Mati Temple

This is on the way from Matisi Temple to Jinta Temple, you can drive there without an appointment to see the beautiful scenery along the way. There are really too many tourists at the National Day attractions. Originally, Matisi Temple was a niche attraction, but because there were so many people that I had to queue up, I gave up seeing the grottoes and went directly to the scenery on the way to Jinta Temple (you need to buy a ticket to Matisi Temple to enter the scenic area to go to Jinta Temple) The autumn Qilian Mountains are colorful, not at all inferior to the shock brought by the colorful Danxia. All colors are in sight, and you can occasionally encounter flocks of sheep grazing along the way, a very healing journey

Mati Temple was built in the Jin Dynasty, and features a series of grottoes that blend into the cliff face! In total there are 7 small grotto groups that stretch over 30km, and legend has it that this temple was so named because a sacred horse left a footprint in the rock here - which you can also see inside the temple!). Aside from the grottoes, the area itself is super beautiful, with lush greenery surrounding the entire area. 📍Mati Temple, Gansu Province, China #leaveyourmark

During this trip to the Hexi Corridor, apart from Dunhuang, what I looked forward to the most was Zhangye. As it turned out, Zhangye really is an underestimated travel city. I chose different tourist routes in the three days I spent in Zhangye, leaning towards natural scenery, and left with very good memories. Day1: Giant Buddha Temple - Zhangye Museum - Half-day tour of Rainbow Danxia : It has the largest clay reclining Buddha in the country. It's quite shocking to see it up close. The temple architecture of the Giant Buddha Temple is also worth a careful look, with beautifully carved beams and painted rafters. : Generally speaking, it's recommended to go in the summer. The colors of the Danxia are not very obvious in winter. Viewing platforms 2 and 4 are the best. Day2: Matisi Temple and Jinta Temple day tour I highly recommend everyone to go. You can see the Qilian Snow Mountain. mainly climbed the Thirty-three Days Grottoes; was not open before, so those who like grotto culture must come. It has a high-relief Feitian that is 300 years earlier than Mogao Grottoes, and the guide's explanation is very interesting. Day3: Half-day tour of Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon : People with stamina must go! I chose the ordinary tour. The route is Viewing Platform 1 - Viewing Platform 2 - Viewing Platform 3 - Grand Canyon Entrance Hiking - Enter One Line Sky (but did not climb, watch and return the same way) - Lingzhi Valley - Viewing Platform 4. The geological features at the bottom of the Grand Canyon are particularly spectacular, like a flat version of the Colorado Grand Canyon. About accommodation: I stayed at the Silk Road Traveler Youth Hostel this time, and the experience was super good. The boss lady is very, very enthusiastic. She even makes breakfast for us who are in the group in the morning. I have never recommended where I stayed before, but the accommodation in Zhangye is really surprising, and you can directly join the group in the youth hostel, which is very convenient. About food: : Stir-fry restaurant, if you've had enough of Northwestern beef and mutton, come here to revisit the taste of stir-fry, the price is not expensive. : A relatively famous local specialty restaurant. : Zhangye's unique breakfast, the small bowl for seven yuan has a lot of beef. : There are many local snacks gathered here, not the stereotyped snack street type, you can taste Gansu spicy hot pot, roll chicken, apricot skin tea, milk rice wine skewers and so on. I have eaten dinner here several times.

This is an ancient and mysterious place, resembling a golden ribbon lying across the northwest border of China, unfolding a millennia-old scroll of vicissitudes of history—'Hexi Corridor', its splendor still shines brightly! According to relevant literature, the Hexi Corridor has a history of more than 2000 years, dating back to the Han Dynasty. It is a scenic corridor that integrates mountains, glaciers, oases, colorful hills, deserts, and Gobi, as well as a civilization corridor that encompasses the Great Wall, frontier passes, ancient cities, and grottoes. This place possesses a long history and a brilliant culture, and is a treasure of the Chinese nation.

🎈Day Eight: Zhangye Mati Temple 🎈Mati Temple is definitely the highlight of this Hexi Corridor trip! The name 'Little Switzerland of the East' is well-deserved! 🎈While watching a documentary about the Hexi Corridor, I knew there was a place called Linsong Xie Valley, a meeting point of Han and Tibetan Buddhism. When we drove to the entrance of the Mati Temple scenic area, we were stunned by the continuous peaks and snow-capped mountains. Upon entering the scenic area, a landscape of autumnal mountains and waters unfolded before us, a perfect fusion of natural and cultural landscapes, as if we were in a paradise. 🎈We drove to the visitor center, bought tickets, and drove straight into the scenic area. Due to time constraints, we only stayed at Mati Temple and didn't visit Jinta Temple, but at the Zhangye Museum, we saw a replica of the Jinta Temple grottoes, so we had no regrets. 🎈Although the Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes and the Thousand Buddha Caves have been severely damaged, their architectural forms are still worth exploring. The grotto plank road is built inside the mountain, winding and twisting, and some sections can be quite thrilling. Sometimes, we even felt like we were climbing up to a hanging temple. 🎈Standing at the top of the Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes, overlooking the Ximalian Beach, the view is magnificent. After descending the mountain, we continued to explore, following the road ahead, greeted by the splendid autumn scenery. Moreover, there are few visitors here, and the roadside is planted with a sea buckthorn trees, which are in the season of ripe fruits. Picking a few sea buckthorns to try, the taste was simply delicious. 🎈The preservation of the grottoes at Mati Temple is not complete, and visitors can only see four of them. However, the explanations in the scenic area are very detailed, leaving a deep impression. After leaving Mati Temple, we moved on to Wuwei. On the Lianhuo Expressway, we also saw the ruins of the Ming Great Wall, and even encountered a group of camels by the road, such unexpected beautiful scenery always brings a pleasant surprise.

If you have time in winter, why not take a trip to Gansu! At present, the attractions on the Hexi Corridor in Gansu are basically open, and winter does not affect these cultural relics. 1. Mogao Caves are half price to see 12 caves, it's simply too cool, and special caves can also be bought, you can really feast your eyes; 2. There is a chance to see the beauty of the desert reflecting snow, and the beauty of Danxia reflecting snow. Zhangye's Rainbow Danxia and Mingsha Mountain are must-visit places; 3. If the flight is to Dunhuang, then the scenic spots in Dunhuang city are free of charge, in addition to this, if you come during the Spring Festival, New Year's Day, Lantern Festival, it's free for everyone; 4. Accommodation can be sorted out with one to two hundred yuan, Gansu in the off-season is really economical; - Basically, they are all open in winter (tickets are half price or free): 1. Mogao Caves 2. Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring 3. Zhangye Rainbow Danxia 4. Yangguan 5. Yumenguan 6. Jiayuguan Great Wall 7. Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon 8. Matisi 9. Labrang Monastery 11. Tiantishan Grottoes 12. Dunhuang Yardang Devil City Clothing and temperature: 1. Thick winter clothes, prepare hats, scarves and gloves 2. The hotel heating is very sufficient -

The history of the Mati Temple Grottoes dates back about 1600 years. These grottoes not only contain a wealth of Buddhist art but also many precious cultural relics and murals. Looking up from the foot of the mountain, it gives a visual impression similar to the Hanging Temple of Mount Heng in Shanxi. The grottoes spread from the base of the mountain to the summit, layered upon each other, compelling admiration for the ancient people's imagination and perseverance.

| The brave are the first to see the world. Zhangye An underrated tourist city Both natural and cultural landscapes are exceptional More itinerary details will be edited later ———————————————— 1️⃣ About transportation: We had arranged for a driver in Zhangye in advance, including airport transfers and trips to various attractions, which was really convenient. The specific cost depends on the itinerary. We landed at Ganzhou Airport in Zhangye on the 10th afternoon. There are also taxis at the airport, but it is recommended to contact a driver in advance because the airport is really far from the city center! Our driver, Master Chen, was great and even brought us apples from his own garden, which were super delicious! 2️⃣ About attractions Since we landed on the 10th and it was already close to evening, we didn't visit any attractions. After checking into the hotel, the driver took us to have dinner in the city and then we rested. On the 11th, our itinerary was to spend the whole day at Matisi and Jinta temples. Master Chen told us in advance to bring some food because almost no restaurants in the scenic area were open and he said the food was not good, haha. Since you need to book in advance, you can ask the driver to help buy tickets. The scenery along the road from Matisi to Jinta Temple is really not to be missed, and there are photo spots along the way. The driver will ask if you want to take pictures and can stop and wait for us (scenery in p4, p5). Here, you must not miss Jinta Temple. Photography is not allowed in the grottoes here, and the artistic value is extremely high. It's a pity that it was protected by the state too late, and some parts were stolen. Also, due to geographical conditions, half of it has collapsed, which is a pity. But the scenery outside is super beautiful, right at the foot of the Qilian Mountains, with a clear view of the snow mountains (scenery in p6). Our driver is very skilled, and not all cars can drive up the mountain roads, but ours could! On the 12th, we first went to Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon in the morning. There are two types of tours: a basic tour and an in-depth tour. We chose the basic tour because we wanted to walk more. This place is really the 'flat substitute' for the Grand Canyon of Colorado, and since it was the off-season, there were hardly any tourists, almost like walking in the middle of the canyon by ourselves, with only the sound of footsteps on sand and stones and the wind. Moreover, the bottom of the valley is also very photogenic, and if you're not in a hurry, you can take pictures while walking. At around 3 pm, they took us to the Rainbow Danxia. We bought our own tickets, which also come in two types: a standard tour and an in-depth tour. This time we chose the in-depth tour, which includes a shuttle bus, a personal guide, drinks and snacks for everyone, and visits to several additional attractions with no crowds, allowing for free photography! 3️⃣ About food For breakfast, according to Master Chen, they would eat beef rice, Zhangye Sàozi noodles, buns, etc. There is a Xinhui Food City in Zhangye, where various local delicacies are gathered, and many locals eat there too, which is very convenient! There are dishes like rolled chicken, stir-fried Bo La, spicy hot pot, apricot peel tea, grey bean soup, and so on. In short, we didn't repeat any meals during our stay! On the morning of the 13th, we returned, and Master Chen took us to the airport, ending our trip to Zhangye!

#thousandbuddhatemple was constructed during the Yuan dynasty in 1271-1368. This temple, also carved out of the cliff face and pockmarked with thousands of tiny holes like a Swiss cheese mountain #zhangye #silkroad #happynewyear

I have shared with friends the guide to the museum and the Giant Buddha Temple in Zhangye city, and now we have arrived at the renowned Mati Temple Scenic Area! To visit Mati Temple Scenic Area, if you are taking public transportation, you would generally depart from Zhangye South Bus Station, with usually one round-trip bus per day; there might be more buses during holidays, so it's necessary to confirm and book tickets in advance; if you are driving by yourself, then it doesn't matter. Mati Temple Scenic Area is located within the territory of Mati Tibetan Township, Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Gansu, about 65 kilometers north of Zhangye city center, roughly an hour's drive from the city. The scenic area is a tourist zone that combines grotto art, Qilian Mountain scenery, and Tibetan culture. It consists of seven parts: Shengguo Temple, Puguang Temple, Thousand Buddha Caves, Jinta Temple, Upper, Middle, and Lower Guanyin Caves, with more than 70 grotto niches in total, founded during the Northern Liang dynasty. Folklore has it that when a heavenly horse descended to earth, it drank water here and left a hoof print on a rock, which is how the temple got its name. The legendary hoof print is now preserved in the Mati Hall of Puguang Temple and has become the treasure of the temple. Mati Temple Grottoes are a grand group of grottoes, including seven smaller grotto clusters stretching nearly thirty kilometers, and are a national cultural heritage site. The Mati Temple Grottoes were first constructed during the Eastern Jin Dynasty and the Sixteen Kingdoms period of the Northern Liang, and have experienced the Northern Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui, Tang, Song (Western Xia), Yuan, Ming, Qing, and the Republic of China, spanning over 1600 years. They were carved by Guo Yu and his disciples, initially as a retreat for Guo's teaching, and later expanded with more Buddha statues. At its peak, there were more than 300 monks. However, it is regrettable that due to the warlord era in the north at that time, coupled with the changes of dynasties and prolonged wars, many of the original grand buildings of Mati Temple were destroyed, including Jinta Temple, Thousand Buddha Caves, South and North Mati Temples, Guanyin Caves, and many other grottoes. The surviving Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes, Hoof Print Grotto, Tibetan Buddha Hall Grotto, Shengguo Temple, Thousand Buddha Caves Grotto, etc., were mostly restored after the reform and opening up. The main buildings in the temple, such as the Mahavira Hall, Standing Buddha Hall, Guanyin Hall, and Medicine Buddha Hall, are mostly relics from the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era. It is fortunate that these halls, despite being battered by centuries of weather, still stand majestically on the cliffs, a testament to the ancient people's extraordinary architectural skills, offering a profound visual and spiritual impact. The temple's collection of artifacts, including a standing Buddha from the Jin Dynasty, a precious sword of Manjushri from the Northern Wei, an emperor's dragon robe from the Qing Dynasty's Kangxi era, and a saddle from Emperor Qianlong, all evoke a sense of the historical vicissitudes and the past glory of Mati Temple. Mati Temple boasts a beautiful environment, with green mountains, clear waters, peculiar peaks, and unique caves, known as the 'Four Wonders,' making it a place where visitors linger and forget to return.

#chinatrip A place that is really impressive but rarely mentioned in Gansu tours. The high-quality religious grotto art and monument environment is well-preserved and complete. It is a tourist attraction suitable for families, friends and individuals to visit. It is a magnificent cultural and natural scenic spot in Zhangye, China. Best to come is in winter, and the snow-covered Horseshoe Temple scenic spot is even more interesting. It is highly recommended to come here to see the beautiful snow scenery. It is so beautiful and touching. It is a highly recommended attraction in Zhangye.

#matitemple is temple with legend a winged horse with dragon scales descended from the heavens and left a hoof print on where the temple was established. The site is mentioned as described as a chiseled-out cave in the process of being enlarged and decorated with Buddha statues in the fifth/ sixth centuries #zhangye #silkroad. #unforgetabletrip #temple #happynewyear