Bailulu Ridge

Bailulu Ridge

Situated southwest of Cixi urban area, where verdant mountains stand like screens in a ring, and leading westward through the Sunshine Tunnel, you’ll find the winding Lianmao Mountain and Shijia Mountain. Nestled in a scenic mountain hollow with deep forests and bamboo groves, the area features yellow-walled, purple-tiled halls built against the hills—this is Bailulu Ridge.

Also known as Bailu Ridge or Bailulu Dun, the ridge can be accessed either by exiting the west gate of Zhishan Park and descending along a forested mountain ridge trail, where dappled sunlight and rustling pines accompany your way, or by crossing Wandi and Shishan in western Cixi, following a tree-lined village riverside road shaded by fragrant cypresses, then ascending via the four-pillar stone archway gate marked “Lianhua Guangbang” on the northern slope of the ridge. As you climb the stone steps to Bailulu Dun, to your right are rugged cliffs left from quarrying, and to your left, lush greenery—through the dense foliage, a murmuring stream can be glimpsed. Midway up the ridge sits a six-pillar pavilion for visitors and pilgrims to rest.

Lingfeng Temple, located at Bailulu Dun, is not large but quite distinctive. The temple faces north; upon entering, you’ll see the Laughing Buddha, and exiting the south gate brings you to a courtyard. To the right is the Guanyin Pavilion, which forms its own westerly-facing courtyard, while to the left are two front-to-back halls facing south. The rear hall features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof and houses the Mahavira Hall, where the central trio of Buddhas are Amitabha, Shakyamuni, and Bhaisajyaguru, with Guanyin behind them, opposite the elephant-mounted Samantabhadra and lion-mounted Manjushri on the left and right sides of the hall. The layout is similar to other temples, but the highlight is the vivid Eighteen Arhats, full of life and diverse in expression, breaking away from the usual uniform, stiff, and expressionless style seen in many temples. The front hall combines a Guan Yu (God of War) shrine within the Buddhist complex; from its railing, you can overlook the valley below the ridge: two clear pools surrounded by bayberry trees and pines, with fertile fields and houses not far away, crisscrossed by paths—a vast and open scene.

A newly built grand hall sits east of Lingfeng Temple, facing south, with double eaves, painted beams, carved rafters, and flying dragon ridges—very imposing. On the western slope of the temple grounds are two-story buildings with horse-head walls, serving as meditation quarters for monks.

Standing atop the ridge and looking into the distance, to the north you’ll see the ever-developing Cixi New District with its scattered high-rises; to the south, midway up the mountainside, lies a jade-green pool called Taiwan Lake. Under clear skies, the lake mirrors the sky and surrounding hills like a giant mirror. In the distance, scattered villages known as the Eighteen Ma’an Villages come into view. At dusk, when the setting sun casts slanting rays and cooking smoke curls upward, the scenery becomes truly picturesque.