Immortal Cliff Grottoes

The Immortal Cliff Grottoes are in the Maijishan Scenic zone about 65 kilometers southeast from Tianshui. It was named according a legend: "the immortal shows the way with lamps." It was thought of as a gathering place for immortals. Now it is a grotto temple displaying interaction between Buddhism and Daoism. The Immortal Cliff site consists of three cliffs, six temples and Wulian Mountain, 27 palaces of the Ming and Qing dynasties, 54 houses, 197 statues of the Beiwei, Song, Ming and Qing dynasties, 83 square meters of frescoes, and 5 precious Buddhist bronze statues from the period of Emperor Yongle's reign. Of the three cliffs, the west cliff has the largest area and the most Buddha halls. More than 100 statues of Buddha in the 14 temples and halls may be appreciated as art