Qinglian Temple, Upper Courtyard

The new Qinglian Temple, also known as the Upper Courtyard of Qinglian Temple, is colloquially referred to as the Upper Courtyard due to its higher elevation. It is situated in the heart of the Xiaoshi Mountain, surrounded by three mountains. The temple complex is built along the mountain, facing north with a slight deviation of 8° to the west. The overall layout of the temple is rectangular, approximately 100 meters long from north to south and 60 meters wide from east to west, covering an area of about 6000 square meters. The new Qinglian Temple has more than twenty buildings of various sizes. The main courtyard and central axis are divided into three courtyards; the side courtyards are divided into east and west courtyards. In the front is a platform with east and west pavilions built on it. Behind the pavilions are the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Sutra Library, the Shakyamuni Hall, and the Mahavira Hall in sequence. On both sides are the Guanyin Pavilion, the Ksitigarbha Pavilion, the Sutra Hall, and the monks' quarters. The buildings are arranged in a staggered manner, symmetrical on the left and right. The temple currently preserves ten stone inscriptions from the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, featuring various calligraphy styles including regular script, cursive script, clerical script, and seal script. These inscriptions are valuable materials for studying the history of the temple and the art of calligraphy. On January 13, 1988, Qinglian Temple was announced as the third batch of national key cultural relics protection units by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. Located 17 kilometers southeast of Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, on the north side of Siashan Mountain in Sitan Village. Free admission... Qinglian Temple