Mianning Lingshan Tourist Scenic Area

Mianning Lingshan Tourist Scenic Area

Mianning Lingshan Tourist Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

Lingshan is a national 4A-level scenic spot. The provincial-level Lingshan Forest Park features well-preserved ecology and rich biodiversity. Located in Mianning County, Sichuan Province, it is 67 kilometers from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Centered around Lingshan Temple, the planned protected area covers 40 square kilometers. Lingshan backs onto the Xiao Xiang Ridge and lies beside the Anning River, with its main peak at an altitude of 414 meters, standing majestically behind Lingshan Temple. The surrounding peaks are layered and lush, with glistening greenery and clear springs cascading over rocks. Ascending to the summit, one can gaze north to the snow-covered Yangluo Mountain, west to the majestic Majia Mountain and the fertile plains along the Anning River, south to the satellite launch base, and east to the undulating peaks of the vast Liangshan Mountains and the scattered Yi ethnic villages. A 4.7-kilometer ancient stone path leads from Yingge Mountain Mouth to the temple gate, shaded by dense forests, with murmuring springs, winding trails, and ever-changing scenery that captivates the eye. The reverent demeanor of devout pilgrims adds an air of mystery to Lingshan.

Attraction Introduction

The Lingshan Rear Mountain Scenic Area refers to the 30-square-kilometer expanse of stunning natural landscapes behind Lingshan Temple, characterized by glacial lakes, azalea forests, and pristine woodlands. Among them, numerous glacial lakes formed during the Quaternary period are scattered like pearls on a brocade, each unique in shape and color. There’s a lake with golden waters, radiant and striking, resembling a golden basin—majestic and resplendent.

The Red Sea, a sacred lake with crimson hues; the Ink Sea, dark as ink, like an inkstone holding its pigment; and the Three Linked Seas, a chain of interconnected lakes scattered along the mountain slopes. These star-like, pearl-like glacial lakes were shaped by glacial erosion, movement, and melting. For centuries, they have rested quietly within Lingshan’s embrace, reflecting the surrounding peaks, forests, and blossoms, while drawing the attention of the sun, moon, stars, and clouds. Poetic, dreamlike, and naturally mystical, they embody an otherworldly charm.

The Front Mountain Scenic Area centers around Lingshan Temple and encompasses a 20-square-kilometer region featuring cultural landmarks such as Yingge Mountain Mouth and Xijiao River. Yingge Mountain, located 3.7 kilometers west of National Highway 108, marks the western boundary of the Lingshan Protected Area. At the mountain’s mouth is the parking lot at the end of the Lingshan Highway. Above the mouth, amid lush greenery, stands a pavilion with glazed tiles, while a winding stone staircase passes beneath a giant rock shaped like a parrot’s beak. A beautiful legend surrounds Yingge Mountain Mouth: a vibrant green parrot once perched in a tree here, flying to the temple to announce the arrival of pilgrims, prompting preparations for their welcome. When the parrot grew old, it transformed into this mountain, with a beak-shaped rock by the roadside representing its beak. Today, the beak is no longer visible—legend says the parrot ascended to heaven after years of guarding Lingshan.

Lingshan Temple

Lingshan Temple is located 10 kilometers east of Chengxiang Town in the county, on the western side of the Xiao Xiang Ridge, and is named for its backdrop against Lingshan. The “Seven Stars Embracing the Moon” architectural complex, centered around the Mahavira Hall, harmonizes beautifully with the scenic landscape. The front hall of the Mahavira Hall enshrines Sakyamuni, while the rear hall houses a wooden statue of Yang Xuexin, the founding monk of Lingshan Temple (before 1965, the monk’s actual preserved body was enshrined). The side halls are dedicated to the Eighteen Arhats. After attaining nirvana at the temple, the monk’s body remained incorrupt for over 160 years—an extraordinary phenomenon. Coupled with legends of his compassion and benevolence, the temple has earned a revered reputation for its “spiritual power.” Pilgrims flock here year-round to pray, make vows, and give thanks, keeping the incense burning brightly. In recent years, the temple has welcomed hundreds of thousands of worshippers annually.

Monk Changhai’s Stupa

Monk Changhai’s Stupa is located on a forested slope dozens of meters behind the main hall of Lingshan Temple. Constructed from bluestone slabs, the stupa stands over two meters tall and was built in the 6th year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty (1856). It is the stupa of Monk Changhai Da, the 32nd patriarch of the Caodong School.

Meditation Site of Monk Gao

The meditation site of Monk Gao is situated west of the Mahavira Hall of Lingshan Temple. Crossing the Qinglong River Valley and ascending a forested slope, one finds the ruins of an ancient temple. Behind the ruins lies a roughly 10-square-meter cave and a large slate well. Legend has it that this was the site where Monk Gao, who meditated here alongside Monk Yang, built his temple. From this spot, one can overlook the Lingshan Temple complex.

Huotan Fort Tibetan Stone Carvings

The Huotan Fort Tibetan Stone Carvings are located at Huotan Fort in Bafu Village, Ningyuan Township, at the northwest end of Suzhou Dam. A prism-shaped boulder, about one meter high and over a meter long, bears Tibetan Buddhist Gelug sect teachings on its right side, titled “The Six-Syllable Mantra,” and a depiction of a figure offering treasures for blessings on the left. It is estimated to have been carved in the late Ming or early Qing dynasty.

Bon Religion Stone Stele

The Bon Religion Stone Stele is located in Dayakou Village, Chengxiang Town. The stele, made of granite, stands about one meter tall, 0.4 meters wide, and 0.15 meters thick. Slightly weathered, its text and images remain clearly legible. The upper part features scrolling cloud patterns, the lower part a bas-relief of a lion, and the middle three lines of Tibetan script (transliterated from Sanskrit), written in an ancient, neat style. The first line contains the “Eight-Syllable Mantra” of the Bon religion in the Tibetan region.

Black Jade Sea

Black Jade Sea, also known as Black Sea, is located at the headwaters of the Zhenggou Valley of the Lingshan River, at an altitude of about 3,500 meters, and resembles a gourd. The peaks to the north and south of the sea are perpetually snow-capped, with sparse spruces and clusters of azaleas on the cliffs. The eastern slope gently extends, while the western ridge features a silver glacial tongue extending into the forest. On the western water outlet, short azalea bushes dot the grassy slope, interspersed with rugged rocks. From afar, the sea appears black, but up close, its waters are crystal-clear and pristine.

Golden Sea

Also called the Red Sea, the Golden Sea derives its name from the reddish hue of its waters, caused by the surrounding red igneous rocks. Located on the eastern foothills of Lingshan’s main peak, at the source of the southern branch of the Lingshan River’s Jianxi Gully, it sits at an altitude of about 4,000 meters and resembles a kidney bean, formed by two connected lakes, each spanning over 100 acres. Snow-capped peaks encircle the lake, resembling city walls, while drifting clouds cast a golden hue over the waters, blending sky and lake into one.

The Three Linked Seas

The Three Linked Seas are located on the western side of the watershed in the central section of Xishan Mountain, where Lingshan Temple is situated. They consist of three well-preserved glacial cirque landforms from the Quaternary period, each forming a glacial lake surrounded by independent peaks. The three lakes vary in shape, with crystal-clear waters reflecting the sky and clouds, creating breathtaking beauty. One of the lakes features a glacial channel extending to its center, dividing the lake surface like a Taiji diagram—an especially remarkable sight.

Transportation to Lingshan

The scenic area is located 17 kilometers east of Mianning County in Liangshan Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It is accessible via the Chengdu-Kunming Railway and National Highway 108, 458 kilometers from Chengdu (the provincial capital) and 80 kilometers from Xichang (the prefectural capital). Direct buses to Lingshan Temple are available at Xichang’s long-distance bus station, or you can disembark in Mianning and take a local bus from there.

Air: The county town is 70 kilometers from Xichang Qingshan Airport. National Highway 108 and the Liangshan Expressway from Luguhu to Xichang have been completed. The airport is 13.5 kilometers from the city center and 50 kilometers from the launch center.

Rail: Mianning Railway Station is located in Luguhu Town, Mianning County, Sichuan Province, about an hour’s drive from Mianning County Town. Built in 1970, it lies 509 kilometers from Chengdu Station and 591 kilometers from Kunming Station.

Lingshan Temple in Mianning