Jindeng Temple Grottoes

　　   Jindeng Temple Grottoes (Sixth Batch of National Heritage Protection)

　　   Era: Ming Dynasty

　　   Address: On the summit of Linlu Mountain, east of Beiquan Village, Xingcheng Town, Pingshun County

　　   The famous grotto temple—Jindeng Temple—is perched atop steep cliffs. The terrain here is rugged, with sparse vegetation, bordered by towering cliffs to the north and deep valleys to the south. The temple complex was carved along the natural contours of the mountaintop, taking shape over 60 years from the Hongzhi to the Jiajing eras of the Ming Dynasty. The existing architecture of the Jindeng Temple complex largely features styles from the Ming and Qing periods. Due to its location against the cliff to the north and above the valley to the south, the temple complex consists of seven courtyards extending from east to west, each with its own halls and forming an independent unit. Among them, the most distinctive is the Shuili Hall (Water-Land Hall), where the flat ceiling is adorned with carved square caisson designs, and beneath it lies a crystal-clear pool of water. Spanning the pool is a square-shaped stone bridge, connecting the left and right walls, the cave entrance, and the steps—about 50 centimeters wide—in front of the screen wall. Facing you on a lofty lotus pedestal sits the majestic Sakyamuni in the lotus position, flanked by the vivid figures of Manjushri on the left and Samantabhadra on the right. The hall houses around 90 relief murals that are quite exquisite and neatly arranged. The grottoes are the soul of Jindeng Temple, with 37 niches and more than 500 cliff carvings spread across 14 caves. A few hundred meters north of the temple lies the Stone Pagoda Forest, which contains 46 stupas of various sizes. The largest among them is the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, said to be the stupa of Jingzhen, the founding monk of Jindeng Temple.