Among the caves in the east part, the most exquisite ones include the Nivara Cave, the One-Thousand Buddha Corridor and the Pavilions of Seven Buddha in the Building of Scattering Flowers. Before the Nivara Cave, there are four stubby stone poles, which are decorated with Flaming Pearls instead of arches on the top. Such kind of design method is extremely ingenious. The Nivara Cave was completed in the last years of the Northern Wei Dynasty and regarded as the gem of the grotto buildings. The One-Thousand Buddha Corridor is 32 meters long, and divided into two tiers with 258 stone statues covered with clay, each of which has its vivid posture and expression.
Out of the Corridor and ascending up by the stairs, people will reach the Pavilions of Seven Buddha, which is in the Building of Scattering Flowers. On the cliff 50 meters above the ground stand seven pavilions supported by eight big poles, between every two poles is a niche, and there is also a wide corridor before the gate. Yu Xin, a famous poet of that time, once wrote a poem to sing of the Niches of Seven Buddha. There are 75 statues in the cave, with well-rounded and dignified postures, affectionate and serene countenances, which are filled with rich artistic characteristics of the Sui and Tang dynasties. However, the statues of Heavenly Kings that stand aside with strong and succinct lines represent the styles and characteristics of the sculptures in the Song Dynasty.
On the west cliff, there is fine collection of the most valuable caves including the Wanfo Hall (the Ten-Thousand Buddha Hall), the Heaven Cave, the No.121 Cave, the No.123 Cave, the No.127 Cave, the No.165 Cave and so on. The Wanfo Hall is also called the Stele Cave. Entering the door, one will at once see a Greeting Buddha, 3.5 meters high, two eyes slightly closed, with two hands forming the posture of greeting. There are 30 extant clay sculptures inside the grotto. On the left upper of the front wall, there are more than 1,000 statues of Buddha. There also are lots of well-made sculptures of Maitreya (Laughing Buddha), Sramanera (Buddhist novice) and providers. The Heaven Cave is the highest one among those on both cliffs, inside which are all huge stone-carved statues: the middle one, 1.95 meters high, and two on both sides, 1.28 meters high and each 2 to 3 tons in weight.
The Grottoes on Maiji Mountain are built on the cliffs about 20 or 30 meters to 70 or 80 meters above the ground, and are in the traditional architectural forms of being square, flat-topped, with the door in the front wall, and Cliffside pavilion-style buildings beside the niches. In addition, the plank roads built along the cliffs connect the caves with each other.
(Source: chinaculture.org)
