|
Maiji Mountain Grottoes
 One
of the four large grotto groups in China, it is located in the mountains
45 kilometers southeast of Tianshui City, Gansu Province. Maiji(Wheat
stack) mountain looks like a wheat stack so this is how its name was derived
as Maijishan in ancient times. The grottoes were first cut in the 5th
century and there are now 194 grottoes with about 7,000 sculptures and
mural paintings.
The sculptures show the development
of the Chinese clay sculpture art . The high-relief pieces and round pieces
on and off the walls are fine illustrations of artistic accomplishment.
The high and precipitous location of the Maiji Grottoes is rare among
all existing grottoes in China. Most are on steep precipices with overhanging
rocks, 20 to 30 or even 80 meters above the ground. The grottoes are linked
by plank-built paths along the face of the cliffs. People have to go through
the small precarious paths to enter the " Buddhist Kingdom",
and the experience alone in itself is fascinating.
Go to other Highlights in Gansu >>>
Echoing-sand Mountain
|
Mogan
Mountain is 13 kilometers northwest of Deqing County. Legend has it
that in the later years of the Spring and Autumn Period (770 B.C.-476B.C.),
a local couple named Mo Ye and Gan Jiang, , were casting a sword for
the King of Wu Kingdom in the mountain and died immediately upon completion
of the sword. It was due to the mysterious circumstances that local
people named the mountain after the couple. The mountain is 719 meters
high with a circumference of over 50 kilometers. In the mountain are
a variety of bamboo forests and numerous clear, trickling springs. Besides,
there are a lot of scenic spots for tourists to visit, such as the Sword
Pool, the Yinshan Hill, the Sky Pond, the Heavenly Bridge, and others.