Grotto of Maijishan

Maijishan Grotto is located in the Chinese province of Gansu. In fact, it is a rock consisting of a very fragile rock, in which more than 7,000 Buddhist sculptures and about 1,000 square meters of frescoes are carved. Of course, the name of this place comes from the name of the mountain in which the grottoes are built. It is believed that the history of these grottoes dates back to 400 AD, when Buddhism came to China from India.

Maijishan is located a few kilometers from the Great Silk Road. Mountains like this were a place of prayer for monks traveling the trade route. Most of the caves and statues appeared no earlier than 500 AD, but construction continued continuously until the beginning of the XX century.

Huge Buddhas are carved on a steep wall, more than 16 meters high. The stairs around the grottoes were originally made of wood, but were gradually replaced by metal ones. On the mountain are preserved the most ancient statues that were made by Indian masters. They are easily distinguished by the quality of stone and style.

The construction and reconstruction of Maijishan was carried out by 12 Chinese dynasties, so the mountain retains the spirit and faith of many generations of monks and artisans.