Maijishan Grottoes — Attraction in Tianshui

The Maijishan Grottoes, located in the Maiji District of Tianshui, Gansu Province, China, stand as one of the most remarkable examples of Buddhist rock-cut architecture in the world.

Carved into the soft purplish-red sandstone cliffs of Maijishan, or "Wheat Stack Mountain," these grottoes rise dramatically 142 meters above the lush Xiaolongshan forest.

Their history spans over 1,600 years, beginning during the Later Qin era (384–417 CE), and they continue to captivate visitors with their stunning artistry and historical significance.

The site comprises 194 caves adorned with over 7,200 Buddhist sculptures and more than 1,000 square meters of murals. These works reflect a blend of artistic influences from India, Central Asia, and native Chinese traditions, charting the evolution of Buddhist art in China.

The earliest sculptures exhibit Indian and Central Asian features, likely brought by monks and artisans traveling along the Silk Road. Over time, these influences gave way to distinctly Chinese styles during later dynasties such as the Song and Ming.

The grottoes are divided into two sections: caves #1–50 on the western cliff face and caves #51–191 on the eastern side. Each cave holds unique treasures, ranging from serene seated Buddhas to intricate depictions of bodhisattvas and lay worshippers.

The most common figure is Amitābha Buddha, associated with the Pure Land sect of Mahayana Buddhism. The sculptures are primarily made of clay reinforced with binding agents since the sandstone itself was too soft for direct carving.

Construction at Maijishan was not a single event but a continuous process spanning numerous dynasties. The Northern Wei (386–534 CE), Western Wei (535–556 CE), and Northern Zhou (557–581 CE) periods were particularly active in expanding and embellishing the grottoes. Later dynasties like the Tang, Song, and Qing also contributed to their restoration and preservation. This long history has made Maijishan a living repository of Chinese Buddhist art and architecture.

The grottoes are also steeped in legend. According to historical texts, two monks named Tanhung and Xuangao established a monastic community at Maijishan in the early 5th century CE. Over time, their settlement grew to include hundreds of disciples. While much about this early community remains speculative due to limited archaeological evidence, its story adds a layer of mystique to this sacred site.

Today, visitors can explore Maijishan via a network of walkways that cling to the cliff face, offering breathtaking views of both the sculptures and the surrounding landscape. The site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed "Silk Roads: The Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor," highlighting its historical importance as a cultural crossroads.

The Maijishan Grottoes are not just an architectural marvel but also a testament to China's rich spiritual and artistic heritage. They continue to inspire awe among pilgrims, historians, and tourists alike, making them an essential destination for anyone interested in ancient art or Buddhism's journey...

A far walk from the ticket booth to this supposedly well preserved mountains, passing through many local Souvenirs stalls, finally we get a closed up view Maijishan Grottoes.

Our local guide told me these Grottoes holds some famous Buddhist rock carvings along the Silk Road.

Almost 194 grottoes connected by a series of constructed walkway clinging the to the cliff, rises in a steep ascent.

Could see that some pigment still stuck on to many of the statues, these statues seems to be made of clay rather than being hewn from rock. Some could not be seen clearly as it is being boxed up ,protected by grilled mesh with very little light to take a good pic of it.

As we climbed higher , we noticed the more impressive sculptures are displayed.

Believe it or not, we have indeed climbed up approximately 34 flights of catwalks & steep stairways to browse through almost 7200 statues !!!!

Indeed a valuable collection of clay Buddha...

It is worth coming here, really cool to see the grottos carved into the rock face like that. However the lines were out of control, it took me 2 1/2 hours to get to the point were you could even visit them. Unfortunately there’s only set route essentially trapping everyone to move at a shuffle pace. If you want to see this, I thought it was worth it. Bring patience. From the train station go to the basement there’s a picture of the grottos with an arrow that’s the bus. It takes you to the tourist center which is pretty close but from there you can buy a ticket which includes another bus that takes you 3km away. Then you need to take an electric tram thing to the base then walk up the hill. It’s a lot of stair so if you’re not in good shape don’t fool yourself it’s basically all stairs, nothing to crazy but...