Mountain Maiji Scenic Zone is situated in the east part of the northern sub-range of Mountain West Qinling, 45km away from the Tianshui City.
It is named after the wheat-stack-like mountain, also known as Maiji Cliff. Occupying an area of 215 sq.km, it includes Mountain Maiji, The immortal Cliff, Stone Gate, Quxi Brook and the old town Jieting, among which Mountain Maiji is the most famous.
Mountain Maiji (wheat straw in Chinese) enjoys the typical landscape of Danxia landform. The environment is tranquil with steep cliffs standing high and dense trees surrounded. Initially carved in 384, and experienced 1500-year-long subsequent carving since Northern Wei Dynasty till Qing Dynasty, Mountain Maiji Grottoes has been one of the four biggest cave complex in China. It remains 194 caves with 7,200 clay and stone statues and 1300-sq.m of murals in all and is reputed as the “Art Gallery of the Oriental Sculpture”. Mountain Maiji Grottoes is the most beautiful one among the others of those kinds in China, its clay sculptures feature in both form and spirit, fully reflecting the real life of common people of the past. |