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The Maijishan Grottoes are named for the mountain's shape, which resembles a farmer's stack of wheat, and were founded during the Later Qin period. After more than 1600 years of excavation and restoration, there are currently 221 cave niches, 10,632 Buddha statues, and over 1300 square meters of murals. The Maijishan Grottoes are one of China's 'Four Great Grottoes' and are known as the 'Oriental Sculpture Gallery.' It is also the only royal grotto built on a cliff. The Maijishan Grottoes are divided into ordinary and special caves, with the special caves having higher artistic value or historical significance, hence the different admission fees. The 179 ordinary caves with the most ornamental value include: Cave 13: The Eastern Cliff Great Buddha, the largest statue in Maijishan, where a Song dynasty Ding ware porcelain bowl and a Tang dynasty copy of the 'Golden Light Sutra' were unearthed from the main Buddha's brow. Cave 9: The Seven Buddhas Pavilion, with seven Buddha niches, each containing one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas. The fourth niche's ceiling features a double-headed child image (the shared-life bird) and the allegory 'harming others ultimately harms oneself.' Cave 3: The Thousand Buddha Corridor, with 258 Buddha statues, each with a different face. Cave 4: The Upper Seven Buddhas Pavilion, the most stunning, with original Northern Zhou dynasty murals on the ceiling, especially the five thin-flesh sculptures of exceptional artistic standard. Cave 5: The Cattle Hall, with the main statue being a reclining Buddha, one of the very few Tang dynasty statues remaining, and the 'Stepping on the Bull Heavenly King' in the front corridor is worth seeing. Cave 98: The Western Cliff Great Buddha, where rare coin necklaces were unearthed from the main Buddha's chest. Cave 147: The Western Wei coiled hair Buddha statue with delicate facial features, the only Northern Wei statue in Maijishan, and also my favorite. The 15 special caves with the most ornamental value include: Cave 133: The Ten Thousand Buddhas Cave, home to Maijishan's most famous novice monk 'The Smile of the East,' a millennium-old smile, a Song dynasty sculptural masterpiece of Sakyamuni meeting his son, and the only Buddha's life story stele in China. Cave 135: 'Heaven Cave,' unique for the three '品' shaped square holes above the cave door serving as windows. Cave 127: The cave with the richest murals in Maijishan. An additional fee of 180 yuan per person per cave is charged for these three caves. Cave 43: The tomb of Empress Yifu. Cave 62: The best-preserved Northern Zhou Buddha cave. Cave 121: The Whispering Figures, with the most unique expressions in Buddhist art. Cave 123: Images of young boys and girls, innocent and childlike. Cave 142: The Mother and Child Donor Figures. An additional fee of 160 yuan per person per cave is charged for these five caves. Cave 44: Empress Yifu of the Western Wei dynasty, whose smile is exquisitely carved. Cave 74: The earliest existing statue in Maijishan. Cave 76: The most complete flying apsaras ceiling in Maijishan. Cave 78: The Three-Worlds Buddha statue. Cave 102: The Householder Bodhisattva Vimalakirti. Cave 115: The only cave with a dated statue. Cave 155: The earliest disciple figure in Maijishan. An additional fee of 100 yuan per person per cave is charged for these seven caves. The Buddha statues in Maijishan are different from those in the other three grottoes in that they all have a posture of looking down, as if the gods of heaven are like the people of the world, most with a smile, making them the most approachable Buddhas. The 'smile' in the Maijishan statues appears light as clouds and wind, yet it is serene and heartfelt, stemming from the ancient craftsmen's pursuit of perfection. 1600 years ago, with the same clay and the same techniques, the craftsmen of Qinzhou devoutly sculpted their envisioned statues in Maijishan, allowing the 'Smile of the East' to span a thousand years with just one glance.
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*Created by local travelers and translated by AI.
Posted: Jul 13, 2024
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