Taizhou Guoqing Temple | A thousand-year-old ancient monastery that one must visit in a lifetime

Guoqing Temple is known as the most worthwhile temple to visit in the country, with a thousand years of refined elegance, and is called the most beautiful and purest temple in China. This is my first visit, and the beauty of Guoqing Temple on a rainy winter day made me stop for four hours. I will definitely come back when spring comes and flowers bloom. 🔎History of Guoqing Temple: Founded in 598 AD, Guoqing Temple is not only the birthplace of the first sect of Chinese Buddhism - Tiantai Sect, but also the ancestral temple of the Tiantai Sect in Korea and Japan. During the Sui Dynasty, the high monk Zhiyi, founder of the Tiantai Sect, wished to build a temple as the official ancestral temple of the sect. Due to a lack of funds, construction had not started. In 597 AD, Zhiyi's dying wish was, 'If the temple is not seen completed, I will close my eyes in regret.' Prince Yang Guang, who had received the Bodhisattva precepts from Master Zhiyi, was moved by Zhiyi's will and thus dispatched the Sima Wang Hong to supervise the construction of the monastery, initially named Tiantai Temple. In 604 AD, Yang Guang ascended the throne as Emperor Yang of Sui, and later, inspired by the idea 'If the temple is completed, the country will be pure,' Tiantai Temple was renamed Guoqing Temple. 🆙Guoqing Temple has three wonders: the Sui pagoda, Sui plum, and the unique 'Goose' calligraphy by Wang Xizhi. 🚗Route: By car, navigate directly to the Guoqing Temple scenic area By high-speed train, go to Tiantai Mountain station, then take bus route 7 directly to the Guoqing scenic area For accommodation, you can choose Tiantai Hotel, a short walk away from Guoqing Temple 👉There is free Zen tea inside the temple, and a shuttle bus that costs 2 yuan per trip 🕐Guoqing Temple of Tiantai opening hours 07:00-16:00, parking lot ¥10/day