Tiantaiyan Temple (Lijiayan Zen Temple)

Tiantaiyan Temple (Lijiayan Zen Temple)

Tiantaiyan Temple (Lijiayan Zen Temple) is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located midway between Taining and Zhaxia Grand Canyon, it is just a ten-kilometer drive from the county town and less than two kilometers from the roadside.

Lijiayan was originally called “Tiantaiyan.” During the late Ming Dynasty, Li Chunye studied diligently here and later rose to the position of Minister of War and Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince. As a result, later generations began to refer to this place as “Lijiayan.” Tiantaiyan Temple is where he meditated and studied, hence it is also known as “Lijiayan Zen Temple.” From the foot of the mountain, climb 500 meters up an old stone staircase to reach a cliffside corridor suspended on the edge of a precipice. The corridor opens outward, with both iron and wooden railings installed for safety. At its end lies Tiantaiyan Temple. Before entering the temple, one must pass through a half-meter-wide stone-carved path. A stone gate at the entrance features a couplet that reads: “With soaring ambition and grand thoughts, one can ascend to the heavens and pluck the moon,” and the horizontal inscription reads “Embracing Heaven and Earth.” This is the “Snow Cave,” the former stone study room of Li Chunye, now converted into a small shrine. Connected to the Snow Cave is the main structure of Tiantaiyan Temple, consisting of a central Buddha hall, auxiliary rooms on the left, and meditation quarters on the right. The architecture is simple and unadorned, resonating with the serene and secluded atmosphere of the rocky cave.

Vegetarian meals can be enjoyed inside the temple. The cooking water comes from mountain springs, the tofu is homemade, the vegetables are grown by the monks themselves, and wild mountain greens and flowers can also be used in the dishes—simple, fresh, and flavorful.