Horse Hoof Temple Travel Guide
Thirty-three Heavens Stone Caves · Cliff Buddha Hall · Yugur Grassland
The thirty-three caves of Matisi were directly carved into the red sandstone cliffs, with five layers of caves stacked along the mountain slope, and the passages are so narrow that you can only pass through sideways. Looking out from the window on the highest level, you can see the grasslands and pine forests on the northern foothills of the Qilian Mountains.
This site only handles information compilation and itinerary design; prices and bookings are based on final confirmation.
Destination Details
Matixi Temple is located on the northern foothills of the Qilian Mountains, about sixty kilometers south of Zhangye, in the Sunan Yugur Autonomous County. It is not a temple built on flat ground, but rather a temple embedded into the cliff—carved gradually since the Northern Dynasties, spanning a thousand years, forming a five-story, twenty-plus cave three-dimensional structure.
Main Highlights
Thirty-three Heavens Caves
The name comes from the Buddhist "Thirty-three Heavens," and the actual experience involves climbing upward all the way. The passageway is carved into the rock, the narrowest part fitting only one person sideways, with stairs that are steep and slippery, requiring holding onto iron chains to ascend. Reaching the top-level Medicine King Hall, peering out of the small window, you can see expansive grasslands and distant snow-capped mountains.
Thousand Buddha Cave and Matixi Hall
The relatively easier path at the foot of the mountain is to the Thousand Buddha Cave, where there are remains of statues and murals from the Northern Dynasties to the Yuan Dynasty. On the floor of Matixi Hall, there is a recessed stone shaped like a horse’s hoofprint, said to have been left by King Gesar's steed, and the temple derives its name from this.
Suggested Routes
- Average physical condition: Thousand Buddha Cave → Matixi Hall → exterior view of Thirty-three Heavens, 1.5 hours.
- If you want to climb: including the full route of the Thirty-three Heavens Caves, allow an extra hour.
Practical Information
At over 2,000 meters in elevation, summers are cool with strong UV, and in winter, some sections may have ice, and visitor flow in the scenic area may be restricted. There are nearby Yugur family inns where you can arrange a meal of hand-grabbed mutton, making a one-day itinerary combining Matixi Temple and the Qilian grasslands.
