16th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Mati Etch

Over 16 centuries of graffiti are etched into a section of the hand carved stone wall of the Buddhist Mati Temple in the Gobi Desert of China. Layers of small symbols, almost obscuring the original temple painting, give the overall impression of a modern abstract work. However, over a thousand years of different culture’s versions of ‘look at me’ cannot detract from the inherent peaceful nature of the Buddha.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 03.2018
Date Uploaded: 11.2018
Photo Location: China
Camera: NIKON D800
Copyright: © Karen Burgess