Luquan Bliss Temple

Luquan Bliss Temple

Luquan Bliss Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Originally named Lingyan Temple, Bliss Temple is located to the west of Zaolin Village, Bailuquan Township, in the southwest of Luquan District, Shijiazhuang City. It faces south and covers an area of approximately 5,000 square meters. The temple currently houses five stone steles, two sections of a stone pagoda body, and one canopy from a Buddhist pagoda. The steles were engraved during the Qing Dynasty in the reigns of Emperors Kangxi, Qianlong, and Tongzhi. One of the inscriptions reads: “Founded during the Damingchang era of the Great Jin, renovated in the eighth year of the Wanli era, and has now stood for over three hundred more years…”. This indicates that Lingyan Temple was established in the Jin Dynasty, renovated in the Ming Dynasty, and further restored in the Qing Dynasty. The current structures date back to the Qing Dynasty.

The first phase of the Lingyan Temple project was completed in 2003 with an investment of 8 million yuan, covering an area of about 20 acres. The temple’s name was then changed to Bliss Temple. Upon entering the main gate is the Hall of Heavenly Kings, which houses a statue of Maitreya in the center, flanked by the Four Heavenly Kings. On either side of the Hall of Heavenly Kings are the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. To the north lies the main courtyard, where a statue of the Child-Giving Guanyin stands in the center. Further north is the Hall of Three Saints (the main hall), with the Hall of the Medicine Buddha and the Hall of Kṣitigarbha on its sides. Additionally, the Hall of the Buddha’s Mother and the Hall of the Zen Master are located on the east and west sides of the main courtyard. To the east of the temple is the temple management committee office and a Buddhist training building. On the hill to the southwest of the temple, the Eight Pagodas of Tathagata were built exactly following the specifications of the Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai. From this spot, one can overlook the main courtyard, which stands directly opposite. Behind the main courtyard rises another large hall, seemingly nearing completion. Next to the hall stands a white pagoda resembling Beijing's Beihai Pagoda, about ten or so meters high.

About 250 meters west of Lingyan Temple lies a natural cave called Lingyan Cave, situated at the foot of Hailuo Mountain. The upper part of the cave entrance features steep rocks. Massive boulders lie horizontally, connecting multiple small chambers via small stone passages, commonly known as the “Eighteen-Linked Pearl Caves.” Ancient records describe it as: “The cave’s head emerges from the sunny side of the mountain, its tail leads to the shaded side, twisting for about a mile through seclusion untouched by dust. Bending low to enter, each ‘pearl’ chamber is as varied as milky hues and scattered floral remnants.” In reality, there are only nine chambers, hence called the Nine-Linked Pearl Caves. The first chamber is the largest, resembling a spacious hall. At its center once stood a roughly two-meter-tall Buddha statue carved from a natural rock formation inside the cave, which was destroyed in 1966 when the Second Railway Station occupied the site. Passing through a stone gate leads to the second chamber, presenting a completely different scene. Holding up a torch, one can see water droplets glistening on the cave walls. Each chamber offers a unique experience—for instance, the fourth chamber drips water like spring rain, accompanied by a tinkling sound like a zither or guzheng being played. The fifth chamber is known as the “Heaven Beyond Heaven,” where a protruding boulder high on the cave wall forms a flat surface large enough to seat or lie down several people, truly resembling a celestial pavilion. Finally, the ninth chamber is the smallest and hardest to enter. Lingyan Temple is named after the cave, and the cave, in turn, gained fame because of the temple.

Transportation Guide

Address: Zaolin Village, West, Bailuquan Township, Luquan City, Hebei Province

Self-driving Route: Starting from Shijiazhuang — to Luquan — cross the Taiping River Bridge and head southwest — pass the Xinxing Cement Plant (about 10+ li) — Zaolin Village, West