Buddhist relics on Qiyanshan Mountain

Buddhist relics on Qiyanshan Mountain

The Buddhist relics on Qiyanshan Mountain are designated as a cultural relic protection unit of Xinzhou City.

Qiyanshan Mountain is located in Liuhui Village, Dingxiang County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province. The mountain features Buddhist relics dating back to the second year of the Shenjue era (519 AD) during the Eastern Wei Dynasty. Since then, Buddhist remains have been found in successive dynasties, with temples continually expanded and incense burning enduring to this day. Qiyanshan Mountain’s Buddhist culture has had a profound influence on the people of Dingxiang, and there have been no shortage of benefactors throughout history. The greatest value of Qiyanshan Mountain also lies in its preservation of 20 cliff inscriptions and steles, which cover topics such as historical geography, Buddhism, ancient architecture, folklore, local products, and the environment. This is quite rare not only within the province but also across the country. In particular, in the year 840 AD, the Japanese monk Ennin from the Tang Dynasty visited Qiyansi Temple, giving the mountain’s Buddhist culture an international cultural significance.