Early winter at Matisi Temple, distant mountains lightly dusted with snow, leisurely climbing the stairs

2025.11.18 Booked a half-day tour in advance on a certain platform, went up to visit Matisi Temple, with private transfer included. Departed from the city at 8 AM, arrived at the scenic area around 9 AM. . Tickets: main entrance ticket + North Temple Grottoes (also known as the Thirty-Three Heavens Grottoes) + sightseeing bus; the special grotto and Jinta Temple were not open, total 83 yuan, bought from the driver, a few yuan cheaper. . On the sightseeing bus, a guide joined the group for 10 yuan per person, providing detailed and rich explanations. We went directly to the North Temple Grottoes, gathered on the first floor for a 40-minute explanation, then climbed the stairs on our own. It’s off-season, so not many people, allowing a slow climb with no crowding and courteous passing, a good experience. It’s best to bring gloves since most stair climbing requires holding onto handrails. The last level is relatively steep with large stair spans, but there are handrails on both sides, not as difficult as imagined. . Returned by bus to Gesar King Hall, where the natural scenery is nice, with a viewing platform and prayer flags, and you can also see the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Horse riding is available here for 50 yuan, and the sightseeing bus runs every 10 minutes on the return route. . Continued by sightseeing bus to the Thousand Buddha Cave, experienced climbing up to the “Medicine Buddha Hall.” This climb is probably more difficult than the one at the North Temple, requiring crawling through a vertical cave. It’s a great experience with fewer people; many hesitate at the cave entrance. I climbed a bit—though there’s no special view at the top, you can worship Buddha and enjoy the fun of crawling through the cave. . From the Thousand Buddha Cave, it’s about a 200-meter walk to the scenic area exit. The total tour time was about three and a half hours. This is the advantage of the off-season—no queues, leisurely visiting all spots, and along the way took many photos of the snowy mountains. Finally, returned around 12:30 PM, had lunch at “Baifu” near the high-speed rail station, an 8-minute walk to the station, perfect!