Weekend Getaway | Qinglian Temple, the "Buddhist Capital"

|Qinglian Temple, the "Buddhist Capital." Qinglian Temple requires online reservations, but no tickets. Qinglian Temple is known as the "First Temple of Jin and Wei Mountains and Rivers" and the "Buddhist Capital." Qinglian Temple was founded during the Tianbao period of the Northern Qi Dynasty by the eminent monk Huiyuan and was originally named Qinghua Temple. In Buddhist terms, the blue lotus is the best. The lotus flower is closely associated with Buddhism, and the Buddha sitting on a lotus platform has become a rule, while the blue lotus is the best among lotuses, and temples around the world do not dare to easily use the name Qinglian. Because Master Huiyuan was historically known as the "Great Master of Qi and Sui," the "High Ancestor of Buddhist Interpretation," and the "Dragon among Monks," he brought great glory to Qinglian Temple. In addition, he trained a large number of Buddhist elites, such as Lingcan, Huijian, Huichang, Shanzhou, Zhihui, Bianxiang, and Zhicen, who led the Buddhist community at that time. In the eighth year of the Xiantong period of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Yizong of Tang bestowed the name "Qinglian Temple" on the temple. The monks of Qinglian Temple did not follow the rules, were not bound by sects, and absorbed the strengths of various sects, becoming the founders of the Pure Land Sect, the Dilun Sect, and the Four-Part Vinaya Sect. During the Tang Dynasty, Zen Master Zhicen established the Lotus Sutra Dojo here, and 28 eminent monks from all over the world gathered at Qinglian to teach the Lotus Sutra, causing a sensation. Qinglian Temple became a sacred place longed for by the Buddhist community during the Sui and Tang Dynasties and was known as the "Buddhist Capital of the Sui and Tang Dynasties." At the end of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Master Huiyuan was commissioned by the court to bring the Qinglian palm leaf manuscript to Shaolin, where he taught martial arts and created Shaolin martial arts. "Wen Qinglian, Wu Shaolin" is famous throughout China. It is now a national key cultural relic protection unit. Qinglian Wonderland, Eight Treasures Pure Land. The entire temple is divided into two parts, the upper temple and the lower temple, which are located by the mountains and rivers, overlooking each other, and complementing each other, subtly conforming to the wonder of "hiding," integrating the creation of scenery and obtaining scenery, presenting the eternal beauty of returning to nature. Outside the temple, the mountains are majestic and the scenery is beautiful, while inside the temple, ancient cypresses and ginkgo trees tower into the sky, making it a heavenly paradise.