Jiashan Temple, located in Shimen County, is a 1,000-year-old Buddhist center and said to be the source of the Japanese tea ceremony. The tomb of Monk Fentianyu next to the temple has been ascertained by scholars of the history of the Ming Dynasty as the tomb of Li Zicheng, leader of a peasant uprising, who lived a secluded life as amonk after his failure to overthrow the dynasty.
What to see
Jiashan scenic area is about 8 kilometers away from the south of Shimen County,
Changde district in Hunan Province, and is composed of Jiashan National Forest Park, Jiashan Temple, Chuangwang Cemetery, Biyan Spring and other scenic spots. The total area is about 3 square kilometers. The scenic area which is a mixture of the natural scenery is well-known in the domestic and international.
Jiashan Temple was rebuilt in 1992, and the existing Buddhist building mainly has: the Great Buddha’s Hall, the Tianwang Hall, the Great Mercy Hall, the Dharma, and Cangjing Building etc. The area of the Great Buddha’s Hall is about 3 square kilometers, and it has 5 frame beams and belongs to pure wood structure. The Great Mercy Temple was built by a monk who called Fengtianmingyu in the beginning of Qing dynasty. The temple has two tablets of Qing dynasty: one is Kangxi’s tablet and another is Daoguang’s tablet. In addition, there are 2 famous pagodas in Jiashan Temple: one is the founder of a religious sect
Shanghui’s pagoda, and another is the founder of Biyanchan
Yuanwukeqin’s pagoda.
In 1993, it was approved as National Forest Park by Ministry of Forestry. In 1994, it was identified as demonstration garden of 20 National Forest Park by Ministry of Forestry. In 2002, it was rated as the AAA level scenic spots by the National Tourism Administration.
Travel Tips
Add: Jiashan Town, Shimen County, Hunan Province.
Entrance Fee:: CNY 60
Opening hours: 08:00-18:00
Transport: It's about 8km from downtown Shimen County.