Shisi Temple

Hi, ~ my friends, get on the bus ~ Today we are going to the thousand-year-old temple in Lishui, Shisi Temple. Everyone, grab your luggage, fasten your seat belts, and let's set off~ - (For reference) 🌟Two days and one night: Go to Dala Park for lunch — Stay at Nayun — Shisi Temple (there is also food next to it) — Eat at Taoyuan Village - 🌟Or you can directly stay at the homestay next to Shisi Temple, and then hike to the waterfall before going to Shisi Temple (very suitable for taking photos in Warring States robes) - 🐟You can buy fish food at the kiosk 🎫40 ⚠️The road to Shisi Temple is a mountain road, winding and a bit long, please drive safely. - 'Shisi Temple' Founded in the tenth year of Shaoxing during the Song Dynasty (1140), it is a national key cultural relic protection unit. In the tenth year of Shaoxing of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Gaozong of Song bestowed the name 'Shisi Academy'. In the first year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1368), Chengyi Earl Liu Ji inscribed the plaque 'Shisi Daochang', and in the first year of Xuande (1426) it was renamed Shisi Temple. The existing temple covers an area of 1,193 square meters, consisting of the mountain gate, Mahavira Hall, Sanqing Hall, Heart Sutra Bell Tower, Ma Xian Palace, etc. It is an ancient temple building with a Han-style layout, preserving the architectural style of the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, with a long history, simple and elegant, a rare architectural spectacle of 'the same site for temple, academy, and Taoist temple, the same hall for Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and the same furnace for Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism'. - 'Ancient Cypress at the Temple Gate' The tree inside the gate is 17 meters tall, with a trunk circumference of 4.1 meters, and is about 1500 years old. It has been identified by the Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Information Research Institute as the largest and oldest Chinese juniper in the country. - 'Huguang Bridge' Built in the Xin Chou year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1781), it is 29 meters long, 8 meters wide, and 9 meters high. It is a three-story, three-eaved pavilion-style wooden covered bridge. The first floor is the Guandi Temple, the second floor is the Wenchang Pavilion, and the third floor is the Kuixing Pavilion, serving to protect the village and facilitate traffic. On January 7, 2011, it was rated as a national key cultural relic protection unit.

When visiting Lishui in Zhejiang, I was deeply attracted by a thousand-year-old temple hidden in the mountains—the 'Shisi Temple'. This temple, built during the Southern Song Dynasty, is well-preserved but has no Buddha statues or incense offerings. It's so off the beaten path that there are hardly any tourists, with only a giant Cryptomeria tree for company🌲 Stepping over the broken thousand-year-old cypress at the entrance is like traveling back a thousand years. 🎐 About Shisi Temple Amazed that there is such a secluded temple in China, I traveled hundreds of kilometers just to seek its true face. 1️⃣ Shisi Temple was built in the tenth year of the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty, and it has been renovated during the Ming and Qing dynasties. The architecture still retains the ancient style of the Song Dynasty. It consists of the main hall, the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, the Ma Xian Palace, and the bell tower. The ancient buildings and the naturally grown moss are extremely beautiful❗️ 2️⃣ There is nothing inside the Shisi Temple, no Buddha statues, and no incense offerings. Some say that Buddha is in the heart. 3️⃣ The temple was once the tomb-guarding hut of the Mei family in the village and later evolved into a temple. The Mei family ancestral hall nearby records more history. 4️⃣ Next to the temple, the Cryptomeria tree king is over 1500 years old. Unfortunately, after being struck by lightning, its height is only 28 meters, but it is still very spectacular. 💡💡 Visiting tips 🎫: Shisi Temple is located in Jingning She Autonomous County, Lishui City, within the Yunzhong Dajing scenic area, and the entrance fee for the scenic area is 40 yuan. In addition to Shisi Temple, the Xuehua Ji waterfall is also worth visiting. 🚗: Regarding transportation: You can get there by self-driving or public transport. My route was: first take the high-speed train to Lishui Station➡️Take a bus from Lishui Station to Jingning Bus Station➡️Buy a ticket to 'Dajing' at Jingning Bus Station, 11.5 yuan per person, the journey takes about 1.5h. The bus schedules to Dajing are 8:10, 9:35, 12:25, 14:40, and the last return bus is at 15:00. I stayed here for half a day, and including myself, only a few tourists came, quietly appreciating the beauty of Shisi Temple🎐 I am grateful that Shisi Temple is hidden deep in the mountains, away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world, which has preserved its transcendent and secular temperament.

Clouds Over Daji · Shisi Temple. The mountains are silent and the clouds are deep, searching for a piece of tranquility hidden in the deep mountains. Coming to an extremely niche place, Jingning is sparsely populated, and even fewer people are at Shisi Temple. Here comes the no-nonsense guide. Take the high-speed train to Lishui Station. Right outside the high-speed train station is the Lishui Bus Terminal. Buy a bus ticket directly to Jingning. The journey takes 1-1.5h. Shisi Temple is located deep in the mountains of Jingning. You can either drive or take the bus to Shisi Temple. For accommodation, it is recommended to stay in the town of Jingning. Choose a bus near Jingning Bus Terminal to Shisi Temple, heading towards Daji. There are buses at 8:10, 12:25, and 14:10, with the journey taking 1.5-2h. Shisi Temple and Clouds Over Daji have a joint ticket for 40 yuan. The ticket office is at the gate of Shisi Temple. Since Shisi Temple and Clouds Over Daji are not together, keep your ticket after leaving Shisi Temple as you will need it for the next site. Inside Shisi Temple, there is a thousand-year-old Cryptomeria tree, the oldest Thuja. The temple is empty, with no Buddha statues or incense, offering a rare tranquility. Next to it is the Mei family ancestral hall, with the ancestors of the Mei family still placed in the main hall. Shisi Temple was also the location for this year's Lululemon Spring Festival advertisement, featuring Michelle Yeoh and Wing Chun dancers. Leaving Shisi Temple for Clouds Over Daji, there is a large expanse of rice fields between the two attractions, which is particularly pleasing to the eye. Walking on the path beside the rice fields, with fine rain falling from the sky and looking at the mist winding through the distant mountains, it feels like a paradise. Due to its location deep in the mountains, there are few tourists. Take the bus back to the county town from the mountain. There are buses at twelve o'clock and three o'clock, with the last bus at three o'clock. It's rare to find a place with few people and beautiful scenery during the May Day holiday. Next door, Yunhe Terraces are crowded with people, but here it is serene and peaceful. If you come to Lishui and want to recuperate, why not try walking in the rain in search of spring and take a deep breath in the forest?

🌟Less-known travel destinations in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai🌟 🌟Yunhe Terraces, Lishui🌟 Travel route: Visit Yunhe Terraces, enjoy the spectacular terraced scenery and sunrise. Price suggestion: The ticket is about 80 yuan/person. 🌟Jingning Shisi Temple, Lishui🌟 Travel route: Visit Jingning Shisi Temple, appreciate the ancient temple and thousand-year-old trees. Price suggestion: Admission is free, but safety and cultural relic protection should be noted. 🌟Nanji Island, Wenzhou🌟 Travel route: Go to Nanji Island, visit the sea meadow and taste local food. Price suggestion: The round-trip boat ticket is about 150 yuan/person, and the transportation and accommodation costs on the island depend on personal needs and budget. 🌟Flower and Bird Island, Zhoushan🌟 Travel route: Go to Flower and Bird Island, enjoy the beautiful island scenery and experience the feeling of Santorini. Price suggestion: The round-trip boat ticket is about 180 yuan/person, and the accommodation and transportation costs on the island depend on personal needs and budget. 🌟Green Field, Lishui🌟 Travel route: Visit the Green Field in Lishui Xiandu, enjoy the beautiful scenery between the cliffs. Price suggestion: Admission is free, but safety and environmental protection should be noted. 🌟Xiaoruo Village, Taizhou🌟 Travel route: Go to Xiaoruo Village, enjoy the colorful houses on the sea and experience the feeling of being abroad. Price suggestion: Admission is free, but environmental protection and avoiding damage to the local ecology should be noted. 🌟Cat Island, Huai'an🌟 Travel route: Go to Cat Island, experience the fun of petting cats and watch the healing giant cats. Price suggestion: Admission is free, but animal protection and avoiding disturbing their normal life should be noted. 🌟Luzhi Ancient Town, Suzhou🌟 Travel route: Visit Luzhi Ancient Town, feel the atmosphere of the less-known but lively ancient town. Price suggestion: Admission is free, but cultural relic protection and respect for local customs should be noted. 🌟Nanxun Ancient Town, Huzhou🌟 Travel route: Go to Nanxun Ancient Town, experience the free and lively ancient town and taste local food. Price suggestion: Admission is free, but cultural relic protection and respect for local customs should be noted. You can also taste local food and buy special souvenirs there.

Lishui is really a treasure of a good place. Except for Songyang, Jinyun. I found a niche thousand-year-old temple ⛩️ in Jingning. If not seen with one's own eyes. I almost thought it was modeling ❗❗❗ The fallen ancient tree of a thousand years. Blocking the road. In the next second, we will travel through time and space. ⛩️Location▶️Sisi Temple 🎈Address ▶️ West Second Village, Daxi Township, Jingning She Autonomous County 🚖Transportation▶️It is recommended to drive by yourself as the mountain roads are narrow. 🕐Opening time▶️Doors open at 8am The temple is located on Mount Baixiang at an altitude of over 1000 meters. It was first built in the Southern Song Dynasty and has been continuously repaired since then. Now it preserves parts such as the mountain gate, bell tower, main hall, Sanqing Hall, Maxian Palace, Meishi Ancestral Hall, etc. The buildings here have basically retained their original appearance, and are restored to their original state. Looking at the ancient trees and buildings intertwined and integrated, covered in moss, it feels like traveling through time and space. For those who like ancient architecture, you can appreciate the wooden structure and wood carvings here, which are well preserved. 🌟Check-in strategy ✅This place is a joint ticket with the Yunzhong Daxuan Scenic Area, and they are usually visited together. ✅Drone aerial photography can show the entire architectural structure of the temple, as if it were CG modeling. ✅If you want to take photos, the evening light is more beautiful. It is recommended to wait until after 3pm. ✅There aren't many dining options nearby, remember to bring some dry food. Lishui is really a treasure trove of tourist cities, and Songyang and Jinyun are also very suitable for spring and summer tourism in the near future, especially on rainy days when the clouds and mist are lingering. It is worthy of the reputation of a fairyland.