Tianshui Travel Guide: Maijishan Grottoes, Fuxi Temple and a Bowl of Malatang
Tianshui, in eastern Gansu, is worth a stop for the Maijishan Grottoes: 194 caves cut into a red sandstone outcrop shaped like a haystack, with thousands of clay Buddhist figures reached by stacked cliff-face walkways. They were begun around 400 CE and are part of the Silk Roads World Heritage listing. In 2026 the standard grotto ticket is ¥80, and bus 60 runs straight there from Tianshui South high-speed station. Spend a day at the caves and a morning in town at the Ming-era Fuxi Temple. In 2024 the city also went viral for its malatang.
Getting in and where to stay
Tianshui South station, in Maiji District, is on the Baoji–Lanzhou section of the Xuzhou–Lanzhou high-speed line and handles all of the city's bullet trains between Xi'an and Lanzhou. The older Tianshui station also sits in Maiji District, while the old city centre, Qinzhou District, lies farther west. Tram Line 1 links Wulipu in Qinzhou with Tianshui railway station.
For Maijishan, bus 60 runs direct from Tianshui South, and bus 34 runs from the old Tianshui station. Stay in Qinzhou for food and the Fuxi Temple, or in Maiji District if you want the first bus to the caves.
Places worth visiting
Maijishan Grottoes
The hill rises in the forested hills southeast of the city, roughly 45 km from the old centre. Work began under the Later Qin (384–417), whose ruler Yao Xing promoted Buddhism. Around 420 the monk Tanhung founded a community here that grew to 300 monks. An earthquake split the cliff into east and west faces, and walkways now zigzag across both. The caves are famous for clay rather than stone. Chinese Wikipedia counts 7,866 clay figures among more than 12,000 sculptures, plus about 1,000 m² of murals, which is why the site is called the "sculpture gallery of the East". Early figures show Central Asian and even Indian features; Song and Ming repairs made later ones look more Chinese.
The standard route takes you along the walkways past cave mouths. Many caves are viewed through grilles or doorways, so a small torch helps. Allow three to four hours, and expect stairs and exposed heights.
The special caves
A handful of "special caves" open only with a guide, in small groups, on a separate ticket bought at the guide service centre below the cave plaza. In 2026 Caves 127, 133 and 135 cost ¥180 each, Caves 43, 62, 121, 123 and 142 cost ¥160, and seven others ¥100. Cave 43 is the tomb-cave of Empress Yifu of the Western Wei, with the earliest cliff-pavilion façade at the site. Seeing every special cave would cost over ¥2,000, which drew public complaints in 2026, so pick one or two.
The cliff walkways
The east face is 53 m long, with caves up to 37 m above the base; the west face is 63 m long, with caves up to 47 m. The walkways are railed but narrow and stacked. People with a fear of heights should look at a photo like this one first. The 1950s numbering system is still in use: Caves 1–50 are on the west face and the higher numbers on the east.
Fuxi Temple
In Qinzhou, the Fuxi Temple honours the mythical ancestor Fuxi, and Tianshui calls itself his home. It was founded in 1347 and given its present layout in Ming expansions, then repaired under the Qing. A theatre stage stands across the road from the gate. On the central axis, the Xiantian Hall has seven bays and a double-eaved roof and holds a painted Fuxi statue, with the Taiji Hall behind. Give it an hour.
Other stops
Tianshui's lists also include Nanguo Temple on the hill south of town, the Daoist Yuquan Temple, the Xianrenya cliff temples near Maijishan and, much farther out, the Neolithic Dadiwan site. Treat them as extras if you have a second day.
When to come
April to June and September to October are best. The grottoes' high season runs 1 April to 31 October, 08:30–17:30; off-season hours are 09:00–17:00. Summer storms make the walkways slick, and in winter there is ice. Weekday mornings are quieter.
Eating in Tianshui
Malatang made Tianshui famous in March 2024. The local version is fragrant rather than hot, built on Gangu chili, grown here for more than 400 years, and Maiji Sichuan pepper, often with hand-rolled potato noodles. Look also for guagua, a buckwheat jelly crust eaten with chili oil, sesame oil, vinegar and garlic. Both are easy to find in Qinzhou.
How to arrange the route
- Day 1: train to Tianshui South, bus 60 to Maijishan, a full afternoon at the caves.
- Day 2: Fuxi Temple and a malatang lunch in Qinzhou, then a train on to Lanzhou or Xi'an.
For more of Gansu, Longnan lies south and Dingxi northwest toward Lanzhou. Zhangye and the Hexi Corridor are a separate trip.
What to cut if short on time
Keep Maijishan. With only one day, go straight from the station to the caves, skip the special caves unless you love sculpture, and eat in town that evening.
Things to confirm before you go
- Maijishan hours and which caves are open; some close in rotation for conservation.
- Special cave tickets, sold on site only with a guide.
- Bus 60 and 34 times and the last bus back.
- Photography rules inside the caves.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Maijishan ticket?
¥80 for the grottoes in 2026, or ¥25 for the scenic area without the cave walkways. Special caves are extra, ¥100–180 each.
How do I get from Tianshui South station to Maijishan?
Take bus 60 straight to the scenic area. A taxi is faster.
Is Maijishan suitable for people afraid of heights?
The walkways are railed but high and narrow. The ¥25 ticket lets you view the cliff from below without climbing.
Sources
The facts in this article were checked against the following sources, retrieved September 18, 2026, and rechecked on October 21, 2026.
- Tianshui https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianshui
- Maijishan Grottoes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maijishan_Grottoes
- 天水市 (Chinese Wikipedia) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/天水市
- 麦积山石窟 (Chinese Wikipedia) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/麦积山石窟
- 伏羲庙 (天水) (Chinese Wikipedia) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/伏羲庙_(天水)
- Maijishan Grottoes, Dunhuang Academy https://www.dha.ac.cn/skxl/mjssk.htm
- Special cave pricing response (Jiemian) https://www.jiemian.com/article/14899061.html
- Maijishan summer 2026 visitor notice (Tianshui Online) http://www.tianshui.com.cn/news/tianshui/2026071511053892435.htm
- Tianshui malatang and Gangu chili (Xinhua, March 2024) http://gs.news.cn/20240320/a2d31e8e1ada4b35b1201e9702ac79b2/c.html
Ticket prices are 2026 listings; check the official notice before you go.
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under stated licenses; re-use requires attribution.
- tianshui-maijishan-hill.jpg from File:Majishan entire hill 20090226.jpg, by MarsmanRom, CC BY-SA 3.0
- tianshui-maijishan-grottoes.jpg from File:Maijishan Grottoes 2.JPG, by Shizhao, CC BY-SA 3.0
- tianshui-maijishan-statue.jpg from File:Bodhisattva2 at MaiJiShan.jpg, by Farm, CC BY-SA 3.0