Toutou Ling Temple

Toutou Ling Temple

Toutou Ling Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Toutou Ling Temple is located at the summit of Toutoujian Peak in Mushan Village, Tangjiahui Town, Jinzhai, and began reconstruction in 1997. It is world-renowned for its uniqueness.

Toutoujian Peak is surrounded by steep cliffs, as if carved by a knife. The only way up is to climb from Mushan Village to the back of the temple and then turn toward the temple gate. About 500 meters behind the temple, the mountain suddenly rises sharply, standing upright like a bamboo shoot — so towering that one has to look up to see the temple buildings.

Standing atop Toutoujian Peak and looking into the distance, you’ll see rolling mountains that, upon closer inspection, resemble a lotus flower. To the southeast are the jagged peaks, to the west the ridges of Buddha Mountain, to the north the Diamond Platform, to the northeast the Dafengjian Peak, and to the east the Penholder Mountain and Suspended Sword Mountain. The continuous ranges embrace the area like lotus petals, carefully guarding the heart of the lotus — Toutoujian Peak. After countless undulations, the mountain ridges suddenly surge upward here to form Toutoujian Peak — a miracle created by the earth, bringing a delightful surprise to the world. The Ma River and its upstream tributaries wind around Toutoujian Peak clockwise from the southwest until they merge into the misty waters of Meishan Reservoir to the east. Standing atop Toutoujian Peak and viewing the mountains and water inspires creativity. It was after Monk Shi Zongli’s first ascent that he resolved to rebuild Toutou Ling Temple here.

Toutou Ling Temple was built on the leveled peak and faces south while sitting north. The entire temple complex is designed in a traditional quadrangle layout. A 60-meter-high Layperson Pagoda stands on the right, and the Layperson Courtyard (which can accommodate 100 people) is nestled in the southeast mountain hollow. The currently under-construction Toutou Ling Temple showcases the grand vision of its planners at every turn.

In front of the main gate lies a 60-meter-long, 20-meter-high stone embankment, majestic and imposing, supporting the overall structure of the temple. After ascending 11 steps, you reach the temple gate, where the three characters “Toutou Temple” were brush-written by the late Venerable Master Rende, former Ninth National Committee member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the Anhui Buddhist Association — his final masterpiece. Two stone lions stand guard on either side, majestic and powerful. Inside the courtyard, the Mahavira Hall sits at the center, with the Maitreya Hall in front, the Guanyin Hall at the rear, the Arhat Hall on the left, and the Kṣitigarbha Hall on the right. The southeast corner features the legendary story of Wei Zheng slaying the dragon, which tells the origin of Toutoujian Peak. The southwest corner houses the “Hundred-People Bell,” cast in 1999 with donations from 100 people, weighing 1,999 jin (approximately 1 metric ton), with a sound that carries over 10 kilometers. Upon entering the main hall, the smiling Maitreya Buddha greets visitors. The Four Heavenly Kings stand on either side, each performing their duties. Exiting the Maitreya Hall, you face the Mahavira Hall. The steps leading up to the hall are so steep that later visitors can only see the heels of those who came before. When you look back at the entrance, the incline is astonishingly sharp, making your heart race — it is said that only the sincere can face the Buddha with composure. Inside the Mahavira Hall, the Buddha Shakyamuni resides at the center, vivid and lifelike, as if whispering, preaching, singing, or even writing — all at once. Behind the temple lies the only path up to and down from the upper and lower sections of the temple: over 170 bluestone steps stretch directly from the mountaintop to the gentle slope below, each step four meters wide and each bluestone slab 3.5 meters long. Climbing these steps and looking around, one feels small and distant, as though ascending a celestial ladder.

The construction of Toutou Ling Temple has boosted local economic development. The temple has six resident personnel — three monks and three others who provide year-round services. During the reconstruction, a team of 20 construction workers was stationed at the mountaintop year-round to build the temple’s infrastructure. On average, 80,000 pilgrims and tourists visit the temple annually, driving growth in tertiary industries such as commerce and passenger transport. Toutou Ling Temple attracts worshippers from Anhui, Henan, Jiangsu, Hubei, and other regions. With the ongoing improvement of infrastructure such as roads, young people from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and other areas are increasingly visiting to explore revolutionary heritage sites, significantly raising the profile of Tangjiahui.

Tangjiahui Town: Located in the northwest of Jinzhai County, at the border of Henan and Anhui provinces, Tangjiahui Town has a population of 36,000 and covers an area of 197.3 square kilometers. The civilized and open-minded people of Tangjiahui focus on specialty agriculture, ecological development, and investment promotion. They warmly welcome investors from around the world to develop businesses on this red, fertile land.

Tangjiahui Town boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, and is home to many exceptional people. With a pleasant natural environment — mountainous terrain covers 80.4% of the town, and forest coverage reaches 65.2%, with Diamond Platform reaching an elevation of 1,584 meters, the second-highest peak in the county — the area also features numerous cultural and historical sites. These include… More details about Tangjiahui Town++