Maijishan Grottoes: The Oriental Sculpture Museum in Tianshui City

Written by Veronica | Updated March 03,2026

Maijishan Grottoes is the core scenic spot of Maijishan Scenic Area and China’s 5A tourist attraction. Because its mountain shape resembles the wheat stack piled up by farmers, it is called Maijishan.

As one of the four major grottoes in China, Maijishan Grottoes are known as the “Oriental Sculpture Museum”. The other three grottoes are Longmen Grottoes, Yungang Grottoes and Dunhuang Mogaoku Grottoes. On 22 June 2014, the Maijishan Grottoes were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

 Maijishan Grottoes Facts

• Location: Maijishan scenic spot, Maiji District, Tianshui City, Gansu Province
• Ticket Price: 80 yuan/person
• Sightseeing Bus Fare: 15 yuan/person round trip; 8 yuan/person single trip
• Opening Time: 8:00-17:00 during May 1^stto October 31th (no entry at 16:30); 9:00-17:00 during November 1^st to April 30^th (no entry at 16:30)

Overview of Maijishan Grottoes

Among all the grottoes in China, the clay sculptures in Maijishan Grottoes are the oldest and most complete, especially with superb painting and carving skills. Maijishan Grottoes were built in the late Qin Dynasty (384-417) and flourished in the Northern Wei Dynasty (477-534). After the death of Empress Yifu of Emperor Wen of Western Wei Dynasty, he commanded workers to excavate Maijishan as a niche to bury her.

After the Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties craftsmen continued to excavate and expand. There are 221 caves in Maijishan Grottoes, 3,938 statues of various types, and nearly 1,000 square meters of murals. Around the Kaiyuan period in the Tang Dynasty (734), a strong earthquake occurred, causing the middle of the cliff of the grottoes collapsed. Maijishan grottoes has since been divided into two parts: east cliff and west cliff.

 

What to See in Maijishan Grottoes

There are 54 preserved caves on the east cliff and 140 on the west cliff of Maijishan Grottoes.

East Cliff

Nirvana Cave, Thousands Buddha Gallery, and Seven Buddha Pavilions are the most exquisite on the east cliff. In front of Nirvana Cave there are four short stone pillars with lotus relief engraved on them. The design idea is extremely ingenious because top of the column was carved flame relief instead of using brackets. Thousands Buddha Gallery is 32 meters long, and 258 clay statues of gods are arranged in two layers on the cliff, with different expressions and lifelike appearance.

West Cliff

It gathers the most valuable caves, such as Wan Buddha Hall, Heaven Cave, Cave 121 and Cave 165, etc. There is a 3.5-meter-high Buddha statue in the Wan Buddha Hall, with eyes slightly closed and hands in the position of Jieyin. In addition, there are more than 30 clay sculptures in the hall. Heaven Cave, also named Cave 135, is the highest cave in Maijishan Grottoes, and it is full of large stone statues. The middle sculpture is 1.95 meters high, and the left and right statues are 1.28 meters high, each weighing about two or three tons.

The Miracle of Architectural Art

The 142-meter-high cliff features a 14-story skywalk that connects 221 caves. Tourists walk through the steep stairway, as if walking in mysterious history. On one side is the chisel marks left over thousands of years, and on the other side is the lush forest. Maijishan Grottoes stand there quietly waiting for human’s exploration and appreciation.

Architecture Style of Maijishan Grottoes

Maijishan Grottoes are renowned at home and abroad for their delicate clay sculptures. The sculptures here are mainly clay sculptures and stone sculptures. If Dunhuang Grottoes is a mural palace, then Maijishan Grottoes is a magnificent sculpture hall. Some big statues can be up to 16 meters tall, while the smaller ones are just over 10 centimeters.

Maijishan Grottoes’ statue boast strong national consciousness and secularization trend. Since the Northern Wei Dynasty, almost all Buddha statues have been in the posture of bowing down and looking down, with amiable faces. These statues, while representing gods, are not inaccessible and have emotions like ordinary people.

In terms of shape and clothing, statues are gradually getting rid of the influence of foreign art, so that Maijishan Grottoes show characteristics of the localization and Han nationality. For example, although the Bodhisattva statues in cave 74 and Cave 78 have a typical Gandhara style, but the cave shape is modeled after the architecture of the ethnic minorities in northern China.

Maijishan Grottoes not only displays the characteristics of statues of different periods in China over the past thousand years, but also shows the evolution of Chinese clay sculpture art.

How to Visit the Maijishan Grottoes

Classic Tour Route of Maijishan Grottoes

Line 1: Entrance east gate → 168 stone steps → Cave 3 → Cave 4 → Cave 5 → Overpass → Cave 98 → Cave 191 → West cliff exit.

Line 2: Entrance east gate → Cave 9 → Cave 13 → Cave 15 → Cave 43 → Cave 44 → Middle District Passage → Cave 78 → Cave 74 caves → Cave 94 → Cave 191 → West Cliff exit.

How to Get to Maijishan Grottoes

By bus: From Tianshui city you can take bus No. 5, 16, 34 or 60 to Maijishan Station, which is next to Maijishan Scenic Area.

By taxi: Taking a taxi from Tianshui South Station to Maijishan Grottoes costs about 80 yuan, but be aware that the driver may take a detour. ‌

By self-driving: It takes about 2-3 hours to drive from the city center.

Essential Tips for Visiting Maijishan Grottoes

• A knowledgeable local guide enables you to have a deeper understanding of the stories behind each statue and the artistic value.
• Spring and autumn are the most suitable seasons to visit Mazigshan. During these periods, the climate is pleasant, and flowers are in full bloom, or the leaves are golden.
• Inside the Maijishan Grottoes, don’t use the camera. Flashlights are strictly prohibited to protect the cultural relics from damage.
• The walking path is relatively steep. Wear appropriate shoes and clothing.
• Due to the narrow walkways, please queue up and enter the grottoes in an orderly manner. People with high blood pressure or low blood sugar should be cautious when walking the walkways.
• The rain and snow weather may cause small rockfalls on the mountain. Please pass quickly through the exit on the west cliff, close to the inner side of the cliff.
• There are two restrooms in the grotto area, one at the exit on the west cliff and the other at the bottom of the square steps.

Attractions nearby Maijishan Grottoes

• • Yuquan Temple: It is a‌Taoist temple with long history‌. Every year on the ninth day of the first lunar month, large-scale activities will be held to commemorate the birth of the Jade Emperor.
  • Fuxi Temple: Itis the largest building complex of worshiping Fuxi in China, and is the only temple with Fuxi statues in China.
  • Maiji National Forest Park: It is located about 45 kilometers southeast of Tianshui City, with vast forests and rich wildlife resources. ‌
  • Xianren Cliff: It is located in Maijishan Scenic Area and is famous for its magnificent Danxia landform.

 

Recommended Silk Road Tours with Maijishan Grottoes

• Maijishan Grottoes Day Tour by Bullet Train from Xian
• 7 Days Silk Road Tour: Xian to Dunhuang by High-speed Train
• 15 Days Silk Road Tour: Xian-Gansu-Qinghai-Xinjiang-Yinchuan