Landscapes on Cliffs: Well-Preserved Buddha Statue Lacks Eyes?
With the development of tourism, we have paid more attention to ancient attractions. One by one ancient towns have been excavated, and one by one ancient sites have been discovered. Our exploration of tourist attractions seems endless. Today, the editor will take you to explore a landscape that stretches on a cliff and is known as 'Oriental Sculpture Exhibition'.
It is one of the Four Great Buddhist Grottoes in China – Mei Ji Shi Grottoes. We may not have heard much about it before, mainly hearing about Mogao Caves in Dunhuang and Longmen Grottoes. Mei Ji Shi Grottoes has been largely ignored for a long time. However, it has recently reappeared in people's vision. Mei Ji Shi Grottoes is located 50 kilometers away from Mei Ji Township in Gansu Province. It is also a grotto located on a cliff. It got its name because its shape resembles a grain of rice.
Mei Ji Shi Grottoes has a history of 1600 years. Most of the Buddhist statues enshrined inside are very well preserved. You can admire these statues by climbing the stairs along the cliffside. However, the corridors of the grotto are somewhat narrow, and it may not be easy to get up. There are many types of Buddhist statues in the grotto, mainly sculptures of Buddha, Bodhisattva, and Tianwang. The time periods of these sculptures are different. Every era left behind valuable sculptures. However, despite their excellent preservation, they all have one thing in common: the eyes of the statues have mysteriously disappeared. So, why did this happen?
In fact, these are the traces left by tomb robbers. The eyes of the statues were originally made of gemstones. Tomb robbers took them off and sold them to all over the world. Moreover, the area is remote and there is no one to manage it. Over time, the eyes of these statues became what they are now. However, this has not affected the appreciation value of the sculptures in Mei Ji Shi Grottoes. The sculptures in Mei Ji Shi Grottoes are lifelike, and the oil paint on their robes vividly proves the long period of time that the sculptures have experienced.
The sculptures in Mei Ji Shi Grottoes witnessed the changes of times and are the most precious cultural heritage of mankind. They must be protected well. However, professional personnel are now in charge of protecting these sculptures. We hope that every tourist visiting Mei Ji Shi Grottoes will protect it properly.
