Today, let's talk about the Mahao Cliff Tombs
📈 The Mahao Cliff Tombs are located on the east bank of the spillway river channel between Lingyun and Wuyou mountains, with 'Mahao' being the name of the place. Cliff tombs are a type of ancient tomb popular in Leshan, which imitates human dwellings and involves carving tombs out of mountains.
🤜 These cliff tombs date back to the Eastern Han Dynasty through to the Southern and Northern Dynasties period in China. They are situated on the north bank of the Mahao River near Mingtong Village in the suburbs of Leshan City, Sichuan Province. The tomb complex is distributed along a red sandstone cliff stretching about 300 meters from Dadiwan to Hutouwan, arranged in 4 to 9 layers, with a total of more than 330 tombs.
👉 Architectural layout:
👍🏻 The Mahao Cliff Tombs consist of single-chamber, double-chamber, and multi-chamber types. All are composed of a tomb entrance, corridor, main chamber, coffin chamber, and side chambers. Coffin chambers are carved into the cliff. The rear chamber has a stove platform and shrine. Single-chamber tombs generally have one coffin chamber on one side of the main chamber. Double-chamber tombs have coffin chambers on both sides of the rear chamber.
👍🏻 Multi-chamber tombs are more complex in structure, with the tomb entrance divided into 2 to 4 doorways by two pillars. The antechambers are arranged horizontally, followed by 2 to 4 parallel rear chambers. Each rear chamber has the same structure, with a corridor in front and rooms on both sides.
🚪 Tomb No. 1 has a tomb entrance and antechamber carved with imitation wooden architectural elements such as brackets, column bases, tile crests, flat tiles, rafter ends, and eaves. The tomb entrance is carved with images of auspicious beasts, musicians, secret plays, and dancers; the antechamber has carvings of Jing Ke's assassination of King Qin, alchemists, gate soldiers, the Vermilion Bird, a funeral procession, the game of liubo, fishing, and horse-drawing scenes. Outside the entrance to the middle and rear chamber corridors, there is a high-relief seated Buddha, one of the earliest Buddhist statues in China, measuring 37 centimeters in height.
Route 1️⃣ (Land route)
🚶🏻♀️ North gate entrance—20 meters to a giant Buddha gate—right—333 steps on the ancient Buddha worship path—10 minutes to Longquan and Tiger Cave—Zaijiu Pavilion—10 minutes to Doulou Palace—Mountain gate—Leshan Giant Buddha (small square at the Buddha's head)—Nine-Turn Plank Road—Buddha's feet—Nine-Turn Plank Road—Sea Lion Cave—Dongpo Tower—15 minutes to Lingyun Temple—northward—Lingbao Pagoda—5 minutes—Moruo Hall—follow the mountain road down—East gate exit
Route 2️⃣ (Water route, to view the full image of the Giant Buddha and the reclining Buddha)
🚢 Pier—Viewing Buddha Tower—Giant reclining Buddha—Jiulong Beach—Sanjiangkou—Lingyun Mountain—Leshan Giant Buddha—Bijin Tower—Mahao—Wuyou Mountain—Fengzhou Island—Pier (Boarding at Jiazhou Ferry Pier; disembarking at Baxian Cave Pier)
Route 3️⃣ (Water route + Land route)
🚢 Pier—Giant reclining Buddha—Jiulong Beach—Sanjiangkou—Lingyun Mountain—Leshan Giant Buddha—Wuyou Mountain—Wuyou Temple—Mahao Cliff Tombs—Mahao Fishing Village—Buddhist Paradise—Stele Forest—Lingyun Plank Road—Leshan Giant Buddha—Lingyun Temple—Lingbao Pagoda—Oriental Buddha Capital
🚪 Ticket prices: Leshan Giant Buddha: 80 RMB/person (includes Leshan Giant Buddha, Wuyou Temple, Mahao Cliff Tombs)
👉 Leshan Giant Buddha cruise: 70 RMB/person
👉 Oriental Buddha Capital ticket price: 60 RMB/person