Tianqiao Temple

Tianqiao Temple

Tianqiao Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Tianqiao Temple, also known as Banshan Temple, is commonly referred to as "Hanging Bridge Temple." Originally named "Cuiyun Nunnery," it is a key Buddhist temple in Anhui Province. This small temple is backed by peaks and faces a sheer cliff thousands of feet high, making it extraordinarily steep and precipitous. The nunnery consists of five tiled rooms: the central three-bay section serves as the Buddha hall, while the two side sections are monks’ living quarters. In front of the hall is an indoor corridor, with wooden paneling on the lower part and glass panels above, allowing one to gaze into the distance through the windows. There are small doors on the east and west sides of the corridor for entry and exit. It is a strategic passage for those traveling on foot between Tiantai and other sites.

After 0, Buddhism in Jiuhua Mountain gradually began to revive. By 1979, the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association had officially resumed its activities. However, Cuiyun Nunnery remained in a state of neglect. The major temples in Jiuhua Street were still awaiting restoration, and sites along the Tiantai route such as Tiantai Temple and Baijing Platform, which housed relics of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, were prioritized for repair earlier than Cuiyun Nunnery in the plans of the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association. Nevertheless, the path in front of Cuiyun Nunnery was the only route connecting Minyuan to Tiantai, so a wooden bridge was first built on the west side of the nunnery to facilitate pedestrian passage. The Buddhist Association also temporarily stationed monks there. The first monk to reside at Cuiyun Nunnery after the Cultural Revolution was Shengbao, followed by Shenguang. On December 30, 1984, the Anhui Provincial Government designated 30 temples on Jiuhua Mountain as provincial-level key temples, including Cuiyun Nunnery. As a result, in 1985, the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association replaced the wooden bridge with a stone bridge to harmonize it with the stone stairway. After Shenguang came Yicheng, and after Yicheng came Daolong.

Hanging Bridge Nunnery is located on the mountainside of Tiantai Mountain. The original hanging bridge was made of wood. In 1985, the Jiuhua Mountain Administration rebuilt it as a single-arch stone bridge, 15 meters long, 2.5 meters wide, and 3.7 meters high. It spans the valley between two peaks, suspended against the cliff face above and overlooking a deep abyss below. The bridge deck also forms the corridor of the Hanging Bridge Nunnery, which is built on the bridge, and the bridge is built within the nunnery, hence the name. Stone railings provide protection. The temple stands to the east of the bridge and originally consisted of five tiled rooms: the central three bays served as the Buddha hall, while the northern and southern ends were monks' quarters and the dining hall. In 1998, the old buildings were demolished and rebuilt into a new structure — a residential-style building with horse-head walls, two stories high, and a construction area of 402 square meters. Viewed from afar, the Hanging Bridge Temple presents the image of a “bridge flying across, with a temple hanging in the air,” much like the folk rhyme says: “Take a rest halfway up the mountain, then walk another five li to reach Heaven-on-Heaven.”

The current nunnery is a two-story residential-style building. Beside it, on the rock face, is engraved the calligraphy “First Mountain Under Heaven,” written by Xu Shiying, the Governor of Anhui Province during the Republican era. The Hanging Bridge Nunnery is surrounded by peaks, rugged rocks, and murmuring mountain streams. The mummified body of Monk Falong, who passed away peacefully at the age of 96 during the Qing Xuantong period, was once enshrined in the temple and did not decay. Falong (1812–1909) was born into a modest family in Henan Province during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty. He was born with a congenital condition — body odor (bromhidrosis). In the Central Plains region, this condition was especially frowned upon. As a result, he faced discrimination from outsiders and rejection from his own family, leading him to become a monk at an early age. During the Xianfeng era, Falong arrived at Jiuhua Mountain, where he practiced Zen in the temples. In his sixties, he established this Cuiyun Nunnery.

Due to its unique and precipitous architecture, the Hanging Bridge Nunnery has become a scenic highlight of Jiuhua Mountain. Crossing the hanging bridge, the steep stone steps — dubbed the “Stairway to Heaven” — test the endurance of travelers. As you look back northward while ascending the cloud ladder, the vast, sweeping mountain colors present a breathtaking view. The clouds and mist suddenly surge up from the valley, enveloping the entire mountain range in an instant. Then, a sudden mountain breeze disperses the clouds and fog, revealing the scattered villages of Minyuan like stars in the sky. Lion Peak in the mist sometimes lifts its head, sometimes crouches down; “Cloud Gate Peak” shifts in and out of view with the moving clouds. On that massive rock, the curved fissures resemble the shape of a guandao (a type of ancient Chinese pole weapon), and legend says it is the transformed form of the “Green Dragon Crescent Blade” once wielded by Guan Yu.

Surrounded by lush trees and emerald-green clouds, Banshan Temple lies to the west of Drum Peak, north of Lion Peak, and east of Guandao Peak (also known as Guandao Rock — when viewed from temples such as Guanyin Temple and Baijing Platform, this protruding rock features curved fissures that resemble Guan Yu’s “Green Dragon Crescent Blade”). Nearby, there is also an ancient three-tier stone pagoda. From here, you can overlook the entire panorama of Minyuan. The area often features spectacular sea-of-clouds phenomena. Sometimes the cloud fluff rolls silently like cotton, so close you could almost reach out and touch it. Amid the vast sea of mist, laughter can be heard but no figures seen. Other times, brilliant sunshine illuminates the cloud sea, creating a misty drizzle effect with ever-changing sights, adding to the delight of the visit. From the Hanging Bridge, climb the steps further up to Fúzhù Lóu (Blessing Tower). When you take a break here and look west toward Pigeon Peak, you’ll see a pine tree below the peak stretching out its branches like a welcoming guest — remarkably similar to the iconic Guest-Greeting Pine of Huangshan. Look north, and you’ll see a lizard-shaped rock “swallowing” a stone and a frog “welcoming” guests, both vividly lifelike. A bit further up, you’ll find cliff inscriptions: “Gradually Entering Penglai,” “Virtue Is Treasure,” and “Namo Amitabha Buddha.” A few more steps will bring you to Guanyin Peak.