Qinglian Temple

Located on the slopes of Xiaoshi Mountain southeast of Jincheng City, Qinglian Temple, the same filming location as Black Myth: Wukong, was our fourth stop of the day. The temple complex, divided into upper and lower sections, stands against the mountain, with the clear Danshui River flowing below. Its halls and pavilions are nestled among the lush greenery, and the surrounding mountains resemble lotus flowers emerging from the water, commanding a breathtaking view. It is one of the earliest temples of the Maitreya Pure Land Sect of Buddhism in China and is renowned as the "scholarly Qinglian, martial Shaolin." The six Tang Dynasty painted sculptures in the Maitreya Hall of the lower temple are unparalleled and unique. The four "Corner Gods" in the Sutra Repository of the upper temple are the only ones in the country and are jokingly called the "hardest workers" of Qinglian Temple. But the Corner Gods are not just chosen laborers; they are the pillars of Qinglian Temple, bearing the weight of the thousand-year-old temple through the storms of time. The Tang sculptures of Qinglian Temple are precious, and the Song Dynasty statues of the Eighteen Arhats in the Sakyamuni Hall of the lower temple and the Arhat Hall of the upper temple are equally exquisite. The Ming Dynasty stupa is solemn and majestic, and ancient trees tower within the temple grounds. The affectionate Mother and Son Cypress and the 1,400-year-old male and female ginkgo couple invite visitors to draw near and listen to their thousand-year-old love story. Beautiful Qinglian Temple offers boundless scenery.