Mati Temple Grottoes

· Location: South Yugur Minority Autonomous County, Zhangye City, Gansu Province
· Time needed: 2 hours
Mati Temple Grottoes
Mati Temple Grottoes have the highest altitude compared with other caves in China and are located in snowcapped mountains. The uniqueness of Mati Temple Grottoes is that there are not only caves but also Buddhist towers and temples.
Mati Temple Grottoes consist of five parts: North Temple, South Temple, Thousand Buddha Cave, Golden Pagoda Temple, and Upper/Middle/Lower Avalokitesvara Caves. There is an interesting legend that a horse from heaven once left a mark from its hoof there, so the place was named Mati Temple (mati means 'horse's hoof'). Visitors can still see the horse's hoof in the Mati Hall inside Puguang Temple.
The landmark of Mati Temple Grottoes is the Thirty-Three Heavens Cave in the North Temple area. You need to walk inside the rocks on a narrow pathway to get from one cave to another.
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