麦积山英语导游词

麦积山导游词Maiji Mountain GrottoesDear my friends:Welcome to Tianshui!The climate of Tianshui is suitable for the survival of mankind. That makes it become a cradle of the Chinese nation. As we know, Fuxi and Nuwa who are the Chinese ancestors lived here. They created the early period of Chinese culture. For the suitable climate, there are many wonderful attractions. 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 is 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 Area was listed as a famous resort under the state protection by the State Council in 1982. And Maiji Mountain Grottoes 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 rows 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 Sixteen 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 Dynasty, the Five Dynasties, the Song Dynasty, the Yuan Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty. An earthquake which occurred in Tianshui during the Tang Dynasty (734 AD) resulted in collapse of the cliff, and the grottoes were subsequently divided into tow sections: the Eastern and the Western with 54 and 140 grottoes respectively, 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 Throwing Flowers Building, the Upper Seven-Buddhism Pavilion, and the Middle Seven-Buddhism Pavilion, and so on. In the Western, there are 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 theThrowing Flowers Building. In order to know whether all of them understand the Buddhist thoughts and tenets, the 28 flying aspara threw different kinds of petals to them. If the disciples understood, the petals would not fall, but fall; if not, the petals would fall. It was surprised that all of the petals rose. Now you can throw some pieces of paper, you will find the pieces rise. Do you know why? Because there is an air current which can make some light things rise.Though Maiji Mountain Grottoes are suffered many earthquakes and fires, 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 sculptures 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 Mountain were obviously influenced by the Indian style in 30 caves during the Northern Wei Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty and the Northern Zhou Dynasty. By the time of the Song Dynasty, the style was changed greatly due to mixing the Indian culture and the Central Chinese culture. The sculptures wear diverse countenance looking 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 worldly 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 politic, economy and culture in ancient China, even though they are the Buddhist arts. The grottoes embody the Chinese national tradition and consciousness, and also have the characteristic of making the form show the spirit. Especially 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 referred to as “the treasure houses of oriental sculptures”.。