Mati Temple Grottoes — Horse's Hoof Temple East Peak
马蹄寺石窟东崖 · Mati Si East Peak Grottos · Mati Temple Sunan East Grottoes · Horse's Hoof Sunan Eastern Cliff
Sixteen Kingdoms Northern Liang to Qing (400 CE–1910)·Hexi Corridor Buddhist (Tibetan, Yugur, Sogdian trader, Han)·🇨🇳 Gansu Province, Zhangye City, Sunan Yugur Autonomous County, Mati Temple Town, eastern spur of Qilian Mountains, Linsong Mountain gorge, China
About
About Mati Temple Grottoes — Horse's Hoof Temple East Peak
). Complex has 70 caves total: Northern Liang 400 CE? Northern Wei 420? Sui–Tang 500–800, Yuan Tibetan 1200, Qing Mongolian–Yugur active. Eastern Peak's Thirty-Three Heavens (San Shi San Tian) is 31 interconnected caves forming hollow mountain labyrinth 3 stories with window slits overlooking snow Qilian 5000 m: unique among Chinese grottoes for hollow-mountain architecture (more caves inside than cliff face). ). Mati Si is gateway between Bingling (Lanzhou) and Mogao (Dunhuang) Hexi, Xixia Tangut to Tibetan to Yugur continuity, 550 caves now combine Mati + Jinta (Jinta Si), UNESCO Silk Road Corridor Chang'an–Tianshan 2014 component.
Distinct from western Mati village vs eastern peaks.
Why it mattersOnly hollow-mountain labyrinth grottoes in China (30 inside) documenting Hexi Corridor Tibetan–Yugur horse cult linking Bingling to Mogao. UNESCO 1442 Silk Road Corridor.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Horse hoof actual size vs legend — natural depression or tool
- 02Thirty-Three Heavens cosmology Mahayana vs. Bon
Theories
- 01Mati Temple as Hexi 'horse' counterpart to Mogao 'oases' chain (heavenly horse of Zhang Qian)
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.400 CE Northern Liang Juqu, major Northern Wei 420–520, Sui 581–618, Tang thousand Buddhas 650, Xixia Yuan 1038–1368
- Period
- Sixteen Kingdoms Northern Liang to Qing (400 CE–1910)
- Culture
- Hexi Corridor Buddhist (Tibetan, Yugur, Sogdian trader, Han)
- Builders
- Northern Liang Tuoba Hexi princes, Yugur Tibetan monks, Ming Yugur aristocracy
- Purpose
- Hexi pilgrimage relay between Bingling and Dunhuang (Mati = horse hoof of Tian Shan's heavenly horse), mountain labyrinth meditation (33 heavens cosmology)
- Abandoned
- 1368 Ming decline; revived Qing and active today Yugur monastery
- Rediscovered
- 1908 Pelliot en route Kucha; 1930s Hedin; 1985 Gansu Heritage Matisi
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
400 CE
Northern Liang first caves on Mati horse hoof
650 CE
Tang Thousand Buddha Cave Puguang
2014
UNESCO Silk Road Chang'an–Tianshan corridor (Mati Si section)
On the ground
Structures & features
38.4860° N · 100.4200° E · 2600 m · 2 mapped features
Mati Temple — Thirty-Three Heavens Cave (San Shi San Tian)
cave labyrinth31-cave labyrinth inside mountain with 21-m high throne Buddha, Northern Liang to Qing vertiginous cliff galleries facing horse hoof print cliff (Tibetan legend)
38.4870° N · 100.4210° EMati Temple — Thousand Buddha Cave East Peak Puguang Hall
thousand buddha hallTang thousand Buddha hall with 500 tiny apsaras and Yugur Tibetan thangka overlay, hexagonal hall with snowy Qilian panorama
38.4850° N · 100.4190° E