Gansu's Sunan beckons with grotto art, diverse landscapes, and more

Celebrated as "the Darling of Qilian Mountains" by the Chinese National Geography magazine, Sunan Yugur autonomous county of Zhangye, Northwest China's Gansu province, boasts the over 1,600-year-old Matisi Grottoes, diverse landscapes, and vibrant ethnic cultures.

Located in the middle of the Hexi Corridor (part of the ancient Silk Road), Sunan is home to the Matisi Grottoes, which consists of some 70 caves that dot an area of about 100 square kilometers. Mati means "horse hoof" and si means "temple" as legend has it that a heavenly horse left a hoof print here when it flew down to seek water.

Most of the grottoes were chiseled into cliffs, such as the North Matisi Grottoes, which were carved into a 100-meter-high cliff. The 21 caves are arranged in seven stories, with statues in every story, of both Tibetan Buddhism and Chinese Buddhism. Visitors have to climb narrow stone stairs to see the top grotto's Bodhisattva Lyudumu in a shrine.

In harmony with the grottoes are the golden ginkgo trees nearby and the snow-capped, meandering Qilian Mountains standing in distance, creating a visual symphony for tourists visiting in the autumn.

"Sunan is like a shiny pearl inlaid on the Silk Road. Tourists can find pretty much all land forms on Earth here except for oceans and rainforests," said Jia Weiming, deputy county magistrate of Sunan.

Jia introduced that Sunan, in addition to having glaciers, grasslands and the Gobi Desert, is at the heart of Zhangye UNESCO Global Geopark which has captivated worldwide tourists with its colorful Danxia landform and the Qilian Mountain National Park, which is known for its rugged terrain, high peaks, deep valleys and diverse ecosystems.

As the country's only Yugur autonomous county, Sunan is also renowned for its vibrant Yugur ethnic culture. Traditionally a nomadic group living by herding, Yugurs are known for their singing and traditional clothing, which features red-tasseled hats, long robes, and elaborate patterns with adornments such as turquoise, agate, and pearls.

In 2006 and 2008, Yugur singing and Yugur traditional clothing were listed as national-level intangible cultural heritages.