The MaiJiShan Grottoes 麦积山石窟, TianShui, GanSu province

The MaiJiShan Grottoes are filled with thousands of Buddhist sculptures.

These were carved from the Wei dynasty to the Song dynasty by Buddhist monks who first came here via the North Silk Road.

The grottoes are close to TianShui, which is the second largest city in GanSu province in central China, with a population of approximately 3.5 milion. The city lies along the route of the ancient Northern Silk Road by the Wei River, through which much of the trade flowed between China and the West.

The Qin state, the founding dynasty of China, arose in this part of China.

GanSu map