A Spiritual Journey to Nanping Wanzhong at West Lake

#discoverchina #hangzhou Our visit to Jingci Temple,the sacred home of the Nanping Wanzhong was a profound encounter with history and tranquility. Nestled at the foot of Nanping Mountain on West Lake's southern shore, this millennium-old temple,founded in 954 AD by King Qian Chu of Wuyue has witnessed dynasties rise and fall. As we walked through its expansive 12.3-hectare complex,passing the Hall of Heavenly King,Mahavira Hall,and the iconic bell tower,we could almost hear echoes of its golden age when it rivaled Lingyin Temple as one of China's "Five Great Zen Monasteries. Though the current structures are Ming-Qing reconstructions, the legendary bell,whose resonant tones inspired one of West Lake's Ten Scenes—still rings at dusk, just as it did for Chan Master Yongming,the temple's founder. Nearby, the Magic Well where folk hero Ji Gong supposedly conjured timber for reconstruction sparked our imagination. Tip:Time your visit for 4PM to hear the bell ceremony.