuttle bus, it costs 15 yuan for a round trip. You will see many stalls on the road. Because it is the off-season now, there are few people selling things. Most of them sell local handicrafts, which are quite interesting small items. There are also old people selling incense under the West Cliff Buddha, and the price is not expensive. If you go to Maijishan Grottoes in winter, you can buy some souvenirs. After all, it is a win-win situation.

The Maijishan Grottoes are not as well-known as the Longmen Grottoes and the Yungang Grottoes, and they are even less well-known than the Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes in the same area. The colored sculptures of the Maijishan Grottoes are unique. If the Mogao Grottoes are a treasure house of murals, then the Maijishan Grottoes are a treasure house of colored sculptures. In addition, the Maijishan Grottoes are less crowded, and you can take photos and play, which is very cost-effective!

There are still many murals in the Maijishan Grottoes, whose colors are bold and bright, and are in no way inferior to those of the Mogao Grottoes.

It feels far less impressive than the Mogao Grottoes. The first Mogao Grottoes is not exaggerated. The scenic area is not big, it is mainly a mountain, and the grottoes are all on this mountain. Go up the mountain to see the grottoes, and go down the mountain to take a circular route. After getting off the sightseeing bus, you still have to walk 2 kilometers. There are small shops and restaurants along the way. It is completely for commercial considerations. Bad review. You can have a meal here after climbing the mountain, of course the price is a bit more expensive.

Perhaps I should say that I am lucky, because I encountered Maiji Mountain after rain for the first time in my life. After a heavy rain, Maiji Mountain stood in the misty fog, surrounded by lush green woods and water vapor. From a distance, the stone Bodhisattvas and Buddha statues on the mountain seemed to be in the clouds. No wonder it has been called one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Qinzhou since ancient times - Maiji Misty Rain is indeed worthy of its reputation.

There were not many tourists in the afternoon. Although the tour guides were cheap, all the guides could only talk from the gate to the foot of the mountain. We took the A line up the mountain without waiting in line. I have been to all four major grottoes. The experience of Mogao Grottoes was the worst. There was no sense of service at all. Yungang Grottoes were excavated earlier than Longmen Grottoes and were larger overall. Maijishan Grottoes was the smallest but the cliffs were relatively high and the plank road was narrow, a bit like the Hanging Temple. When going down the mountain, the plank road was narrow and many people were not in good condition, which caused some congestion, but it was still tolerable.

As one of the "Four Great Grottoes" with the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, it is a very interesting tour that requires courage to climb up the cliffs. The overly dense fence seriously affects the visiting experience. I probably didn't go to the special cave. Although it is known as the "Oriental Sculpture Museum", I think the Northern Wei statues are a bit out of my taste; the two groups of Buddhas on the east and west cliffs, I don't know if it's because the working surface is too narrow and the distance is too close to examine? Ugly, the west cliff even has the flavor of Mr. Yi Zhongtian, Sao Ao Rui. I like the Seven Buddha Pavilion on Cave 4 the most, also known as the "Sanhua Tower", which has the best view and many attractions, such as the mighty Hengha two generals, the "thin meat sculpture" flying fairy, and the "nothing and so on" plaque. It is said that on a sunny day, small pieces of paper will rise instead of falling.

The Maijishan Grottoes were first built during the Sixteen Kingdoms and Later Qin Dynasty. They have been excavated and repaired for more than 1,600 years during more than ten dynasties, including the Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. There are 221 caves and niches, 3,938 statues of various types with 10,632 figures, and 979.54 square meters of murals. The statues preserved in the Maijishan Grottoes are mainly clay sculptures, and a large number of physical materials in religion, art, architecture, etc. are preserved, reflecting the characteristics of statues in various eras over the past thousand years, reflecting the development and evolution of Chinese clay sculpture art, and enriching the history of ancient Chinese culture.

The grottoes are not very ornamental, not because the grottoes are bad, but for the purpose of protecting them, some grottoes are open to the public, and most of them are protected by iron nets with meshes as big as soybeans. You can only view or take pictures with your mobile phone in portrait mode. Special caves are charged, with a minimum of 240 yuan per cave and several thousand yuan for the whole cave, and you are not allowed to take pictures.

If you don't go, you will regret it. The experience is average. People with fear of heights and weak legs should not go. You must take the bus to the ticket office and never get off at the tourist center. The tourist center is about 15 kilometers away from the grottoes. The bus from the tourist center is 30 yuan per person.

The early statues were simple and straightforward, but as the technology became more mature in the later period, they became more vivid and beautiful, with both form and spirit. Needless to say, they are definitely one of the treasures in the history of human art.

⒈ It is about 29.5 km by car from Tianshui Station to Maijishan Grottoes, which takes about 50 minutes; take bus No. 34 to the scenic area, which is about 31.4 km, and takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes. The fare is 5 yuan.

⒉ Drive about 31.5 km from Tianshui South Station to Maijishan Grottoes, which takes about 55 minutes; take bus No. 60 or No. 39 Maijishan Scenic Area Loop Line to the scenic area, which is about 33.1 km and takes about 2 hours. The fare is 5 yuan (No. 60) and 7 yuan (No. 39 Maijishan Scenic Area Loop Line).

⒊ It is about 29.9 km from Tianshui Maijishan Airport to Maijishan Grottoes by car, which takes about 50 minutes; take bus No. 5, 60 or 39 Maijishan Scenic Area Loop Line to the scenic area, which is about 31.3 km and takes about 2 hours. The fare is 10 yuan (No. 5), 5 yuan (No. 60) and 7 yuan (No. 39 Maijishan Scenic Area Loop Line).

⒋ It is about 47.5 km from Fuxi Temple to Maijishan Grottoes by car, which takes about 1 hour and 6 minutes; take bus No. 5 to the scenic area, which is about 48.7 km, which takes about 2 hours and 50 minutes, and the fare is 10 yuan.

Maijishan Grottoes is a solitary peak, 142 meters high, named after its shape that resembles a farmer's haystack. Founded in the Sixteen Kingdoms and Later Qin period (386-417 AD), it has been excavated, built, rebuilt, repainted or remodeled in more than ten dynasties, including the Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. There are 221 caves and niches of various sizes, 3,938 statues of various types with 10,632 figures, and 979.54 square meters of murals. It is known as the "Oriental Sculpture Exhibition Hall" for its large number of exquisite ancient clay sculptures. Maijishan Grottoes are affected by natural factors such as dampness and rain, so few murals are preserved, but they are of great value. The murals and the cave niches that imitate architectural entities, such as cliff pavilions and tent-shaped niches carved on the cliff walls, provide vivid material for studying the architecture of the Northern Dynasties.

It is worth a special visit. I won't say much about the experience. Let's mainly talk about transportation.

Maijishan Grottoes is 30 kilometers away from the railway station

Tianshui Railway Station: Bus No. 34, fare is 5 yuan, the journey takes about 1 hour, and there is a bus every half an hour.

Tianshui South Station: Bus No. 60 is no longer available, but there are many other buses that go to Tianshui Railway Station.

Taxi: It took 30 minutes to get a Didi at Tianshui South Station, which cost more than 50 yuan after the platform discount. But the driver refused to go, so we finally negotiated it down to 70 yuan. There might be a lot of cars on the way back, so we calculated it according to the platform price. It cost about 150 yuan for a round trip.

Maiji Mountain stands alone against the backdrop of the surrounding mountains. Most of the caves are carved on steep cliffs 20-80 meters high and about 200 meters wide. The caves are connected by suspended plank roads, the highest of which has as many as 12 floors, hence the saying of "Twelve Niches" among the people.

The Maijishan Grottoes are a large-scale grotto temple on the Silk Road and one of the representative grottoes of the Northern Dynasties in China. The Maijishan Grottoes were influenced by the culture of the Western Regions, the Central Plains and the South, and formed a unique style of sculpture and mural art.

As one of the four major grottoes in China, it is indeed worthy of its reputation and is very shocking. Going up the suspended steps to view the grottoes is a new experience, and I am proud of the wisdom of the ancients and the thousand-year civilization of our country.

Maijishan Grottoes, a world cultural heritage, a 5A scenic spot, and one of the four major grottoes in China.



Maiji Mountain is a solitary peak in Xiaolong Mountain, 142 meters high. It is named because its shape resembles a haystack.



The Maijishan Grottoes were built between 384 and 417, and now contain 221 caves, 10,632 clay and stone sculptures, and more than 1,300 square meters of murals.



Maijishan Grottoes is famous for its exquisite clay sculptures and is known as the Oriental Sculpture Art Exhibition Hall.

The grottoes are great, but I feel that the cultural relics are not well protected, the scenic area is poorly managed, the people are of low quality and the service is not up to par, and they just want to rip you off. I won't mention the common trick of collecting sightseeing fees after the parking fee, but the entrance to the grottoes is obviously as large as the picture, and the sightseeing bus is also easy to reach, but they only take you halfway, and then give some locals who lie to you that they can take you to the entrance of the grottoes, but they only take you for five minutes for 50 yuan, and you can't get there at all (we hired him because the old man couldn't walk). To be honest, I have visited many Gansu attractions in the past two years, and I was disgusted by the poor management and poor quality. It's a pity for these attractions. They are discredited, and Gansu is also discredited.

Maiji Mountain has preserved many cave statues. There is only one road to visit Maiji Mountain. You can visit statues from different eras along the trail.

Because the disrupted era was not transitional, the statues you see are all kinds of strange and different, the literati in the Wei and Jin dynasties had flowing clothes, the plump women in the Tang Dynasty

After entering the scenic area, ignore the wild tour guides, they can only talk outside and cannot enter the caves. Maijishan Grottoes is known as the "Sculpture Museum". The caves are mainly colorful clay sculptures. The entrances are equipped with wooden doors. You can only look inside through the iron screens with very small holes, which is a bit difficult. One feature of the scenic area is that the suspended plank road is extremely high, which is not suitable for people who are afraid of heights or have difficulty walking.

Maiji Mountain is named after its shape which resembles a stack of wheat. The Maiji Mountain Grottoes were built between 384 and 534. There are 221 caves, 10,632 clay sculptures and stone sculptures, and more than 1,300 square meters of murals. It is known as the Oriental Sculpture Art Exhibition Hall. The aerial plank road in Maiji Mountain is still very thrilling.

One of the four famous stone caves in China, it is the link between the Central Plains and the Mogao Grottoes Buddhist cave statues. It is world-famous for its exquisite clay sculpture art and is known as the Oriental Sculpture Art Exhibition Hall. It is worth a visit.

There is a bus from Tianshui West Station that goes directly to the grottoes, No. 60, with a fare of 7 yuan, about one bus per hour, and the journey takes about 1 hour. There are more buses at Tianshui Station, but we went to the West Station, so we took No. 60. It was almost 10 o'clock when we arrived. We found that there was no seat when we got on the bus, and then the driver said that this was the last bus in the morning, so we had to bite the bullet and get on the bus. We could only get a bus pass from WeChat to scan the code electronically, and Alipay was not supported. The station didn't come until 10:30, and there were so many people standing on the bus, and they stopped on the way to pick up passengers. There was a section of the road on the road that was under construction, and it was super bumpy. After arriving, the ticket was 90, and the ID card was scanned to enter. It is recommended that you buy tickets on websites such as Ctrip early, and scan the ID card directly to enter, otherwise you will have to queue up for a long time to buy tickets. The sightseeing bus is 15 round trips. It is strongly recommended to buy a sightseeing bus and put your energy on playing in the grottoes, because these 3 kilometers are still a bit far. After getting off the bus, you still have to walk for about ten minutes, uphill, to reach the foot of the grottoes. At the foot of the grottoes, you have to scan your ID card again to enter. After entering, it depends on how many people there are. If you want to start climbing the grottoes during the peak season, you have to queue for a long time at the foot of the mountain. I personally think that there is nothing to see in the rows at the bottom, because basically, as everyone said, they are all covered by barbed wire. You can't see anything when you look inside. Only the top two rows have something to see. As for what everyone said about being dangerous and steep, I personally think it's okay. Compared with the Hanging Temple in Shanxi, it is much worse, because there is cement poured over. Be careful and it's still okay to climb. If you look quickly, 1.5 hours is enough, and if you look slowly, 2-3 hours is enough. Overall, it's still worth climbing.

The one-way trip from the train station to the 34 bus is nearly 1.5 hours and 5 yuan. A large section of the road is under construction along the way, and there are many people on the bus, so the experience is quite tiring. Maiji Mountain is also a high-altitude climb, and it is very tiring to return to the accommodation after playing (if you stand both ways). The grottoes are OK, far inferior to the Yungang Grottoes and even inferior to the Longmen Grottoes. That's it.

We went there on National Day, and there were so many people... In order to divert the flow of people, the Maijishan Grottoes were divided into two tour routes. We chose to climb up, and the experience in the National Day area was too bad, with so many people blocking the way!!!

Climb up the cliff with your feet firmly on the ground. The grottoes carved out of the cliffs are a world heritage site that has been preserved since the Northern Zhou and Northern Wei dynasties through the Tang, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties. Experience it yourself, the greatness visible to the naked eye! #麦积山＝Magician🤪

It's definitely worth a visit, and the scenery is best in summer.

As one of the four major grottoes in China, although it is the smallest, it is still worth a visit.

The maximum number of passengers we can receive in a day is 10,000. If the trains are too crowded, people will be driven crazy.

One of the four major grottoes, there are not many tourists, it is worth savoring carefully. Please note that the mountain is a bit high, so the elderly and weak should be careful.

Every day after get off work, I just want to go back to my warm and carefree home. During the long vacation, I was looking for "home". This time, I settled in Jiajiahe Village, Maiji Town, Tianshui, Gansu. There is a sweet little girl hidden in the house, and my heart is temporarily settled in the Li family courtyard. After a rest, Brother Li took me to the Han and Tang Art Garden at the head of the village, where statues copied from the Maijishan Grottoes were displayed. I can appreciate various statue arts up close, which is helpful for truly understanding the grottoes. Coming out of the art gate, the sky darkened, small snowflakes floated lazily, children cheered and set off firecrackers, and the air was filled with the flavor of the New Year. I drove to Caotan Village early in the morning. It was so cold that even cats and dogs were too lazy to go out. I saw shadows moving on the snow one after another. We went to Douji Mountain. There is a temple called Douji Temple on the high hillside.

The shape of Maiji Mountain in Tianshui is like a stack of wheat, hence the name Maiji Mountain. Maiji Mountain is only 142 meters high. Its stone is sandstone, which is relatively loose and not easy to carve into shape. Therefore, most of the sculptures in Maiji Mountain Grottoes are clay sculptures. The earliest excavation of the grottoes here began in 384 AD, and it has gone through the Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Although Maiji Mountain Grottoes are different from the Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes, which were built by the royal family, they also reflect the styles of various periods. Due to the long age, the destruction of wars and natural disasters, some caves and sculptures have been destroyed. For example, the most magnificent Cave No. 4 has collapsed due to an earthquake, and its ceiling has collapsed. We can only feel and imagine its exquisiteness from the remaining corners of the shed. For the purpose of protection, the open caves are only a small part of them.

The tour of the grottoes takes about 2 to 3 hours. There is a parking lot for electric cars at the foot of Maiji Mountain. Go to the gate of the scenic area, transfer to bus No. 34 to return to the railway station, and take bus No. 60 to Tianshui South Station.

Maijishan Grottoes, compared with Dunhuang, is obviously colder here, but the environment here is very good, peaceful and quiet. Maijishan is the same as Dunhuang, because the mountain is gravel and difficult to carve, the statues are mostly made of wood or stone and clay.

I didn't do any research before coming to Maiji Mountain, so I could only watch the fun.

Maijishan Grottoes in winter! The steps to the grottoes are steeper than expected, which is the ultimate challenge for those who are afraid of heights... The scenery on the mountain is pretty good, and you can walk slowly to the bottom of the grottoes. There are not as many open grottoes as expected, but it is still worth a visit.

The Maijishan Grottoes are similar to the Mogao Grottoes, but different from the Longmen and Yungang Grottoes. The difference lies in whether the statues are stone sculptures or clay sculptures.

It is well worth a visit. The caves are carved into the mountain, magnificent and the stone statues are lifelike.

The Maijishan Grottoes are not just grottoes, the entire scenic area is a forest park and a geological park. The vegetation environment is relaxing and refreshing when you walk into it. Coupled with its cultural history and artistic architecture, it is really shocking. It is an absolute natural and artistic treasure.

The ticket is 90 yuan, and the shuttle bus is 15 yuan. After entering the scenic area, take the shuttle bus to the mountainside. Then you will see a scenic area explanation station. If there are no more than 5 people, the explanation fee is 50/time. If there are more than 5 people, an additional 10 yuan explanation fee will be added for each additional person. It is an overview of the history of Maijishan Grottoes, the earthquakes it has experienced, the restoration situation, etc. The explanation ends at the entrance of the grotto scenic area. There is another explanation station at the ticket gate of the grotto scenic area. In addition to ordinary explanations, this explanation station can also apply to see special caves. I think the explanation of the first explanation station in front may not be invited, but an explanation must be invited here. Otherwise, it is just a dry look at the grottoes, and it will be finished in a while. Since there are 4 people in our group, the explanation fee is shared, and it is still acceptable. So we applied to see 2 caves-Cave 44 and Cave 133. Purchasing a special cave explanation ticket will come with an explanation of the ordinary cave. The price of the ordinary cave explanation is the same as the previous scenic area overview explanation, 50 yuan/time for 5 people. Cave 44 and Cave 133 cost 700 yuan in total. You are not allowed to take photos inside the caves. But you can take photos on the plank road. Non-flash photography is allowed in the exposed parts. If you visit the special caves, you will find it worth it. You can learn about the special caves through the free brochures outside the explanation station before choosing the special caves to visit.

In addition to the grottoes, the autumn scenery outside Maiji Mountain is also a sight that we can't see in southern cities. The yellow larch trees are scattered among the green woods, which looks bright in color.

The Maijishan Grottoes are located in Maiji District, ancient Tianshui County, Gansu Province. The Maijishan Buddhist Grottoes, Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Luoyang Longmen Grottoes, and Datong Yungang Grottoes are the four major grottoes in China. Most of the grottoes are works from the Northern Dynasties.

As an extension of the Hexi Corridor grotto art, it is a must-see!

Thinking of Tianshui

Tianshui, I fell in love with this place name when I was playing "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" on the red and white game console. When I drove over Mount Qishan and passed by Chencang, I still sighed for Jiang Wei and thought of Tianshui alone.

Maijishan Grottoes is a must-visit, but I didn't expect the plank road to be so steep, and most of the real bodies are covered by wire mesh. Compared with other grottoes, the clay sculptures of Maiji are top-notch. I didn't spend money to see the special caves, and I didn't have the chance to see the legendary Maiji misty rain, but standing on the plank road at the top of the mountain and looking into the distance, I can still feel the Buddhist music behind me.

Leaving the crowd and walking to a hillside in the distance, you can clearly see the whole picture of Maiji. Different from the traditional flat-paved grottoes, the Maijishan Grottoes are like a three-dimensional profile face. The green on the top of the mountain is like the top of a head with hair waxed on it, and the paths and paths formed by the plank roads and grottoes are like wrinkles on the face. From a distance, it is extremely beautiful.

At this point, my trip to China's grottoes has finally come to an end. I think most people, like me, would regard Tianshui as the last dragon ball. Be it the four, five, or even six, Yungang, Longmen, Mogao, Dazu, Yulin, Maiji, I have been there and I am proud of it.

It witnessed the gradual prosperity of Buddhism in China, and also vividly showed us how Buddhism was integrated into the secularization process of Chinese society. The Buddha statues in each cave have different expressions and are lifelike and lively. Behind each Buddha statue is a story of an era, which is like frozen history and magically displayed in front of us. There are caves built by generals of the Northern Dynasties to pray for their beloved wives; there are witnesses of ministers of the Song Dynasty who were devoted to seeking Buddha; there are county magistrates of the Ming Dynasty who climbed up the cliff and couldn't get down, so they had to let their subordinates dig a small hole to escape. Although the steep plank road made me nervous, I didn't need to go there at last. Every cave in the Maijishan Grottoes condenses the wisdom of art and a long history.

As a foodie, in addition to the grottoes, the food on the mountain also opened my eyes. On Maiji Mountain, I heard the shouts of "Guagua, Xixi, Lao Lao, noodles, rolled noodles, oil-splashed noodles, and sauerkraut noodles" from a distance. Not only were the echoes melodious but also quite rhythmic. What impressed me most were the three strange things I had never heard of: Guagua, Xixi, and Lao Lao. I am still not sure what they are. I can only say that they are three special snacks similar to cold noodles, cold skin, and jelly. These three are usually eaten together. Although I have never heard of them, Guagua, Xixi, and Lao Lao are really delicious, especially with chili and coriander. I have to swallow my saliva when I think about it now. If you go to Maiji Mountain, you must try Guagua, Xixi, and Lao Lao.

There are two routes. Route 1 is more shaky and allows you to experience the magnificence of Maiji Mountain. Route 2 is relatively flat, but you can see two special grottoes. One route costs 90 yuan per person. We chose Route 1. The grottoes are blocked by wire mesh and it is very difficult to see them with the naked eye. Turn on the camera on your phone to see them more clearly.

It's a pretty big grotto, but unfortunately there were so many people during the National Day that the staff couldn't help people pass through. We were stuck in the grotto for a long time and couldn't move. If there were fewer people, it would have been a good attraction and the scenery was really beautiful.

Friends who came during the National Day of 2018, please pay attention. First of all, the road is being repaired here, and the road conditions are generally poor. There are many people on National Day. I opened the gate to enter the park at 8 o'clock, and it was crowded when I came out at 9 o'clock. If you want to experience fewer people, you need to arrive early. There are many farmhouses nearby where you can stay in advance. Pay special attention! Because there are many people on National Day, there is no explanation! There is no explanation machine! And only two single one-way routes 1 and 2 are open. You can't walk around at will! But the only comfort is that on the mountain, I chatted with the security uncle. Route 2 is rarely open, and Route 1 is a regular route. I comforted myself and chose Route 2. Overall, the sensory evaluation of the four major and the top three is not small. Maybe it's really because of the narrow road. It's worth coming, but it will be a little less amazing if you have been to the top three.

Very beautiful, worth a visit. During the National Day, you must get up early, you must get up early (we arrived at 9 o'clock, and it was a bit congested at the entrance of the scenic area), otherwise the parking lot of the scenic area is full, and you can only go in and out in batches, or you can only park very far away, and then take a taxi or walk to the entrance of the scenic area. The entrance of the scenic area is very far from the scenic spot, and it takes about half an hour to walk, and it is all uphill, so it is still very time-saving to take a small battery car (the ticket is also very beautiful, especially the one-way ticket). During the National Day, the tour route is different from usual, divided into Line 1 and Line 2: Line 1 can climb very high and take a long time; Line 2 is suitable for the elderly and children, but, but, open two small special caves 44 and 78. It seems that other special caves are not open during the National Day, or you may have to book early. If you want to go to both lines, you have to buy a ticket again, that is, one ticket for one line. But the two small special caves are worth it, although there is no tour guide. As for the explanation, there is a place to get off the battery car (the guide is also nearby), but it can only take you to the bottom of the cave; there is also a place under the cave that can take you up to the cave, but there was no explanation during the National Day holiday (it is said that they all went up, but I don’t know whether they went to maintain order or explain. Anyway, I didn’t see any explanations on the cave). It is very beautiful, although you can basically only take pictures through the wire mesh. Remember, you must hold your phone close to the wire mesh to take pictures. Some of them are better than what you see with the naked eye. It is a treasure.

If you don't climb the caves, you don't actually need to buy a ticket. You can see the whole picture of the caves without climbing the mountain. If you climb the mountain, you can experience it up close. It depends on your personal preference!

Gansu Province, Tianshui City, Maijishan Grottoes - World Cultural Heritage, National AAAAA Tourist Attraction, one of the four major grottoes in China. It is named because the shape of the mountain resembles a haystack. Maijishan Grottoes was built between 384 and 417. There are 221 caves, 10,632 clay sculptures and stone sculptures, and more than 1,300 square meters of murals. It is world-famous for its exquisite clay sculpture art and is known as the Oriental Sculpture Art Exhibition Hall.

Its cultural value is not inferior to the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Jiuquan City, Gansu Province, and its natural environment is worthy of the title of "Jiangnan on the Loess Plateau". It is shrouded in clouds and mist and looks like a fairyland on earth.

Those with acrophobia should be careful! I felt like I was risking my life to take the photo. I ate some chestnuts at night to nourish my kidneys (it might hurt my kidneys).

Maijishan Grottoes is the most worthwhile attraction to visit in Tianshui. Generally, 1 to 2 hours is enough for a visit. Because it is a one-way street, you can walk around again if you are still not satisfied.

Some caves have an additional charge. It is ok to spend 300 to 500 for a few people to visit together, but it is not recommended to spend extra money for one person.

You must hire a tour guide for the Maijishan Grottoes, and the tour guide should be after the final ticket check. Do not hire a tour guide at the place where the battery car gets off.

There is basically no painting in Longmen Grottoes, a small part of painting in Yungang Grottoes, mural painting in Mogao Grottoes, and the painting in Maijishan Grottoes is somewhat similar to that in Dazu Rock Carvings, all of which are magnificent.

Low-key luxury. This word is the most appropriate to describe the Maijishan Grottoes. Compared with the other three grottoes, Maijishan is very low-key.

Compared with other grottoes, Maijishan Grottoes has more human figures, some kind, some fierce, some peaceful, some expectant, and their multiple expressions better reflect life.

It is very similar to the Hanging Temple of Hengshan, with plank roads built on the mountain so that you can view it up close. Unfortunately, most of the caves are separated by wire mesh.

I spent 50 yuan to hire a guide, thinking that he would take me to visit at least some of the more important caves. I didn't expect that this type of explanation was just a general introduction to the origin of Maiji Mountain, and took me around the periphery. After that, I had to complete the whole process of climbing the corridor to see the caves by myself! Later I learned that the guides for the caves and the scenic area were divided into two different units. If you want a guide for the caves, you have to buy a special ticket! But the scenery is still very good.

2010 Longmen, 2012 Mogao Grottoes, 2016 Yungang Grottoes, 2018 Maijishan Grottoes, finally the four major grottoes are all here. Now I suddenly find that except for the largest Fengxian Temple Vairocana Buddha and its surrounding statues, the other grottoes in Longmen Grottoes are almost destroyed and unreadable, ranking last among the four major grottoes. Maijishan Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes are better than Longmen Grottoes, because I personally like some of the elegant and graceful styles in Maijishan Grottoes more, and the colors are better preserved than Yungang Grottoes. There is no doubt that Mogao Grottoes is the first. So the ranking in my mind is "Mogao Grottoes > Maijishan Grottoes > Yungang Grottoes > Longmen Grottoes".

The "wheat stack" shape of Maiji Mountain itself is also very distinctive. Some caves are so well preserved that you have to pay extra to see them. I happened to meet a young couple this time. The three of them spent 400 yuan (up to five people) to see a special cave called "Little Monk". I found it was really good, and I support this differential pricing method, but I still think it is a little expensive.

There are also some small caves that are separated by wooden doors, wooden windows, iron railings and wire mesh, so people have to look through the wire mesh. At this time, mobile phones are more useful than SLRs, because the lens of mobile phones is very small, and you can shoot the Buddha statues inside through the mesh by sticking it on the wire mesh.

Finally, because there is still a long distance from the ticket gate to the place close to the grottoes without any sights, if you are in a hurry, you can still take the electric car in the scenic area.



PS In the 5th episode of the documentary "Maijishan Grottoes", there is a passage: "After the large-scale reconstruction in the Song Dynasty, with the demise of the Southern Song Dynasty and the gradual decline of Chinese grotto art, Maijishan also became increasingly dim. Although it was whitewashed in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it still fell into the dense forests of Longshan Mountain. As a result, those modern explorers set their sights on Yungang, Longmen and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, and no one discovered such a large grotto in Longshan during the looting. After the Southern Song Dynasty, the number of caves opened and rebuilt in Maijishan gradually decreased. In the late Qing Dynasty, no one visited the mountain for decades."

If you think it is just a stone pillar, then you are right, it is just a stone pillar. However, when you actually see it, you will feel that everything is not that simple. There was no high technology at that time. The cave was carved one by one, and it is a relief, so you will still have some feelings.

You must enter the scenic area and ask for a tour guide at the security checkpoint. The tour guide can join a group

The tour guide outside can only lead you to the bottom of the cave and will not climb up to give explanations.

Looking out from the plank road, Maiji Mountain is surrounded by mountains, dense forests and lush greenery. The "vulgarity" of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes - secularization and personalization

The smiles of Buddha and Bodhisattva began to be replaced by kindness instead of majesty. They had a mysterious oriental smile on their faces, conveying a smile of enlightenment and liberation from the cycle of reincarnation.

The third stop of the Four Great Grottoes, Maiji Mountain gives me the feeling of a combination of grotto art and the experience of climbing the Hanging Temple. The plank road is thrilling and the carving skills are exquisite. It is one of the most representative attractions in Tianshui.

It is worthy of its reputation as one of the four major grottoes in China. It has a special shape, being the two sides of a mountain. It is large in scale, with giant Buddhas of super size and many exquisite small grottoes. I visited a special cave, which was more expensive, but it was indeed very exquisite.

The caves are all connected by aerial plank roads built on the cliff. After climbing up Maiji Mountain through these winding aerial plank roads, I found that my feet were still shaking. In fact, Maiji Mountain is not that high, but in this narrow and crowded environment, coupled with my fear of heights, I am still a little scared. Friends who are brave and not afraid of heights, please ignore my little burden.

We bought tickets and hired a guide. The guide explained in simple terms and answered all our questions. It was obvious that he had done his homework.

The Maijishan Grottoes were first excavated in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. After continuous excavation and reconstruction in many dynasties, there are now 221 caves and niches of various sizes, more than 7,800 statues, and more than 1,000 square meters of murals. Since Maijishan is a Danxia landform and the mountain is prone to collapse, the craftsmen at that time could only dig a large hole in the mountain, and then use wooden beams as frames in the cave, and then apply clay to it, which is called wooden beam clay Buddha statue. Due to the earthquake, some of the sculptures are incomplete. The preserved sculptures and murals are rich in content, with a wide range of themes and distinct characteristics of the times. For example, the ladies in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, with bare chests and abdomens, were beautiful in fat; the ladies in the late Tang Dynasty were charming and graceful, with their feet standing casually... Some had ruddy faces, and some were oxidized and blackened. We can only have a rough understanding of the origin of the Equal Cave and the demeanor of the Thousand Buddhas. But we all agree that it is better than the Mogao Grottoes and is really worth it.

After coming down the mountain and looking up at the grottoes, I was amazed at the wisdom and tenacity of our ancestors, who left this world cultural heritage treasure for mankind. It is a pity that the Maijishan Grottoes is the only attraction. It would be perfect if there were a few more attractions around it.

When we went to Maijishan Grottoes, it happened to rain a little the day before, so we saw the famous Maiji Misty Rain. After the tour guide finished introducing the grottoes, we started the official grotto tour. Most of the grottoes in Maijishan Grottoes can only be seen through the windows, and you can only see the statues up close by climbing to the top two floors, including the famous Cow King Kong.

Get off at the South High-speed Railway Station and take bus No. 60 directly to Maiji Mountain Scenic Area. The road is under construction and the journey takes an hour. The ticket to the scenic area is 90. You can choose to walk to the scenic area or take a shuttle bus. I walked the whole tour and it took about 3 hours. On the way back, take bus No. 60 directly to the South High-speed Railway Station and take the high-speed train back. Tianshui Maiji Mountain One-day Tour from Xi'an.

国庆出游，除了人多拥挤外都挺好，毕竟四大石窟之一。分了1号、2号线，选了最险1号线，可以走到最高处。栈道开凿在崖壁上，可以近距离观看石像。

When we arrived at the entrance of the scenic spot, there were not many people, but the road was narrow and blocked for half an hour. The ticket was 100 yuan/person. You need to take the scenic spot's small transportation to and from. We invited an interpreter, the fee was 50 yuan, but he only led you from the boarding point to the entrance of the plank road, and briefly explained the time of the excavation of the grottoes and related knowledge. He did not accompany you to climb the plank road to explain the carvings of each grotto. It may be because there are too many dynasties excavated and the carvings are too complicated. The main feature is the high-altitude plank road, which is actually not very high, more than 140 meters. When you look at it from the bottom of the mountain, the plank road feels more spectacular, but the only feeling when you really climb the plank road is that there are so many people, you need to walk and look, and once you stop, it will cause congestion. In addition, there are many snack stalls on both sides of the road at the bottom of the mountain, constantly playing Tianshui's local special snacks "Guagua", "Laolao" and "Ranran" to attract customers, which is probably similar to the jelly in the mountains.

Although it is not as large as Longmen and Yungang, it is more dangerous. It has lasted for thousands of years and has its own characteristics.

The road in Tianshui is under construction, and the road leading to the grottoes is also under construction. It is not easy to walk. It took nearly an hour and a half to walk 50 kilometers! Fortunately, the location is easy to find! (Ticket price 90, round trip by electric car 15)

It was not until I actually stood at the foot of Maiji Mountain and saw this grotto dominated by clay Buddha statues that I understood the poem Du Fu wrote for it, "The wild temple has few remaining monks, the mountain is round and the road is high. Musk sleeps on carnations, and parrots peck at golden peaches. People pass through the turbulent water, and houses are built on the cliffs"!

Maijishan Grottoes are different from the other three major grottoes. Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes are mainly murals, Yungang Grottoes and Longmen Grottoes are mainly Buddha statues carved out of the mountains. Maijishan Grottoes are different from the above three. Because of its unique geographical location and environment, it is mainly clay sculptures of Buddha! Especially Cave 44, which is called "Venus of the East" by foreigners.

Maijishan Grottoes are known as the Four Great Grottoes together with Dunhuang, Yungang and Longmen Grottoes. They are named after the shape of the mountain which resembles a pile of wheat. They were first excavated in the fifth century B.C.E. Unlike the other grottoes, this one is the only one excavated by private individuals.

The mountain is a gravel mountain, with mostly egg-sized stones mixed in the soil, but it feels like concrete when you touch it. So many of them are actually clay sculptures. Larger stone carvings are mostly made of stone, with thick mud on the outside. Large statues have holes drilled in the stone and supported by wood, and then shaped with clay.

Most of the caves are covered with small wire mesh, and it is difficult to see clearly inside the dark caves, so the visiting experience is not very good.

1. First of all, a warm reminder: when looking for a guide at Maijishan Grottoes, you must not look for him at the terminal after the battery car arrives. Those who actively come forward to solicit customers are not formal, will not follow you up the mountain, will not allow you to join a group, have a short time, and are expensive. You must look for him at the entrance of the mountain climbing, 10 yuan per person, and you only need to gather six or seven people, because there are few formal guides, sometimes you need to wait for a while, and the whole explanation takes about an hour.

2. Secondly, I really like the Maijishan Grottoes: the verdant trees shade the ochre-red mountains, the plank roads in the air are winding like dragons, and the world of the Buddha is even more varied. Every smile, every gesture, every fold of clothing, and every touch of color make people linger, so that we followed the guide to walk once and walked again for the second time. Fortunately, this time I met a guide with cultural feelings, who was meticulous and in-depth, especially when talking about the many difficulties faced by cultural relics protection, full of worries, which was moving. It is said that they explained with tears in their eyes in some important communication occasions. The protection of the grottoes must be waterproof, moisture-proof, pine oil-proof, insect-proof, bird-proof, and squirrel-proof. How difficult it is, and the most hateful thing is to prevent tourists. Tourists throw coins on the Buddha statues, causing the colors to fall off, and the banknotes thrown all over the ground will also absorb water vapor and aggravate corruption. The young man said helplessly that he really didn't know where the bottom line of Chinese tourists was. What is most lacking in cultural relics protection work now is not money, but technology. They are conducting various experiments on UV protection and rodent prevention, and hope to see results soon!

We arrived at the foot of the mountain in the scenic area and bought tickets... Well, it was raining so there were even fewer people. There were probably about a hundred people before us. This way we could appreciate the grottoes more carefully. But to be honest, my artistic attainments are almost zero, so I didn't have any shocking experience. But my wife and daughter seemed quite interested and were particularly focused.

It's just that the tour guide at the foot of the mountain didn't go up the mountain to enter the cave, which is a bit of a rip-off.

The train departed from Lanzhou West Station at 8 o'clock and arrived at Tianshui South Station in a little over an hour. It is not located at Tianshui Station. The South Station is well built, and it feels a bit down when you get out. I wanted to take the bus, but I met a black car driver, and I took it for 100 yuan. In fact, it is not too far from Maiji Mountain Scenic Area. There is a bus hub opposite the high-speed railway station (it is actually very small). Bus No. 61 goes to Maiji Mountain. It seems to run every half an hour. Now the road condition is not good, and it takes 40 minutes to get there, and the one-way ticket price is 7 yuan per person.

After buying the tickets, a post office gave out some postcards. I took the battery car to the foot of the mountain and found a tour guide. The tour guide explained the three main places, which was quite interesting. Maijishan Grottoes is one of the four major grottoes in my country. I knew the three major grottoes before, but there was no Maijishan, so there were the four major grottoes. Now only Dunhuang has not been there. This place has a long history, starting from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties. The Buddha statues are quite damaged. The most famous cave is charged separately. The tour guide said that if it is not for academic research, it is not recommended to spend so much money to see it, and it is okay to look at the photos. I don’t remember it accurately, it seems to be 300 yuan per person. The most famous one is a little monk. From the front, he is a child, from the side, he is a middle-aged man, and from the back, he is an old man, representing the three stages of life. There is also a cave that is the tomb of a queen from a certain era in the Northern Dynasty. She died to quell the war, and her son buried her here. It can also be regarded as a sad and beautiful legend. I wanted to check it carefully, but I couldn’t find it. It seems that the tour guide’s explanation has the nature of folk legends

The most important goal of coming to Tianshui is the Maijishan Road from Tianshui Maiji District to Maiji Mountain. It has been under construction for three years and is expected to be completed next year or two. The journey is quite long at present. We originally thought it would be best to stay in Maiji District on the day we went to Maiji Mountain. In actual practice, we found that staying in Qinzhou District did not make much difference, and we spent most of our time on the road under construction.

It is recommended to take a sightseeing bus to enter the scenic area to save time and energy. There are many people on holidays, and you have to queue up to get on the plank road. It will not get better until you pass the overpass of Niuertang. The security guard kept shouting "Don't stop, don't take pictures" before, which feels a bit like driving ducks. The grotto art is exquisite, the plank road is not hot at all, the wind is strong, and the distant view is also worth seeing.

The scenic area is not big. If you go there in the off-season, you can walk up and down the plank road for 30 minutes. It is still necessary to listen to the explanation.

1. Walk on the plank road, be careful if you are afraid of heights. 2. For the purpose of protection, the grotto has added wire mesh, which is a little bigger than the hole of the screen window, and it is a bit difficult to see.

Arriving at the gate of the scenic area, I took care of my housework first. There are tickets inside, but they are not easy to find. I booked the tickets for Maiji Mountain on the bus. The ticket was issued quickly for 88 yuan. You must buy the round-trip scenic shuttle bus. You need to buy it at the ticket office or scan the QR code to enter. You can also buy it at the scenic shuttle bus boarding point. It is 15 yuan round trip, which saves a lot of energy. Maiji Mountain is a scene in the scene. There is actually nothing to see on the periphery. There are many small shops. I took the scenic bus down and saw the tour guide’s explanation for the first time. You don’t need to listen to that. There is nothing to listen to on the periphery. After walking for a while, I really arrived at the foot of Maiji Mountain. At this time, you need to join a group to listen to the explanation. It was lunch time at that time, and there was no tour guide. Fortunately, I successfully joined another family of four. The explanation cost 10 yuan per person, and the deposit for Bluetooth headsets was 500 yuan. It was Friday that day, and there were super many people. The facilities and services of Maiji Mountain still need to be improved!

The ticket to Maijishan Grottoes is 90 yuan. The distance from the entrance of the scenic area to the grottoes is nearly 3 kilometers. You can take a sightseeing bus, and the round-trip fare is 15 yuan. After getting off the sightseeing bus, you have to walk uphill to the second ticket gate near the tourist service center. The tour route is up the east cliff, down the west cliff, and then return to the east cliff entrance along the ground road. The introduction to Maijishan Grottoes next to the tourist service center introduces several of the most famous grottoes, of which only 4 and 5 caves can be visited normally, and the rest are special caves.

Almost all the caves are covered with thick and dense wire mesh, which makes it difficult to see inside and the photo effect is very poor. The plank roads outside the special caves are locked with iron gates, so it is impossible to walk to the special caves. The only caves that are not covered with wire mesh are the Seven Buddha Pavilion on the Upper Cave 4, the Niuer Hall in Cave 5, the Seven Buddha Pavilion in the Middle Cave 9, the East Cliff Buddha in Cave 13, and the West Cliff Buddha in Cave 98. There are no electronic guides available for rent here. Manual explanations are 50 yuan each time. If you want to visit the special caves, each special cave costs 500 or 600 yuan.

Looking from the plank road, the mountains around Maiji Mountain are densely forested and full of greenery. It took nearly two hours to see the East Cliff Buddha Cave 13 and the West Cliff Cave 191. In fact, I only saw a small part of the Maiji Mountain Grottoes, mainly the several caves on the East Cliff. In order to protect the cultural relics, it is understandable that most of the caves are not open to the public.

Compared with the Yungang Grottoes and the Longmen Grottoes, the Maijishan Grottoes are smaller in scale and better preserved than the Longmen Grottoes, and about the same level of preservation as the Yungang Grottoes. The climate of Maiji Mountain is relatively humid, the mountains and rivers are beautiful, and the natural scenery is even better.

Those who have acrophobia here will probably be scared. Compared with Bingling Temple and Lashao Temple, which are almost fully open, most of the grottoes in Maiji Mountain are sealed in wooden fences and covered with gauze. I have to say that this is also a pity and helplessness! In order to protect the Buddha statues in the grottoes from damage, this is also normal~ So, if you have time to see it, you should go early. The steps are sealed and covered with fine nets, otherwise it will look more scary! Chinese cultural relics have to go through hardships. We are amazed by the graceful lines of the Buddha statues and murals, and sigh at the damaged blanks on the walls. . Surprised at the extraordinary creativity of the ancients, the ancient craftsmen brought us a different visual impact with a religious piety. Sincerely pay tribute to the guardians of the grottoes, murals, etc.! It is because of their dedication and sacrifice that we can see such a brilliant and exquisite art treasure house. . . It is truly a great merit!