Exploring the Hexi Corridor - Zhangye Mati Temple, the unmissable Little Switzerland of the East!
🎈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.
Very shocking, the cliff can also repair the Buddha statue, this piety is admirable. Hands and feet and climb for thirty-three days, it is recommended that the person is large or physically unable to choose carefully, the corridor is small and easy to slip.
The second time I came to Horseshoe Temple, it was still very fun. The scenery is beautiful and the supporting services are more perfect. The temple is carved in the mountain, very distinctive, and many people need to wait up and down. There are also wild protected animals, you can buy food and feed.
The New Year is boring, and the whole family has come to Horseshoe Temple by car. To be honest, I especially like it here, especially in summer, riding horses, eating and eating, avoiding the heat, very comfortable. Winter is the first time, there are not many people, the boarding is not very crowded for thirty-three days, but in general, the service capacity of the scenic spot is still weak and needs to be improved.
The scenery on the road is very good, I like to see the snowy mountains and sheep inside.
A different view in winter!
Fengjing is beautiful, with history, culture and connotation. The scenic spot is very large, under construction, the fare is reasonable, and there is no transfer ticket. Lin Songyu Valley during the North and South Dynasties was the Noah's Ark of Han culture. It is worth reading history and then taste.