How much does it cost to travel to Maijishan Grottoes on your own? Maijishan Self-Driving Tour Guide

The Maijishan Grottoes are located in Tianshui City, Gansu Province. The ancient Buddhist culture of the Northern Wei Dynasty here is left over and is well maintained. As an important tourist attraction in the northwest, the Maijishan Grottoes attract a large number of people every year. tourists come to watch and travel.

The trip to Maiji Mountain

Driving all night was really exhausting. The next morning, we arrived in Baoji and got up early to see the scenery in this section, which was the most beautiful in the entire trip. A paragraph, like a few beautiful illustrations suddenly inserted into a boring novel, makes your eyes light up. The green mountains are beautiful and straight, like a cheerful mountain girl, the train flows from her green skirt. She passed through the gap in her sleeves and raised her bright eyes, so beautiful that people couldn't let go.

After digging a hole through those mountains and walking a little further, we came to the place where Old Tang’s soul lingered, which is my hometown, Tianshui.

Huanshan Reservoir

After bidding farewell to the kind-hearted couple traveling with us at the station, we jumped on a bus to Maiji Grottoes without washing our faces and carrying Bag. Most of the people on the bus were locals, and at a glance among the crowds of different levels, they all had the same simple and similar faces, spoke a strong dialect, and chatted about trivial matters in life, neither joy nor sorrow, unlike what you hear most of the time in the south. They are all about houses or work, and any topic can come up in these aspects, making you feel like you are drowning in the same value judgments, and feel inexplicably tired and boring. Seeing the popularity of local people at this moment, it is all what life should be like, and the kindness makes me have the urge not to run out and wander again.

But it was just my thoughts at that moment. As Lao Tang said, the traveler's vision and the appearance of real life are not the same. Of course I am familiar with the dust, dryness, cramped space and chaotic traffic here. It is no different from most third- and fourth-tier small cities. People live in the mud with their backs to the sky and face to the earth all year round. Even the will to dream is vague and disgraced. Throughout my life, most of my attention has been on trivial matters like the east-west family, the short-term family, the king’s mother-in-law’s tofu sour. This has been the case for a long time, and it is precisely because of this that I have been forced to want to leave this place as if I were escaping.

After about an hour's drive, the car stopped at the foot of the mountain. There was a section of the road that required hiking. The midday sun was scorching and the blue sky was heartbreaking. We followed the footsteps of tourists and admired the flowers and trees. They were talking and laughing, and the locust trees on both sides seemed to have sprouted new buds due to the time difference in the north. There was a sense of slowness and slowness. Old Tang was walking in front with his hands behind his back. I suddenly remembered a story about "tying up" and "relieving oneself" that my father once told me, and I couldn't help laughing.

While we were walking side by side, I saw a tree and asked him, and he blurted out that it was toona sinensis. At first, I had some doubts, but seeing how confident he looked, I thought I might have made a mistake. However, I just At the next intersection, when bunches of flower spikes hung on a distant tree were blocked in front of us without any warning, Old Tang and I both looked at each other, and then he said dejectedly that it didn’t seem to be toon. Suddenly I He laughed out loud, as if he had grasped a rare handle and got carried away, secretly rejoicing that he also stumbled at times.

Finally arrived at the bottom of the mountain. Before I could calm down, my eyes were shocked by the sudden scene. Dangerous peaks rising from the ground like flying rocks, and the cliffs of the entire fault were carved into hundreds of pieces. The caves and Buddha statues are like beehives stinging the body of time, so beautiful that they hurt, they are magnificent and awe-inspiring. From this direction at the bottom of the mountain, you can see the entire East Cliff, and some tourists took pictures of the panoramic view as a souvenir.

We climbed from the west cliff of the entrance, and looked down on those flying planks with unaccustomed dizziness. I followed Old Tang closely, looking at the flowers, but I couldn't really understand it deeply. There is some kind of touching cultural belief behind its history, and it has been inherited for thousands of years. It has a certain concrete quality and is thrown into today's eyes. Even if I am superficial, I will take it seriously. It will not be like some understatement like be

hereseenthat. The weight of this kind of historical reality cannot be expressed on a plane or in words. Only when you get up close and look at it in person can you be impressed by it. Impressed by the magnificence.

A long view of Maiji Mountain

As one of the four major grottoes in China, the Maiji Grottoes are famous both at home and abroad for their exquisite clay sculpture art. Literati throughout the ages have long spoken of their exquisiteness. Unparalleled praise, it is true that human beings all have the same aesthetic appreciation for beautiful things. Nowadays, tourists’ viewing records are nothing more than superficial icing on the cake. If you want to examine its hidden religious value, cultural research, architectural art, etc., A few words are definitely not enough, but what you see is what you get. Even if you catch a glimpse of something, it is still worth the trip.

The mountain structure is a wooden hall-style stone-carved cliff pavilion, and the caves are mostly Buddhist hall-style without central pillar caves, which clearly have local characteristics. Due to the vicissitudes of time and the influence of the geographical environment, most of the murals here have peeled off, but some paintings from the Northern Dynasties still remain. The cities, palaces, chariots and costumes depicted in the murals mostly have Han cultural characteristics, reflecting the style of this period. life situations. In order to protect cultural relics and historic sites, most Buddhist niches have been protected by iron nets. Through the gaps, you can see Buddha statues with different expressions. With the changes of dynasties, people have also integrated the emotions of the times when shaping their bodies. Today, they look like a Buddha. The vivid expressions are concentrated into a series of pavilions, which are rich and interesting.

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Buddha on the side of the wall

Follow the winding imitation wooden plank road and turn around the west cliff to the top of the east cliff. There are two majestic sculptures on both sides. They are ferocious but not ugly. , should be a kind of majestic and upright protection, and in the collapsed cliff pavilion in the middle, there is a Bodhisattva sitting cross-legged with kind eyes, and some wishing coins are scattered on the front desk, which looks calm and compassionate. On the way down, the railing overlooks the distance, and the broad field of vision is represented by the greenery in the ancient scroll scrolls, the breeze is facing the face, and it is difficult to hide the soothing mood. There is a relief statue on the facade, which is a legacy of the late Northern Wei Dynasty. It stands majestically. Parts of the mud body peeled off, revealing the bones and wood of the years. The long-lasting atmosphere is fascinating. I secretly sighed: In which cold weapon era, how did people cut stones and transport wood to build such a great building? There should be too many unspeakable and unspeakable things. The wall is molded into the Buddha's body, and admiration arises spontaneously.

On the way back, it was already past lunch time and I ate local specialties at a farmhouse stall on the roadside. Although it was in a scenic spot, the portions were absolutely honest, the condiments were refreshing, and there was no unnecessary greasy food. The sauce is a joy to eat, and accompanied by the light bitterness of wild vegetables, this meal should be the most authentic hometown taste I will have in all my subsequent trips. However, my friend then revealed his southern nature's appetite for meat. He found it too bland and couldn't get used to it. It was far different from his impression of the Northwest habit of eating meat dipped in salt. He complained to me from time to time that he didn't have enough to eat. However, complaining is a complaint, and one should do as the Romans do, and one has to tolerate eating bran-flavored vegetables. I took him to a restaurant to eat at night. The consequences can be imagined. This dinner must have become a nightmare that he did not want to mention during his trip to the northwest.

A day in Xianren Cliff

The word "Zhi" in the dialect means cliff, so "Xianren Cliff" is generally called "Xianren Cliff" among the local people. At first it sounded like I was shocked, but later I felt that it was so thorough and direct that I could express the meaning of the original limitation and failure in one word.

Originally, I didn’t have a specific travel guide. I had enough time and wanted to visit one scenic spot in one day. That's it, I took the special bus in the same direction as yesterday the next day. Because the distance was similar, the general scenery along the way had already been experienced yesterday, and I lost my new ideas. I bumped to the bottom of the mountain with the dream I had not yet had last night. I didn't expect it to be so cold here. The temperature was much lower than outside, and there was a cold wind blowing. I could feel goosebumps trembling with my arms.

There are several restaurants at the entrance of the scenic spot. In the farmhouse restaurant, a pavilion built in the courtyard to entertain tourists began to climb up. There was a large garden, surrounded by green hills, with water in front of the door, and wispy clouds hanging in the clear blue sky. < /p>

There are not many tourists and it is not a large scale. Occasionally, tourists come to have a casual meal and travel for a while as if they are guests. Everything has a light feeling.

Maybe it is too much publicity. Because of the strong civilization of Ji, "Xianren Cliff" is somewhat ignored.

In fact, when locals who know the truth mention these two places, their evaluation is no less than the recommendation of Maiji Mountain. , when it comes to the comprehensiveness of its culture and the appreciation of mountains and forests, "Xianren Cliff" may be better. It is composed of three cliffs, five peaks and six temples. The green peaks tower on the top of the cliff, and the temples are built on the top of the peak or between the flying cliffs. , is a unique scenic spot where Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism exist.

Naturally, it is another journey of humanities and history. As soon as Lao Tang went up the mountain, he found a bird climbing on the rock wall. The squirrel looked smart and had a big tail raised. I thought to myself, shouldn't squirrels always live in trees? With confusion, we wandered freely among the rows of mid-mountain buildings. Most of them were historical sites from the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It has been repaired and is somewhat dilapidated. There are also remaining grotto shrines from the Northern Wei Dynasty with murals from the Tang Dynasty. They originated at the same time as Maiji Mountain. Unfortunately, most of them were damaged and there are very few left.

Looking at the front, it seems that pedestrians are paying homage. I ran to one of the more numerous temples and saw a statue of the God of Wealth. I kowtowed and worshiped along with others, and then left with satisfaction? ?

The small temple on the mountain

is on. In the following time, I was exhausted from running around the East Cliff, West Cliff, Luohan Temple, Jade Emperor Peak and other scenic spots. After being astonished by the ancient and magnificent ruins one after another, this place is very It almost made me tired of aesthetics, just like a big meal with all kinds of top-quality seafood as dumplings.

Recalling the embarrassment that day, I really didn’t bring a penny, not even money to buy water. , but I was embarrassed to reach out to ask for it from Old Tang. I walked slower and slower, and distanced myself from Old Tang. There was no one else on the road going down the mountain. The midday sun made the ground hot. I paced behind reluctantly. , Old Tang looked back at me under a walnut tree in the distance. From a distance, I could see his care and fatherly aura, which was fixed in the meaning of my trip.

Most of the time, people tend to be a little light-hearted in the face of joy, otherwise how could there be a saying that extreme joy brings sorrow?

After having lunch with Old Tang at the farmhouse at the foot of the mountain, it was still early to go back, so I shouted to go to the Pure Land Temple. The fork in the road clearly marked the distance of two kilometers, but I felt like I walked nearly ten kilometers on that stretch of road.

The newly built road has no green shade, and the two people are exposed to the sun with an unobstructed view. Along the road, although they cherish the beautiful scenery, they can't see the end, like two people who are reluctant to eat. The ice cream in the palm of my hand was about to melt.

Looking at Old Tang wearing a cotton shank, I felt relatively cool, and I felt sorry for him for a moment. However, it later proved that I was still inexperienced. When I came back, I found that I had become a fire stick, and he was so wrapped up that Yan Shi was completely unscathed. This contrast made me feel a little worried. ?

Judeji Temple

I was already exhausted when I arrived at Pureland Temple, and no matter how beautiful the scenery was, I couldn’t catch my eyes that were about to close. At that time, the temple was still under large-scale construction and was not complete. Standing in the front pavilion of the central building and looking towards the mountain stream, one could tell from the planned foundations that this place would become a magnificent scenic special area in the future, but this time it was considered a failure. So empty, I stayed for a while and then turned back. On the way back, Old Tang said thoughtfully that he wanted to come again in the future. I listened intently. I don’t know whether it was the sound of the car on the gravel road or being too sleepy. I felt that it should be It’s a long time coming, so I answered him, ten years.

A glimpse of Shimen

A view of Shimen Mountain from afar

Before going to Shimen, it is worth mentioning that we met on a private tour bus Very northwest, the driver is a straightforward person, speaks very fast, does not negotiate prices, and does not bully the market, but he will use his power to push others away if he disagrees with him. During this period, a tourist thought the fare was too expensive. He took a taxi and wandered around the station but couldn't find another bus. He licked his eyelids and came back. Old Tang and I both laughed happily. I asked him if he understood. He said he didn't understand, but I felt that he was a genuine person, but he didn't mean to embarrass that person.

Before driving, he also asked us to eat enough at the station, buy enough water, told us that things in the scenic spots were expensive, and held the children and adults to calculate a ticket. Such warm details made me immediately appreciate it. He was impressed.

After we got on the bus, a white-haired old man struck up a conversation with us and told us about the scenery of Shimen and some simple viewing routes, some local temple fairs and lost customs. I could tell from what he said The human feelings of earlier years and the sophistication of the future can be distinguished in the tone of my voice, like frames of images flashing through my mind. I am ashamed of the inheritance and love of local culture by the older generation, and I actually live like a foreigner.

The Shimen Scenic Area, known as the "Little Huangshan Mountain", is actually an exaggeration by the locals. However, compared to the mounds on the high loess slopes, there are only a handful of strange peaks and mountains here, and they are not too high. The modification, on the contrary, has a primitive vastness. There are mostly temples from the Ming and Qing dynasties on the mountain. Except for the occasional pilgrims who come to offer incense, the front door is deserted. This place has almost been forgotten by the busy people. The only ones left are the legends that are widely circulated among the people. When I was a child, Some of the scenes or names that my parents occasionally mentioned seemed to lose the legendary flavor of the story when they were presented to me at this moment. ?

On this day, with Old Tang’s permission, I took a few photos as a souvenir. It’s hard to imagine that such an immoral person was shocking. He actually asked me on camera if I had photographed his “Monro Lisa” smile. I didn’t react for a while. I was completely confused. Later, I turned to the photo many times. I haven't found the so-called "Monro Lisa" when I look at the photo album, but there is an unnatural look similar to the one who forgets her words on stage and tries to remain calm.

There is not much order to list the memories of that day. From which mountain top to which temple, or from which story to connect to a certain legend. Similar scenes in the past few days made me want to visit this place. Shallow, but fortunately there are always some surprises that can make up for the shortcomings. I went back to the car in the same way. In the dull and hot car in the afternoon, I felt sleepy. When I woke up, I found that my head was on Old Tang's shoulder. He was not there. It was quite embarrassing to wake me up and let me sleep on my pillow all the way. When he saw me waking up and smiling at me, at that moment, I felt that he was really a good person.

Finally, before I left, I had a nice meal of mutton dumplings and ordered two bottles of beer. Old Tang refused to drink, so I felt a little drunk after drinking alone, so I pulled him along and trotted away happily. some way.

It started to rain. After returning to the residence, Old Tang sat on the sofa and smoked. I stood in front of the window and watched the red sunset leaving a shadow on the ripples of the ancient Wei River. As thousands of years of past events flow quietly away in the murky river, I feel like I haven’t looked at my hometown so seriously for a long time. There is a rhythm of time being slowed down. I think of Thomas Wolfe’s confrontation with Max in "The Genius Catcher" some time ago. The last words I wrote: "The important thing is that my feelings for you will never change, just like when you came to pick me up at the pier on the 11th, we climbed up to the top of the building and felt the warmth, warmth, glory and radiance of life together. That’s the kind of power that comes out.”

Ending:

The journey is over and I am back. There is nothing more familiar than life, the accumulated work on hand, the crowded subway, and the unpalatable alley food.

It’s so familiar, as if the past few days were just a dream - those green mountains and white clouds no longer exist. Buried in the busyness of life, there is not much time to reflect on the joys and sorrows of life. It was only when Old Tang started to give me frequent likes, cares, and greetings that I suddenly felt that we had had an unparalleled trip.

It took me almost a week to complete it intermittently. I would occasionally write a short paragraph on the subway or before going to bed. It is not really a travel note, because most of the historical scenery involved are reflections. Chen Fake narrate.

But I know that those fleeting and wonderful moments, whether they are scenery or people, are the most memorable parts for me, and there is nothing wrong with them.

As I get older, I gradually understand the fragility of the relationship between people. Some beautiful things, even if they are short-lived and unreliable, give the current pale life a reason to continue.