Qinglian Temple

20 RMB

0359-2022380

Summer is the best time to travel in Shanxi Province.

0359-2085615

Transportation is quite convenient. The Tongpu and Houxi trunk railways serve as the major transportation arteries in this region, with a branch railway running from Liyuan to Gudui. Highways radiate outwards centering on Yuncheng City. The main highways include Taiyuan-Maojindu, Jincheng-Yumenkou, Linyi-Daning and Yuncheng-Fenglingdu. Branch highways connect Wenxi with Yongji and Fenglingdu with Pinglu. The expressways from Yuncheng to Sanmenxia and Yuncheng to Fenglingdu have been opened to traffic, while the Datong-Yuncheng Expressway is under construction.

Trains depart from Yuncheng for Beijing, Xi’an, Tianjin, Chengdu, Taiyuan, Shijiazhuang, Datong, Linfen and other cities.

National Highway 209 runs through Yuncheng, leading to Sanmenxia City in Henan Province and Huayin City in Shaanxi Province. Long-distance buses bound for Wutai Mountain leave Taiyuan Long-distance Bus Station every 36 minutes. If you travel to Wutai Mountain from Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Xuzhou, Jinan, Shijiazhuang, Xi’an or Zhengzhou, you may first take an express train to Taiyuan, then catch a direct long-distance bus from Wuyi Square in Taiyuan to Wutai Mountain.

There are direct flights to Taiyuan from major cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Xi’an. Upon arriving in Taiyuan, tourists can take long-distance buses from Wuyi Square to Wutai Mountain.

Since neither trains nor planes can reach Wutai Mountain directly, road passenger transport is particularly important. Travellers can get off at Shahe, Fanshi, Dai County or Yuanping on the Beijing-Yuanping Railway and transfer to buses heading for Wutai Mountain conveniently. Buses to Wutai Mountain are also available at Ningwu and Yuanping on the North Tongpu Railway between Datong and Taiyuan. Multiple long-distance buses depart from Xinzhou for Wutai Mountain every day. Direct long-distance coaches run from Fuping in Hebei Province to Taihuai Town of Wutai Mountain, and daily shuttle buses travel between Taihuai Town and Taiyuan.

The peak tourist season falls during the Wutai Mountain June Fair (from the first day of the sixth lunar month to the tenth day of the seventh lunar month). Extra tourist buses are arranged from nearby towns including Dongye, Yangquan, Fuping, Fanshi, Yuanping and Shahe.

Qinglian Temple is located 17 kilometres southeast of Jincheng City, consisting of the Old Qinglian Temple and the New Qinglian Temple.

The Old Qinglian Temple was first built during the Tianbao reign of the Northern Qi Dynasty. Three main halls and three southern halls still survive. Six painted sculptures including Maitreya Buddha are enshrined in the main hall. The statues have full faces, featuring typical artistic characteristics of the Tang Dynasty. Twelve painted statues remain in the southern hall. Sakyamuni Buddha sits in the middle, flanked by Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas. These sculptures are masterpieces of Song-dynasty painted clay works. The southern hall also houses a precious Tang-dynasty stone stele entitled Portrait of Master Yuan of the Sui Dynasty at Xiashi Temple, which is of high historical value.

The New Qinglian Temple lies roughly 500 metres away from the old one. It was constructed during the Taihe reign of the Tang Dynasty, with major buildings including the Buddhist Scripture Pavilion, Sakyamuni Hall, Arhat Tower and Ksitigarbha Tower. Built in the Tang Dynasty, the Scripture Pavilion was used to preserve Buddhist scriptures and once stored more than 5,000 volumes, all of which were lost in later ages. In the middle of the rear wall of the Arhat Tower stands the Stele Record of Arhats, engraved with the names of five hundred ordinary arhats. It serves as vital material for the study of Buddhist history.