THE SILK ROAD TOUR - continued

Day 9  6th June 2012

Lanzhou -  Tianshui , a 2 hour journey.  After lunch we visited the Fuxi Temple.

Fuxi Temple has numerous courts and four compounds. Ten historic buildings in the temple include the theatrical stage, archways, the main gate, the instrumental gate, Congenital Temple, Taiji Temple, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and Laihe Hall. Six new buildings include Waiting Rooms, the Tablet Gallery and exhibition halls. There are about 76 buildings.Fuxi Temple is a large and well preserved Ming Dynasty architectural complex. It was built about the year 1490 to worship the god Fuxi who was believed to be one of the ancestors of all Chinese.

-Maiji mountain  grottoes


Located 45 kilometers (about 28 miles) southeast of Tianshui City in Gansu Province, Maiji Mountain rises up abruptly 142 meters (about 155 yards) from the landscape. The people named the mountain 'Maiji' because it resembles a stack of wheat straw (mai meaning wheat, and ji meaning stack).

On the sheer cliff that marks the southwest side of Maiji Mountain, people have laboured for centuries carving niches and caves, giving rise to what is known today as the Maiji Caves. Inside the caves are clay statues, whose heights vary from 20 centimeters to 15 meters. Besides 194 Buddhist caves and niches, containing more than 7, 200 clay statues, there are also murals of over 1, 300 square meters in the Maiji Caves as well. These statues are works of art that reflect ancient craftsmanship and dedication to the Buddhist ideal. Rarely can one find caves and statues carved over sheer cliffs in China, and this is one of the most distinguishing features of Maiji Caves. Being carved on the cliff, these caves are connected by plank roads that hang precariously along the face of the cliff. Visitors can only reach each cave by using these plank roads, which offers a breathtaking experience.

to be continued