Maijishan Grottoes: Masterpiece of Cliff Sculpture Art

Located in Tianshui City, Gansu Province, China, Maijishan Grottoes are considered a gem in the treasure trove of Buddha sculptures on cliffs in China. This place is always a destination to feel the beauty of the harmony between the majesty of nature and the handiwork of humans over thousands of years of history.

Along with the Mogao Caves, Longmen Grottoes and Yungang Grottoes, the Maijishan Grottoes are considered one of the four most spectacular cave complexes in China, where temples with Buddha statues are carved directly into the cliffs.

The construction of Maijishan Grottoes began during the "Sixteen Kingdoms-Later Qin" period, and took more than 10 dynasties more than 1,600 years to complete, leaving behind a complex of 221 large and small grottoes, with nearly 4,000 statues and nearly 1,000 ^{square meters of} frescoes. The statues here are mainly clay sculptures, containing valuable information about religion, art, and architecture through the dynasties. They are considered an "Oriental sculpture art gallery", providing future generations with valuable materials for research on Chinese Buddhist culture.

In 2014, the Maijishan Grottoes, together with other sites in the "Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor Network on the Silk Road", were recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage.

The statues here are all carved on steep cliffs.

The Buddha statues are still quite intact after thousands of years.

The outstanding feature of the statues is that most of them are sculpted in clay.

After many centuries, the statues still retain their original color.

Researchers believe that the statues here contain ancient people's concept of beauty.

The tallest statue in the complex, nearly 16m high, is being reinforced and preserved.

A large number of tourists come to see a masterpiece of sculpture.

Each cave has statues of different ages, showing the process of Buddhism entering China and influencing the religious life of ancient people.

The whole complex looks like a pile of barley straw from afar, so it was named Mach Tich Son.

HUU HUNG

People's Newspaper correspondent based in China

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hang-da-mach-tich-son-kiet-tac-nghe-thuat-dieu-khac-tren-vach-nui-post888498.html