Located in the Qilian Mountains, 60km south of Zhangye, the Mati (Horse Hoof in Chinese) Temple Grottoes is a 1,600-year-old Buddhist site, carved during the Northern Liang Dynasty (Sixteen Kingdoms). A national key cultural relic, it ranks alongside Dunhuang's Mogao Grottoes as one of the Hexi Corridor's three great Buddhist art treasures.

The complex comprises 7 grotto groups with over 70 caves, including the iconic Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes—21 caves stacked in 7 tiers on a 100m-high cliff. Its crown jewel, the Golden Pagoda Temple, houses well-preserved Northern Wei statues and flying apsaras, showcasing exquisite early Chinese Buddhist art. Blending Han and Tibetan Buddhist styles, the site features 500+ clay statues and 2,500㎡ of murals spanning Northern Wei to Qing Dynasties. A Silk Road gem, it vividly reflects ancient cultural integration and artistic splendor.