Zibo Qingyun Temple

Zibo Qingyun Temple

Zibo Qingyun Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

Located northwest of Hulin Village, Lingzi Town, Zichuan District, it is a Buddhist temple. Qingyun Temple, formerly known as Shangquan Hermitage, was first built during the Ming Dynasty. According to the old county annals: “(Monk) Yuanming was the one who established Qingyun Temple in the southwestern mountains. The temple was initially called Shangquan Hermitage. During the Zhengtong era, Monk Jingming built a thatched hut here, devoted himself as a monk, reclaimed mountain land, and cultivated it for his own sustenance. He had a disciple named Daotong, whose successor was Deshan. Both practiced asceticism diligently, gradually expanding the cultivated fields. The third generation, Yuanming, became a monk in the sixth year of the Zhengde reign. Within a few years, it grew into a grand temple. He also built several quiet chambers in the middle, inviting scholars to study inside. For over a hundred years, literati and poets left numerous inscriptions and poems on steles, making it the most celebrated site at the time. To this day, when speaking of scenic spots in the county, Qingyun Temple is ranked foremost.”

Qingyun Temple boasts beautiful scenery. To the north are the steep and towering Pan Mountain, and to the south the rugged Jiwen Mountain with cliffs like cut jade. The temple buildings follow the terrain, leaning against sheer cliffs above and overlooking deep valleys below, with flying eaves and carved ridges nestled among green trees and blooming flowers. It ranks first among the Twenty-Four Scenic Spots of ancient Zichuan County and is widely renowned for its Ten Scenes. The Ten Scenes are: Jiwen Displaying Colors, Four Terraces Commanding the View, Moon Mountain Evening Glow, Pathside Well Holding Spring, Dragon Terrace Veiled in Mist, Turtle Grove Nurturing Excellence, Wangu Valley Echoing Sounds, Screen Cliff Rolling and Unfurling, Pigeon Cliff Twisting Around, and Eagle Peak Towering Sharply.

Qingyun Temple has long been a gathering place for literati and poets. Over the dynasties, it inspired many poetic inscriptions and left behind numerous ink traces, including over seventy stone tablets written by notable figures such as Wang Jiao, Zhang Zhifa, Zhang Zhongfa, Bi Ziyian, Tang Menglai, Bi Jiyu, and Pu Songling.

Address: 2.5 km south of Lingzi Town, Zichuan District, Zibo City

Admission: Free

Opening Hours: All day

Hulin Village: Hulin Village…… More details about Hulin Village++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Shandong Province