The Magnificent Buddhist World of Niu Shou Mountain

Niu Shou Mountain is a famous Buddhist mountain in China and the birthplace of the Niu Tou Zen School of Buddhism. During the Southern Liang Dynasty, Niu Shou Mountain was the winter palace of Manjusri Bodhisattva. By the Tang Dynasty, Niu Shou Mountain, Mount Wutai in Shanxi, and Mount Emei in Sichuan were known as the three great Buddhist holy sites. Today, Niu Shou Mountain is the permanent resting place of the Buddha's parietal bone relic. Niu Shou Mountain was originally an iron mine, but it was transformed into an underground palace and a holy site was built to house the relic. It is said that 4 billion yuan was spent to create the magnificent Fo Ding Palace we see today. Fo Ding Palace stands majestically on the mountain top and houses the highest holy relic of Buddhism - the Buddha's parietal bone relic. The palace is resplendent and solemn, with a dazzling dome that makes you feel as if you have arrived at an ancient Indian Buddhist holy site. The giant reclining Buddha in the center of the hall slowly rotates, casting a benevolent gaze on all visitors. The Thousand Buddha Hall and the five-story underground palace are masterpieces of craftsmanship. When we took the elevator down to the fifth underground floor - the Buddha Hall level - the red, yellow, and dark gold Thousand Buddha Hall came into view. The entire space is dome-shaped, with the Buddhist world painted on the ceiling perfectly integrated into the myriad rays of Buddha's light. In the center of the Thousand Buddha Hall is the holy pagoda housing the Buddha's parietal bone relic, which stands 21.8 meters tall and symbolizes the pure and solemn world of Huazang. The pagoda, the golden Buddha dome, and the countless Buddha caves make this place a treasure trove! Every space in the hall is filled with Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, making you feel as if you are wandering between reality and illusion in a mysterious and sacred Buddhist world. The sixth underground floor is used to house the Buddha's true body relic and is not open to the public on regular days, only for 21 days a year. We were fortunate to visit this "most luxurious temple in China" with our parents, and the facilities in the scenic area were excellent. We drove directly up the mountain, entered through the west gate, and took the scenic shuttle bus to the entrance of Fo Ding Palace without having to climb the mountain. We took three escalators and only climbed one flight of stairs to enter Fo Ding Palace. There are escalators to go down to the underground palace and back up to the ground, which is a blessing for elderly people with mobility issues who are afraid of getting tired!