Maiji Mountain Grottoes: 'Museum’ of exquisite sculptures

View of Maiji Mountain grottoes and stairways, June 24, 2016.[Photo by Hu Zhe/chinadaily.com.cn]

The Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Tianshui city was one of the most important stops during the latest media tour of almost 70 internet media outlets to Gansu province.

Containing more than 7,000 Buddhist sculptures and over 1,000 square meters of murals, the Maiji Mountain Grottoes are one of the four great grottoes in China, honored as an "Oriental Sculpture Museum".

What distinguishes them from the other three great grottoes in China is that they are renowned for their exquisite sculptures, while the Mogao grottoes in Dunhuang are famous for superb murals, and the Yungang Caves in Shanxi province and the Longmen Grottoes in Henan province are well-known for their stone carvings. The Maiji Mountain grottoes date back to the Later Qin era (384-417 CE),when the construction began.