In Tianshui, Gansu Province, among the continuous mountains, there is a magical Buddhist grotto, which stands mysteriously and gracefully in the embrace of the deep mountains, and that is the Maijishan Grottoes.
Maijishan belongs to the Danxia landform, which is suitable for caves but not for stone carvings. Therefore, the sculptures in the caves are mostly clay sculptures and stone-bodied clay sculptures.
The Maijishan Grottoes were first built in the post-Qin period, and there are 221 caves and 10,632 clay sculptures and stone sculptures.
Maijishan Grottoes, because of its lifelike and exquisite clay statues, is one of the four major grottoes in China, and is known as the "Oriental Sculpture Art Exhibition Hall".
The statues of Maijishan, except for the early works, from the Northern Wei Dynasty, almost all of the Buddha statues are in the posture of bowing their heads and looking down, with amiable faces, which are the embodiment of people's good wishes.
Let us feel Maijishan's "smile" and appreciate the unique artistic atmosphere.
(produced by Niu Ye Studio)