Qie Ting Temple

Qie Ting Temple

Qie Ting Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Qie Ting Temple

The ruins of Qie Ting Temple are located about 16.8 kilometers northwest of Neiqiu County and south of Sigou Village. The site covers a total area of approximately 15 acres and is a key cultural relic protection unit of Neiqiu County.

Also known as Fan Yun Temple, Qie Ting Temple is said to have been named after the prince of the Guo State during the Spring and Autumn period who rested here briefly. According to the Shunde Prefecture Annals, the exact date of the temple’s initial construction is unknown, but it was rebuilt during the Zhi Da era of the Yuan Dynasty. It was repaired again during the Xuande and Wanli eras of the Ming Dynasty due to deterioration, and further renovated during the Yongzheng and Qianlong eras of the Qing Dynasty due to age.

It is said that during the Ming Xuande-era renovation, Liu Qi, son of the military strategist Liu Bowen, supervised the construction work on three occasions and left behind a “Royal Tablet.”

Qie Ting Temple is nestled among rolling mountains. To the north lies Qie Ting Mountain, facing the peaks to the south across a crystal-clear stream. Spanning the stream and connecting the two mountains is a bridge called Ci Yun Bridge, constructed from white marble. The bridge’s railings are carved with a variety of theatrical scenes and historical allusions—such as Yang Jiye’s collision with the memorial tablet, Su Wu herding sheep, and Chang’e flying to the moon—exquisitely crafted and thought-provoking. Crossing the bridge and ascending the stone steps leads to the original temple’s mountain gate, where two stone lions flank either side. Further north, past the east and west wing rooms, one arrives at the original central hall, which now features four strikingly large stone pillars. The middle two are carved with coiling dragons that seem ready to dart through the air. Exiting the central hall and crossing the Deng Yun Bridge brings you to the original rear main hall. Behind the rear hall is the Stone Buddha Hall. Though the Stone Buddha Hall has been destroyed, three gleaming golden stone Buddha statues remain, remarkably lifelike. The original temple complex consisted of the South Temple, Ci Yun Bridge, mountain gate, east and west wing rooms, central hall, Deng Yun Bridge, rear main hall, Stone Buddha Hall, Dragon King Temple, bell and drum towers, and an opera stage, all arranged in a rigorous layout exuding grandeur and majesty. The temple once had a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree with a trunk eight people could hug and a canopy covering over an acre. A saying from the past went: “Play cards on the tree—four play, eight watch, the maltose seller walks overhead, beat drums on the east branch and no one hears on the west.” In 1997, the tree was blown down by fierce winds and completely destroyed.

Nearby Qie Ting Temple are other scenic and historic sites such as Ma Pao Spring, Sacred Water Well, Liubugan (Never Dries Up), and Guanbuman (Never Fills Up). It is truly described by the verse: “The temple lies deep within a thousand peaks; the bridge spans cliffs a hundred feet high; mountain light graces the halls; cloud vapor moisturizes the pines; fish swim calmly in still water; birds pluck petals as they fly; who says paradise is better? This place transcends the mortal world.” In the past, monks gathered here in great numbers, and pilgrims from far and wide came to worship. After the founding of New China, anyone visiting Neiqiu would make a point to come here.

Address: Located about 16.8 kilometers northwest of Neiqiu County