Discovering millennia of civilization carved in cliffs: Russian journalists explore Maiji Mountain Grottoes

A delegation of journalists from mainstream Russian media outlets recently visited the Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Tianshui city, northwest China's Gansu Province, to explore this artistic treasure trove that dates back over 1600 years.

First built in the Later Qin (384–417) era of the Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, and constructed and restored in over 10 dynasties, it is one of China's four largest Buddhist cave complexes, along with the Mogao, Yungang and Longmen grottoes in Gansu, Shanxi and Henan provinces respectively.

Carved into steep cliffs, the grotto is renowned for exquisite and well-preserved clay sculptures. Today, it houses 221 grottoes, over 10,600 sculptures, and more than 1,000 square meters of murals, showcasing ancient Chinese religious, artistic, and architectural brilliance. In 2014, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Following winding plank paths, the journalists climbed up the mountainside to admire the intricate details of the statues up close, marveling at the extraordinary craftsmanship of ancient artisans who worked on such steep cliffs.