Maijishan Grottoes and Tianshui: Sculpture on a Cliff

Sculpture Stacked on a Cliff

Maijishan, in eastern Gansu, is one of China's four great grotto complexes and the least visited of them. Its distinguishing feature is the setting: rather than caves dug into a riverbank, Maijishan's 194 surviving niches and caves climb a sheer cliff face, with clay sculptures and painted figures standing on wooden walkways bolted to the rock, high above the forest.

The Sculpture

Because the rock here is soft, the figures were modelled in clay over wooden armatures and then painted - which is why they look rounder and more lifelike than the stone carvings at Yungang or Longmen. Styles run from the slender, foreign-influenced figures of the earliest caves to the fuller forms of the Tang, and the walkways put you close enough to see the brushwork.

Tianshui and the Approach

Tianshui, the nearest city, is the practical base: a small city with a strong noodle culture (its hand-pulled noodles are famous in the province), an ancient temple complex at Fuxi, and rail links along the Xi'an-Lanzhou corridor. The grottoes are about an hour away by road, and a half day is enough for the main walkways - longer if you want the quieter western caves.

Practical Notes

Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with clear air and mild temperatures; summer is hot and wet, and winter is cold but the caves are quiet. Maijishan fits naturally into a Silk Road itinerary between Xi'an and Lanzhou, and pairs with the Zhangye Danxia landforms further west.

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