Maijishan is one of China's four great Buddhist grottoes. Its many statues and murals dated back as early as 300 A.D. when local farmers and landlords engaged craftsmen to express their religious piety on the soft limestone face of this mountain. Maijishan is located in the suburbs of the modern city of Tianshui (also second largest city in Gansu Province) and heart of Qinzhou,the ancient land that straddled the Wei River. The fertile Wei River valley was once homeland of the Qin people, who went on to unite China and founded the first empire under Qinshihuangdi in 221 B.C.
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