Qinglian Temple, Jincheng, Shanxi

Qinglian Temple was originally called Xiashi Temple, and was named after the Shakyamuni Buddha sitting on a lotus seat in the temple. There is a saying that goes, "Qinglian for literature, Shaolin for martial arts." Qinglian Temple is divided into two parts: the Upper Temple and the Lower Temple, which belong to the Pure Land and Tiantai sects respectively. There is a 1,400-year-old ginkgo tree in the Upper Temple, and late October is the best time to enjoy the ginkgo leaves. According to the staff, the fallen leaves will not be swept away, and the ancient temple is covered with golden leaves in late autumn, which is very beautiful. Unfortunately, we didn't get to see it this time. The Lower Temple has a Ming Dynasty stupa, which is a landmark building of the temple and is also known as the "Shadowless Pagoda." The Shakyamuni Hall in the south of the Lower Temple also houses 11 Song Dynasty painted sculptures. We were lucky to see them (we were told that it was not open, but today there was a museum taking photos) and we were able to catch a glimpse of the Song Dynasty sculptures that were not destroyed by destructive restoration. The Sutra Pavilion of the Upper Temple has four "corner gods" that have been supporting the beams for thousands of years, which are the only ones in the country. Qinglian Temple has the most interesting "strongest worker." The corner gods are not the chosen workers, but the pillars of Qinglian Temple, supporting the ancient temple for thousands of years.