GanSu Maijishan Grottoes

Chinese Name: 麦积山石窟
Address: 甘肃省天水市麦积区小陇山
Tel: 0938-2236316,0938-2655291
Recommended Visiting Time:half Day
Tickets : 90 CNY p/p
Opening Time: 08:30~16:30
offical website: http://www.mjssk.cn/
The era in which it lived: from the Northern Wei Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty

GanSu Maijishan Grottoes

The Maijishan Grottoes are one of the most famous grottoes in Northwest China. Together with the Yungang Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes and Mogao Grottoes, they are collectively known as the “Four Great Grottoes in China”.

History Background

The excavation of the grottoes began in the post-Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms. After successive excavations and repairs, there are more than 7,000 Buddha statues and more than 1,000 square meters of murals distributed in nearly 200 caves. In 2014, the Grottoes were included in the World Cultural Heritage List together with other scenic spots on the Silk Road, and they are famous overseas, so you can enjoy watching them here.

architectural features

Maiji Mountain, where the grottoes are located, is an isolated mountain with steep rock walls and surrounded by green plants. Thrilling.

Relationship with Maiji Mountain Scenic Area

The Maijishan Grottoes are the main attractions of the Maijishan Scenic Area. Maijishan is located 50 kilometers southeast of Tianshui City, Gansu Province. Maiji Mountain itself has beautiful scenery. Tickets for Maiji Mountain Scenic Area are divided into two types: grotto-included and grotto-free. The prices are different, and tourists can choose according to their own needs. However, the vast majority of tourists come here for the name of the grottoes, so they all choose to watch the grottoes.

Entrance Path

It is about 3 kilometers from the gate of the scenic spot to the parking lot at the bottom of the Grotto Mountain, where you can walk or take the scenic shuttle bus. If you are more interested in the connotation of Buddhism, you can hire a tour guide at the ticket office.

Looking up from a distance

After arriving at the bottom of Maiji Mountain, you can see that the entire rock wall of the lonely mountain in front of you is exposed, and the surrounding area is full of greenery and beautiful scenery. On the rock wall, layers of suspended plank roads are built. The suspended plank roads are very dangerous, with a maximum height of more than 600 meters. Many large and small caves and Buddha statues have been dug between the plank roads. It is very spectacular to take pictures under the mountain.

Close-up Visit

After a long-distance view, there is a close-up visit to the Buddhist caves. The tour route of the Maijishan Grottoes is very simple, as long as you go up the wooden plank roads built between the mountains and visit the grottoes along the way. Many of the wooden plank roads under the feet have been reinforced with cement, so although looking down may be a bit scary, it is still very safe. The Maijishan Grottoes are well preserved, except for a few special caves that are not open to the public, most of them are for tourists to visit. When walking on the plank road, you can see that the scale of the Buddha Caves was not spectacular at the beginning, and the Buddha statues were small, and many of them were protected by barbed wire. However, the further you go, the larger the size of the Buddha statues, and they are no longer isolated, and there are many Buddha statues in many caves, which are very spectacular.

Focus Grottoes

When visiting the grottoes, you can focus on watching Cave 135 (Paradise Cave), Cave 142, Cave 37, Cave 127, Cave 44, etc., which not only reflect the special depiction of the fierce battle scene in the Buddhist story “Eight Kings Fighting for Relics”, There are also exquisitely shaped flying statues, all of which are fine products in the grottoes, and each has its own characteristics.

special grottoes

In addition, there are many wonderful grottoes in the Maijishan Grottoes as special grottoes, which are not open to regular tourists. Additional fees are required for visiting. Those who are interested in the art of Buddha statues can choose to visit.

GanSu Maijishan Grottoes

GanSu Maijishan Grottoes Video

GanSu Maijishan Grottoes Tourist Map

GanSu Maijishan Grottoes Travel Guide

Travel Tips：

Tourists visit with a ticket. Before entering the cave area, tourists need to know their physical condition. People with high blood pressure and low blood sugar need to enter the plank road carefully. After preparing your own tickets and preferential certificates, hand them over to the ticket office, and then enter the cave area to visit.
Smoking and pets are prohibited in the cave area.
When entering the core cave area, please put all the external items such as water bottles, keys, mobile phones into the bag, or store them in the depository to avoid falling objects from high altitude and hurting tourists.
Protecting cultural relics is everyone’s responsibility. It is strictly forbidden to turn on cameras and mobile phone flashes on the grottoes, and it is strictly forbidden to touch cultural relics. If any of the above behaviors are found, the visit will be terminated immediately.
Due to the narrow plank road of the grottoes, please queue up and enter in an orderly manner when visiting, keep moving at a constant speed during the visit, do not take pictures on the plank road, avoid staying for a long time, and avoid congestion.
Rain and snow will cause small rockfalls on the mountain. When entering the West Cliff exit, please pass quickly close to the inside of the cliff to avoid accidents.
There are two restrooms in the grotto area, one at the exit of Xiya and under the steps of the square. There are no separate restrooms on the plank road.