Xingguo Temple

Xingguo Si (Xingguo Temple) perches on Qianfo Mountain in south Jinan, Shandong. When it was established during the Kaihuang reign (581-604) of the Sui Dynasty, however, it was known by another name: the Qianfo (Thousand-Buddha) Temple. Only after it was rebuilt during the Zhenguan reign (627-649) of the Tang Dynasty was it given its present name. It was expanded during the Song Dynasty (960-1279), only to be destroyed by war in the early Ming Dynasty. Its reconstruction took place in 1468 (4th year of the Chenghua reign, Ming Dynasty). After the Jiaqing reign (1796-1820) of the Qing Dynasty, new halls were added until the temple grew into an impressive affair with seven halls and four courtyards.

The layout is well-disciplined, and the architecture awesome enough to hush the visitor into noiseless reverence. Access to this temple is by a stone stairway of more than 300 steps. The southern wall of the temple is elevated on the top of a cliff, into which a beehive of caves are scooped, with those at the foot of the cliff enshrined with Buddhist statues. This is none other than the well-known Thousand-Buddha Grottoes that has been there for more than 1,400 years. Many of the statues in these caves were crafted during the Zhenguan reign (627-649) of the Tang Dynasty, and some one hundred and thirty of them are still in good shape today. The grottoes naturally came under protection as a site of foremost historical interest in Shandong Province. Qianfo Mountain is a favorite with tourists not only because of the temple and its grottoes but also for its pleasant scenery.