天水麦积山英语导游词

天水麦积山英语导游词
Maiji Mountain Grottoes
Dear my friends:
Welcome to Tianshui!
The climate of Tianshui is suitable for the survival of mankind. That m akes it become a cradle of the Chinese
nation. As we know, Fuxi and Nuwa who are the Chinese ancestors li ved here. They created the early period of
Chinese culture. For the suitable climate, there are many wonderful at tractions. This time we will go to Maiji
Mountain, and visit Maiji Mountain Grottoes.
Maiji Mountain is located 50 km far from Tianshui just to the south of Maiji Village. It is only 142 meters above the
ground, but the altitude of about 2,000 meters above the sea level. It i s a single and distinct peak of the xiaolong
Mountain of Western Qinling Range. Since it looks like a huge wheat straw pile from afar, it is called Maiji Mountain (the Wheat Straw Pile Mountain). The flouring various plants with clouds wrapping them in a blanket of mist create one of nature’s most majestic sights. In the late of the Western Hang Dynasty, it became the palace of Kui Xiao (隗嚣) who is a famous general of Tianshui. The Maiji Mountain Scenic A rea was listed as a famous resort under the
state protection by the State Council in 1982. And Maiji Mountain Grot toes are the most important area of it, which
rank the second in the four well-known grottoes in Gansu Province. ( The four well-known grottoes are Mogao
Grottoes, Maiji Mountain Grottoes, Bingling Temple Grottoes and Mati Temple Grottoes.)
The grottoes of Maiji Mountain are caved in the cliffs, which are in row s 20 to 30 meters or 70 to 80 meters above
the foot of mountain. That makes them look like a huge honeycomb in the distance. The wide of those grottoes
which are linked by some dangerous ways is from 3 meters to about 1 meter.
Maiji Mountain Grottoes were first dug in the Qin Dynasty of the Sixte en States Period (about 384 to 417 AD). And
the grottoes were cut and repaired in the successive dynasties of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei
Dynasty, the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dyna sty, the Five Dynasties, the Song Dynasty,
the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. An earthq uake which occurred in Tianshui during the
Tang Dynasty (734 AD) resulted in collapse of the cliff, and the grottoe s were subsequently divided into tow
sections: the Eastern and the Western with 54 and 140 grottoes respe ctively, which were called the Eastern
Pavilion and the Western Pavilion during the Five Dynasties.
In the Eastern, there is the Thousands of Buddhism Corridor, the Thro wing Flowers Building, the Upper Seven-Buddhism Pavilion, and the Middle Seven-Buddhism Pavilion, and so on. In the Western, there ar e 3 grottoes
which are the most famous. In them, the biggest is the Thousands of Buddhism Pavilion, the second is the
Heavenly Cave, and the smallest is the Cave NO.127, which were all cut in 6 AD.
There is a legend associated with the Throwing Flowers Building. It is said that Sakyamuni appeared here to
preach. During the first time, there were tens of thousands of disciples in the valley which was under the
Throwing Flowers Building. In order to know whether all of them unde rstand the Buddhist thoughts and tenets,
the 28 flying aspara threw different kinds of petals to them. If the disci ples understood, the petals would not fall,
but fall; if not, the petals would fall. It was surprised that all of the petal s rose. Now you can throw some pieces
of paper, you will find the pieces rise. Do you know why? Because the re is an air current which can make some
light things rise.
Though Maiji Mountain Grottoes are suffered many earthquakes and f ires, now there are 194 grottoes, more than
7,200 statues and over 1,300 square meters murals. As the stone of
Maiji Mountain is unfit for caving, most
statues are clay sculptures, but they are quite exquisite. The sculpture s are mainly images of Buddha and his
disciples, Bodhisattvas, the Heavenly Kings and Vajras. It is surprised that the sculptures have been preserved
well, even though the climate is wet in Maiji Mountain.
Like the earliest sculpture of Mogao Grottoes, the grottoes of Maiji Mo untain were obviously influenced by the
Indian style in 30 caves during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Wester n Wei Dynasty and the Northern Zhou
Dynasty. By the time of the Song Dynasty, the style was changed gre atly due to mixing the Indian culture and the
Central Chinese culture. The sculptures wear diverse countenance lo oking vivid. And the dress of them is soft and
natural. In the late period, the style was continuously improved on the basis of the Chinese current culture. So
the sculptures are more vivid than before and full of the interest of wor ldly life. However, since the Northern
Wei Dynasty, almost the sculptures bowed their heads, as if they were looking this world. They are the gods, but
they look like the human beings.
The grottoes of Maiji Mountain are of high values for the study on polit ic, economy and culture in ancient China,
even though they are the Buddhist arts. The grottoes embody the Chi nese national tradition and consciousness,
and also have the characteristic of making the form show the spirit. E specially the sculptures of the Sui and Tang
Dynasty are full and rounded, and in the Song Dynasty, they are thin, delicate and pretty. Maiji Mountain Grottoes
reflect the evolution of the clay sculptures art in China. They are referr ed to as “the treasure houses of oriental
sculptures”.。