Muti Temple Grottoes

Muti Temple Grottoes

The Muti Temple Grottoes are a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

The Muti Temple Grottoes are located on Shiwei Mountain, 35 kilometers south of Wushan County, Tianshui City, Gansu Province. The temple is built against the mountain, with the grottoes carved halfway up the mountainside over a thousand feet above the ground. The site is surrounded by cliffs on three sides, with only an iron gate on the north side providing access to the temple. Originally, a wooden ladder was placed against the cliff face to allow people to climb up to the temple, hence the name "Muti" (Wooden Ladder) Temple.

The caves are carved into the cliffs 200 meters above the mountain base, spanning nine ridges and ten valleys, stretching 500 meters in length. They include cliff caves, cliffside niches, corridors, and natural rock alcoves, all fitted with wooden eaves. An entrance cave is cut into the northern cliff face.

The Muti Temple was rebuilt in the early years of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty. Judging from the style of the extant cave statues, some exhibit characteristics of the Northern Wei and Tang dynasties. There are currently 18 cave niches, 4 shrine halls, and 78 Buddha statues preserved from various dynasties, along with 234 murals. Among them, Cave No. 5 is 4.9 meters high, 6.7 meters wide, and 5.4 meters deep, featuring a square lintel and a domed ceiling. The entire temple complex, centered around ancient caves and niches, also includes over 10 other structures such as the Main Imperial Pavilion and the Three Officials Hall.

In May 2006, the Muti Temple Grottoes, as a site dating from the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Yuan Dynasty, were approved by the State Council for inclusion in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Malizhen (Malis Town): Malis Town is located in the southwestern part of Wushan County, 35 kilometers from the county seat and bordering Zhang County, covering an area of 204.67 square kilometers. It is an important agricultural product distribution hub and center for economic and cultural exchange in the county.

The town currently administers 34 village committees, with a population of 40,600. The arable land area is 66,900 mu, including 8,320 mu of flatland. Transportation in the town is convenient, with the Wuzhang and Tanma highways running through the area, and rural roads connecting every village. The town has well-developed education, science, health, and communication sectors. It has one full high school, two affiliated middle schools, 25 full elementary schools, and four kindergartens. … Malis Town detailed information++

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units