Tianshui 3-Day Guide: Maijishan Grottoes' Thousand-Year Smile, Fuxi's Birthplace, Jiangnan of Longyou
Schwarz
Tianshui 3-Day Guide: Maijishan Grottoes' Thousand-Year Smile, Fuxi's Birthplace, Jiangnan of Longyou
Tianshui, Gansu's second city, ancient "Qinzhou." Maijishan Grottoes — one of China's Four Great Grottoes, famed for exquisite clay sculptures ("Eastern Sculpture Gallery"). Birthplace of Fuxi (Chinese civilization's mythological founder). Climate mild, products abundant — "Jiangnan of Longyou." Tianshui malatang went viral across China in 2024.
Day 1: Maijishan Grottoes (80 RMB, 5A scenic area, full day)
One of China's Four Great Grottoes. Wheat-stack-shaped isolated peak, caves carved into 20-80m cliffs, connected by suspended walkways. 221 cave shrines, 10,632 sculptures, 1,000+ sqm murals.
Highlights: Cave 133 young monk's smile ("Eastern Smile," comparable to Mona Lisa), Cave 44 "Eastern Venus" graceful bodhisattva, Cave 4 "Scattering Flowers Hall" (largest cave, Northern Zhou). 1h from city. Guide (50 RMB) highly recommended. 3-4 hours.
Day 2: Fuxi Temple (30 RMB) → Nanguo Temple (10 RMB) → Ancient City + Malatang
Fuxi Temple — China's largest and earliest Fuxi temple, Ming Dynasty, 64 ancient cypress trees, Eight Trigrams in main hall. Nanguo Temple — Tianshui's oldest temple, Du Fu lived here, 2,500-year-old Spring-Autumn cypress.
Evening: Tianshui Ancient City + Malatang (2024 viral spicy hotpot). Hand-rolled noodles + vegetables + secret chili oil (15-25 RMB/person). Also: Guagua buckwheat noodles (5-8 RMB), broken noodles (5-8 RMB).
Day 3: Xianren Cliff (40 RMB) → Departure
Danxia landform near Maijishan — three cliffs with temples and grottoes. West Cliff Temple built in a cliff overhang. Natural scenery meets cultural heritage.
HSR: Xi'an 1.5h, Lanzhou 1.5h. Budget: 500-1000 economy, 1200-2000 comfortable.