Lingya Temple Gate

　　Introduction       Lingya Temple is located about 3 kilometers southeast of Lueyang County. Nestled against a mountain and beside a river, it faces west and is built upon two large natural karst caves in the rocky hillside. The temple features a seamless blend of natural landscapes and cultural heritage, earning it the titles “Pearl of the Ancient Road” and “Mini Stone Tablet Forest of Southern Shaanxi.” It is a provincial-level key cultural relics protection unit.

　　    Lingya Temple was first built during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (713–714 AD), boasting a history of over 1,200 years. Since ancient times, it has been a renowned religious and tourist destination in the region. With such a long history, countless legends and anecdotes abound. Literary and artistic figures such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Wu Daozi, Li Keran, and Yu Youren have all left their inscriptions here.

　　    The temple is built along the natural terrain, with winding mountain paths that are quiet and elegant, lined with ancient trees providing dense shade. Inside the temple are stone inscriptions from the Han, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The walls of the front cave also feature numerous cliff inscriptions, which hold significant artistic and calligraphic value—such as carved characters from Empress Wu Zetian, stone inscriptions of Du Fu’s poetry, and steles inscribed by Emperor Zhezong of the Song Dynasty. Among them, the famous Eastern Han Dynasty clerical script stele “? Pavilion Ode,” dating back to 172 AD, enjoys international renown.   Transportation       A taxi from the county town costs around 10 yuan to get there.   

　　 

　　 Hanzhong City, Shaanxi Province