Visiting the Four Major Grottoes - First Visit to Maijishan Grottoes

In order to make up for the regret of the "four missing one" of the four major grottoes in China, in the golden autumn of October 2024, I had the honor to visit the Maijishan Grottoes in Tianshui City, Gansu Province. This is a cultural journey through thousands of years. Maijishan Grottoes, together with Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, Longmen Grottoes, and Yungang Grottoes, are known as the four major grottoes in China. They are famous for their exquisite clay sculpture art and are known as the "Oriental Sculpture Exhibition Hall". Maijishan got its name because the mountain is like a stack of wheat stacks. The grottoes were excavated on the steep cliffs on the south side of the mountain, and the earliest excavation was in the Later Qin (384-417) period (second only to Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes). There are 221 existing caves, a total of 3938 various statues, 10632 bodies, and a total of more than 1,000 square meters of murals. These statues have been preserved intact after thousands of years of wind and rain, showing the superb skills and deep religious feelings of ancient craftsmen. When visiting Maijishan Grottoes, I was deeply attracted by those lifelike clay statues. Before the trip, I read the introduction of the little Sami in the 133rd cave. With his innocent smile, he was called the "Oriental Smile"; the sitting Buddha in the 44th cave, his faint smile was known as the "Oriental Beauty", showing a kind of transcendence. The tranquility and tranquility of the world. I wanted to come here to see the honor, but unfortunately it is not open to ordinary tourists as a "special cave". This is also a means to protect these precious cultural relics. We listened to the explanation and watched many grottoes along the tour route. This is not only a treasure trove of art, but also a witness to history. The statues and murals here reflect the cultural exchanges on the Silk Road and integrate the artistic styles of the East and the West. The flying murals in the grottoes, with their unique "thin meat sculpture" technique, show a strong three-dimensional sense, which is the product of the integration of Chinese and Western cultures. The short 3-hour trip to Maijishan Grottoes is joyful. This is a baptism of the soul and a journey to deepen the understanding of ancient Chinese culture.