Matisi Grottoes

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Matisi Grottoes

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Matisi Grottoes, Buddhist cave complex in Sunan, China.

The Matisi Grottoes contain 21 caves arranged across seven stories within a 100-meter-high cliff face in the Qilian Mountains.

Dating back 1,600 years to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, these caves served as important Buddhist temples and meditation spaces along the Silk Road.

The caves house numerous Buddhist sculptures, murals, and artifacts that demonstrate the influence of Indian, Tibetan, and Han Chinese artistic traditions.

Visitors need to climb narrow stone stairs through multiple levels to reach the uppermost grotto containing the Bodhisattva Lyudumu shrine.

The Puguang Temple section displays an ancient mark in stone believed to be a horse hoof print, which gave the complex its name, Matisi.

Location: Gansu

GPS coordinates: 38.48430,100.41730

Latest update: March 3, 2025 00:22

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« Matisi Grottoes: Buddhist cave complex in Sunan, China » is provided by Around Us (aroundus.com). Images and texts are derived from Wikimedia project under a Creative Commons license. You are allowed to copy, distribute, and modify copies of this page, under the conditions set by the license, as long as this note is clearly visible.

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