Zhanshan Temple

Zhanshan Si (Zhanshan Temple) was built in modern times. Sitting on the southwest foot of Zhanshan Mountain and facing the sea to the east of Qingdao, Shandong, the temple itself is a favorite tourist attraction. Its front gate is guarded by a pair of exquisitely chiseled stone lions that once belonged to the mansion of the Prince of Qingzhou of the Ming Dynasty. Its edifices, including the Hall of Deva-kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Trinity Hall, and the Tripitaka Pavilion on an axial line, are imitation Ming structures that form a mingled picture of architectural pomp and religious solemnity. The statues of saints in these halls are marked for their graphic imagery and spiritual resonance. The two-storied Tripitaka Pavilion houses a Qianlong version of the Tripitaka on the ground floor and a Buddhist sarira on the second floor. The brick pagoda outside the temple is a seven-floored octagonal structure, with a staircase leading to three of these floors that offer a picturesque view of the seascape.