Yiyang Ling Mountain Temple

Yiyang Ling Mountain Temple

Yiyang Ling Mountain Temple is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural heritage site protected by Henan Province.

Luoyang Ling Mountain Temple is located on the mountainside of Ling Mountain, 7.5 kilometers west of Yiyang County and 40 kilometers from downtown Luoyang. Originally named Phoenix Mountain, Ling Mountain was renamed after King Ling of Zhou was buried here. The temple was originally called Baoguo Temple but was also renamed Ling Mountain Temple after the mountain.

In the third year of the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty, which corresponds to the second year of the Longxing era of Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1164), the monk Hánxiū built a temple here, originally named Baoguo Temple, and it was later renamed Ling Mountain Temple after the mountain. The entire temple was built along the contours of the mountain, facing south with its back to the north, covering an area of 18,667.6 square meters. The mountain gate resembles a city tower, featuring a single-eave hip-and-gable roof and standing 4 meters tall. Above it are three pavilion rooms, originally constructed in the tenth year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1671). The pavilion originally enshrined the Kāla Rāja Bodhisattva and was renovated in 1980. Below is a cave gate, with a plaque inscribed “Ling Mountain Temple” above the doorway, written by Zhao Puchu. Inside the temple, there are four courtyards and five levels of architecture extending from north to south along the central axis, comprising nearly a hundred halls, chambers, and pavilions.

The first courtyard contains the Heavenly King Hall, which has a flush gable roof and was built during the Ming Dynasty. The hall houses statues of the Four Heavenly Kings, which were recast in gold in recent years. In the center is a statue of Maitreya Buddha, 1.7 meters tall. In front of it stands an ancient ginkgo tree over nine zhang tall (approximately 30 meters), with a trunk so thick that it takes several people to encircle it. Its top branches spread out like an umbrella, dense and leafy. The second courtyard holds the Middle Buddha Hall (also known as the Mahākaruṇā Pavilion), built during the Jin Dynasty. It enshrines a 1.6-meter-tall jade Buddha from Myanmar, resplendent in gold. In front of the hall is a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, three meters in circumference, 35 meters tall, and richly foliaged. The third courtyard features the Mahavira Hall, also from the Jin Dynasty, with a hip-and-gable roof. Inside are five Buddha statues: Sakyamuni Buddha in the center, about 5 meters tall, flanked by Bhaisajyaguru (Medicine Buddha) on the left and Amitabha Buddha on the right, with Ānanda and Kāśyapa standing at the sides. All are fine artworks from the Ming Dynasty. Below the steps of the hall stands a seven-tiered stone pagoda over a zhang tall, engraved with 30 images of Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats, showcasing exquisite stone carving craftsmanship. On the wall behind the hall are inlaid 29 poems and verses inscribed by historical figures and visitors through the ages, rendered in various scripts including regular, cursive, clerical, and seal scripts. The fourth courtyard houses the Scripture Depository. Below it is the Dharma Hall and Abbot’s Quarters, with 22 side chambers on the east and west sides arranged symmetrically. In the middle stands a gate tower, flanked by walls on both sides, inscribed with poetic stelae from historical figures. To the west of the temple lies the monks’ quarters and farming meditation area. Outside the eastern wall of the temple is the renowned Phoenix Spring, famous far and wide for its sweet-tasting water. The main stream of the spring flows into the swimming pool east of the temple, while a branch flows into the temple’s fishpond, eventually converging and cascading down the mountain like a waterfall into the fields below. Southeast of the spring are 15 pagodas, forming one of the eight major pagoda forests in China. Visitors can hike up to the summit of Phoenix Mountain either via the southern path along Pagoda Mountain Road or by the mountain trail on the western side of the temple. From the top, one can take in the sweeping views of the scenery along the Luo River. Beneath the cliff on the northern side of the temple’s welcome wall, about a li away, rises a steep cliff around 10 zhang high (approximately 33 meters), where the Qìngyún Cave is nestled halfway up the cliff, deep and unfathomable.

The temple has undergone multiple renovations and colorful repaintings in recent years, giving it a completely renewed appearance. It is a key cultural heritage site protected by Henan Province.

Address: Chengxi, Xianglu Mountain Town, Yiyang County, Luoyang City, 8 kilometers west of the city / 7 kilometers west of Luoyang, southern bank

Type: Temple & Ancient Pagoda

Recommended Visiting Time: 2–3 hours

Phone: 0379-62985500

Opening Hours:

8:00-18:00

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Heritage Protection Units

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Heritage Protection Units