Taishan Temple

Taishan Temple

Taishan Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Wuyi County.

The Taishan Scenic Area is situated in the upper reaches of the Xuanping Stream in the Ou River basin, covering a total area of 5 square kilometers, and is a national AA-level scenic tourist area. The area is named after the thousand-year-old Taishan Temple, which was first built during the Qiande era of the Northern Song Dynasty (963 AD) and has a history of over 1,040 years. It is reputed as the “Buddhist Sacred Site of Central Zhejiang” and the “Mountain Scenery of the Kuocang Range.” The scenic area features World Gold, Jingmiao Lake, and a Millennium Tea Tree King.

Taishan Temple was built during the Jiande era of the Song Dynasty and has a history of a thousand years. It is a county-level key cultural relic protection unit. The temple’s name was inscribed personally by Zhao Puchu, then President of the Buddhist Association of China. The 15-meter-tall Guanyin statue within the temple is the largest in Central Zhejiang. The ancient well at the top of Taishan Mountain, which has never dried up despite prolonged droughts, is truly remarkable.

The Taishan Scenic Area is located in the upper reaches of the Xuanping Stream in the Ou River basin, covering a total area of 5 square kilometers, and is a national AA-level scenic tourist area.

The area is named after the thousand-year-old Taishan Temple, which was first built during the Qiande era of the Northern Song Dynasty (963 AD) and has a history of over 1,040 years. It is known as the “Buddhist Sacred Site of Central Zhejiang” and the “Fairyland of the Kuocang Range.” Situated atop Taishan Mountain, the temple's name was inscribed by Zhao Puchu, President of the Buddhist Association of China. Historical records indicate that as early as during the Qiande era of the Northern Song Dynasty (963–968 AD), the eminent monk known as the Tiger-Taming Chan Master preached on Taishan, setting up a thatched hut for meditation and riding a tiger to raise funds for building the temple. His tiger reportedly rested each night on a large rock at the temple entrance, leaving behind a faint but still discernible tiger-shaped imprint over time. Through successive expansions over the dynasties, Taishan Temple gradually took shape. In the Ming Dynasty's Chongzhen era (1639 AD), it was renamed Zhenjing Nunnery, and in 1794 AD during the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong reign, it reverted to the name Taishan Temple. In recent years, the site has been restored and expanded with new attractions such as the Laicui Pavilion, front hall wing rooms, Guanyin Hall, Miaoyun Pavilion, Gongde Pavilion, the mountain gate archway, a mountain-looping corridor, bamboo pavilions, the Scripture-Burning Stone Pagoda, and a 15-meter-tall outdoor standing statue of Amitabha Buddha. These developments have drawn increasing numbers of pilgrims and visitors, earning the site widespread acclaim.

The scenic area includes the cool retreat of Golden Valley, the rippling Jingmiao Lake, and the Millennium Tea Tree King. Those fortunate enough to taste its tea may enjoy longevity and eternal youth. There is also a Millennium Osmanthus Tree King, whose fragrance is intoxicating. The legendary Fairy Well atop the solitary mountain peak is said to have waters that can ward off disasters and cure illnesses. Additionally, there is an outdoor standing statue of Amitabha Buddha, hailed as the “No. 1 Buddha of Central Zhejiang,” believed to bless visitors with a fruitful and successful journey.

The Taishan Scenic Area is a revolutionary old base area with a proud heritage. In May 1928, Zeng Zhida, Secretary of the Communist Party Committee of Xuanping County, held an enlarged county committee meeting at Taishan Temple, initiating efforts to expand rural party branches and launch the “25% Rent Reduction” movement. During the mid-period of the Anti-Japanese War, the wartime middle school of Xuanping County and the junior normal school department of Jinhua Provincial Normal School were successively relocated to Taishan Temple and Jingmiao Temple, transforming them into sanctuaries of learning amid the chaos of war. During the Liberation War period, underground Communist Party guerrilla units frequently operated in the vicinity of Taishan Temple. The development and construction of the Taishan Scenic Area have attracted attention and admiration from notable figures both in China and abroad. American overseas Chinese calligraphers Mr. Pan Lisheng and Mr. Wu Ruidie, President of the Chinese Gongbi Painting Society Pan Xuzi, renowned Chinese calligrapher Sha Menghai, and Abbot Genyuan of Hangzhou's Lingyin Temple all visited Taishan, inscribing calligraphy and paintings, donating artworks, and adding luster to the site.

The Taishan Scenic Area is accessible by road, and the mountain base is equipped with living facilities such as mountain lodges and parking lots, making it a destination for both religious and sightseeing tourism.

A wealth of cultural landscapes and stunning natural scenery come together harmoniously to form a serene, rustic, and tranquil paradise—a perfect destination for leisure and vacation.