Dafo Temple Scenic Area

Dafo Temple Scenic Area

The Dafo Temple Scenic Area is a cultural tourism attraction.

Guide: Dafo Temple is located approximately two kilometers north of Caozhai Township in Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province, about 18 kilometers from the city center, and is commonly known as "Stone Buddha Temple." In the sixth year of the Datong era during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties (540 AD), the monk Daoqiong stopped at the southern foot of the mountain, heard the sound of golden and stone Buddhist chants, climbed up along the rocky cliff, and discovered a massive stone Buddha statue, six zhang tall, sitting cross-legged in a solemn posture, and thus the temple was built. It has a history of nearly 1,500 years. During the Song Dynasty, it was renamed to its current name, Dafo Temple, but is commonly called "West Cliff Temple." The temple complex is built against a thousand-layer vermilion cliff and features architectural structures such as the Hall of Five Hundred Arhats, the Jade Buddha Hall, and "One Dragon of the South," as well as scenic spots like Mandarin Duck Forest, Jinhua Stele Forest, and Gonglu Cave. The main existing Buddhist structures of the temple include the Stone Archway, Mountain Gate, Mahavira Hall, Maitreya Hall, Three Vehicles Bridge, Heavenly King Hall, and Arhat Hall. Introduction: The most distinctive feature of the temple is the large Buddha statue. The Buddha sits cross-legged in a rock cave, spanning over one zhang and eight chi (approximately 6 meters) in length, with its head touching the edge of the cliff. Its broad forehead, slender eyebrows and eyes, square-shaped face, thin lips, and long ears that reach down to the shoulders portray the serenity and wisdom of Sakyamuni. The overall form is full-bodied and graceful. The exposed part of the Buddha’s chest is particularly finely sculpted, giving the impression that the heart is beating, making it incredibly lifelike. In terms of proportions, the artisans intentionally exaggerated the size of the head—for example, the Buddha’s eyes are almost as wide as a palm—but viewers do not perceive any imbalance in proportion. Arhat Hall: All 500 Arhats are carved from Qingtian jade, each with unique postures and vivid expressions. The giant dragon lying atop the vermilion cliff spurts rain into mist, forming a rainbow that arches over the temple—even on clear, cloudless days, a rainbow can be seen overhead. Transportation: Take Bus No. 7 (Tourist Route) in downtown Jinhua.

Zhejiang, Jinhua City