Xingguo Temple

Xingguo Temple

Xingguo Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Xingguo Temple is located on the mountainside of Thousand Buddha Mountain, covering an area of 3,000 square meters, and is a famous place of worship in Shandong.

According to a stone inscription from the seventh year of the Ming Dynasty's Chenghua era (1471), the temple was once damaged by war and fire. On the third day of the eighth month in the fourth year of Chenghua (1468), Su Xian, an eunuch from the Dewang Mansion, visited Thousand Buddha Mountain and, upon seeing the state of the temple at that time, was deeply moved and sighed. He then donated funds to build Buddhist halls, monks' quarters, kitchens, and grain storage facilities.

The temple enshrines statues of Sakyamuni, the Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin), the Earth Store Bodhisattva, the Eighteen Arhats, and the Four Heavenly Kings. The temple gate faces west, with an inscribed plaque bearing the four characters “Xingguo Temple” (Temple of National Prosperity), handwritten by Zhao Puchu, former chairman of the Buddhist Association of China and a renowned calligrapher. The stone-engraved couplet reads: “The evening drum and morning bell awaken those chasing worldly fame and fortune; the chanting of scriptures and Buddha’s name call back those lost in the sea of suffering.” It was written by Yang Zhaoqing, a scholar from Jinan in the late Qing Dynasty. Inside the gate, there are bell and drum towers on both sides. To the south of the entrance, numerous Buddha statues are carved into the cliff face of the Thousand Buddha Grottoes. From west to east along the mountain ridge are the Dragon Spring Cave, the Bliss Cave, the Stone Archway of the Blessed Land, and the Huadui Pavilion. Within the temple courtyard are the Maitreya Hall, Guanyin Hall, Bodhidharma Hall, Jade Buddha Hall, and meditation rooms. The Mahavira Hall on the east side houses statues of Sakyamuni, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and several Arhats.

Admission

Free

Location

Within the Thousand Buddha Mountain Scenic Area, No. 18 Jingshiyi Road, Lixia District, Jinan City, Shandong Province