Maijishan Grottoes
麦积山石窟
A Silk Road World Heritage site and the 'Museum of Oriental Sculpture.' Cliffside walkways link 194 caves and more than 7,000 clay sculptures, making it Qinzhou's top sight.
The Maijishan Grottoes lie in the Xiaolong Mountains, about 35 km southeast of central Tianshui, in Maiji District. The mountain is named for its haystack-like shape and stands 142 m high. Carving began in the Later Qin period (about 384 to 417 CE) and continued through the Northern Wei, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Ming and Qing dynasties. Today there are 221 caves, 10,632 clay and stone sculptures, and nearly 1,000 square meters of murals. Together with the Mogao, Longmen and Yungang grottoes, it is one of China's Four Great Grottoes. In 2014 it was inscribed as part of the World Heritage 'Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor.'
Maijishan is famous for its clay sculptures and is known as the 'Museum of Oriental Sculpture.' The statues from the Northern Wei to the Northern Zhou have slender features and subtle smiles. The seated Buddha in Cave 44, from the Western Wei, is called the 'Oriental Beauty.' The smile of the 'Little Novice' in Cave 133 is the most famous. The Sui-dynasty cliff Buddha on the front face of the mountain (Cave 13) stands 15 m tall.
How to visit: take a sightseeing shuttle from the entrance (about 15 yuan) to the foot of the mountain. Then climb the cliffside walkway to visit the open ordinary caves, about 40 of them. The walkway winds along the cliff and is thrilling. Special caves such as 44 and 133 require separate special-cave tickets, costing several hundred yuan per cave with limited numbers. Peak-season tickets cost about 80 yuan and require real-name reservations through the 'Maijishan Grottoes' WeChat official account. Access is capped in peak season, so arrive as soon as the site opens. A visit takes 2 to 3 hours. Anyone afraid of heights should take care on the walkway. Photography is prohibited inside the caves, and the walkway is slippery when wet. Getting there: take bus 34 to the terminus, or take the direct scenic shuttle from Tianshui South Station.
Opening hours
Peak season 08:00–17:30; off-season 08:30–17:00; reservations required