Lingyan Temple-----One of the Greatest Temples in China

Lingyan Temple ("Temple of the Spiritual Rocks") is a Buddhist temple located in Jinan, Shandong Province, about 20 kilometers north of the city of Tai'an. The temple grounds are situated in a valley on the western edge of the Taishan range. The Lingyan Temple has a long recorded history, and was one of the main temples in China during the times of the Tang and Song Dynasties. Its most renown landmarks are the 11th century Pizhi Pagoda and the Thousand Buddha Hall which houses a Ming dynasty bronze Buddha statue as well as 40 painted clay statues of life-size luohan from the Song dynasty.

The original temple was established in the period of 357–358. Gaining a greater reputation during the year 386–534, the temple reached its apex of importance during the Tang dynasty (618–907) and Song dynasty (960–1279). There were over 40 different wooden temple halls located at the temple, composing more than 500 monastic rooms. More than 500 Buddhist monks lived at Lingyan Temple during its height.

In the west of the temple there is a cemetery for past abbots of the Lingyan Temple. 167 tombs and dagobas built from the Tianbao reign of the Tang Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty are preserved here. With various styles and elegant sculpture, these tombs and dagobas were apotheosis of stupaes in the past thousand years, and were famous together with the Dagoba Forest of the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province. Nestled in remote mountains and dwelling with jumping springs, the Lingyan Temple is reputed as the most secluded place behind Taishan Mountain. There are twelve wonderful sights around the temple.

The oldest structures at the site are the various stone stupas and square-based stone Chinese pagoda in the pavilion style from the Tang dynasty, the 8th century Huichong Pagoda. Of the 167 stone stupas at the temple, no two are identical, and like the luohan statues of the Thousand Buddha Hall, have been well preserved and untouched by the Cultural Revolution. The tallest structure of the temple is the 54 m (177 ft) tall Pizhi Pagoda, built originally in 753, although the present structure was built from 1056 to 1063.

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