Wujie Academy’s Hometown, Shandong

There are several huge ginkgo trees in the Yuquan Temple at the foot of Mount Tai, which turn golden in autumn.

Yuquan Temple is located in the north of Daiding, Tai'an City. It was founded by monk Yi from the Northern Wei Dynasty. It was rebuilt by monk Shan Ning in the Jin Dynasty, and the Seven Buddha Pavilion was built by monk Pu Jin in the Yuan Dynasty. It was built and abandoned again and again. To the southeast of Yuquan Temple are Lotus Peak, Xianglu Peak, the former site of Zhou Mingtang, and Tianjing Bay; to the west is Motian Ridge; to the south is a rice-selling shed; to the north is Huitai Mountain and Changcheng Ridge, surrounded by mountains, dense forests, high cliffs and flying streams. Off the beaten track.

In ancient times, mountain people once found an Arhat statue in the valley, so it was named Fo Valley or Fo Valley. Because there is Gushan in the south and Yuquan in the east, it is also called Gushan Temple, Gushan Yuquan Temple, and commonly known as Foye Temple.

It was already afternoon when we arrived, and there was no admission fee with photography ID. Enter the gate of the scenic spot and follow the mountain path all the way up. On both sides of the path are dense mountain forests. There are mostly locust trees, pine and cypress trees in the mountain forest. Occasionally, there are a few cotinus trees mixed in. The leaves of the cotinus trees turn bright red in autumn. There are several persimmon trees next to Yuquan Temple. The persimmons on the trees are like small red lanterns. The warm sunshine in the evening forms a beautiful halo through the branches of the persimmon trees.

Entering the ancient temple, there are several ginkgo trees in the temple that block out the sun. The trunks are several arms thick, and the leaves on the trees have turned golden. The ginkgo leaves in late autumn begin to wither, and the stone tables and benches under the tree are covered with golden ginkgo leaves. The temple seems to be covered with a thick yellow carpet.

Going up the stone steps is the Main Hall. The Main Hall is built on high platforms, and you can look up. Clay statues of Sakyamuni and the Eighteen Arhats are enshrined in the hall. Standing at the gate of the Main Hall, you can overlook the three large ginkgo trees in the courtyard. Behind the ginkgo trees are the Taishan Mountains. The mountains in the evening glow a light dark blue, and the warm rays of the setting sun shine on the red leaves of the persimmon trees. , what a picture of autumn colors.

There is an ancient pine tree on the hill behind the main hall. The pine tree has green leaves and a huge crown. It is called "One Acre Pine". There is an apple orchard to the east of the temple, and there is an ancient spring in the garden, which is the Jade Spring. Yuquan is commonly known as the Bajiao Glazed Well. It has continuous spring water all year round, and it does not dry up even in severe droughts. The water is pure, clear and sweet.

The word "Yuquan" in Yuquan Temple was written by Dang Huaiying, a great scholar in the Jin Dynasty. On the hillside to the west of the temple, there is a stele written by Dang Huaiying and inscribed with the title "Records of Gushan Temple". The hills on both sides of the temple are commonly known as the East and West Buddha Foot Mountains because of the natural large footprints embedded in the rocks. There are two gold mining caves on the northwest side of the mountain. It is said that it was the alchemy place of Qiu Chuji, a real person in Changchun in the early Yuan Dynasty. In the south of Gushan Mountain, there is a place called the Rice Selling Shed, which is the junction of many counties. In the old days, pilgrims from Jinan, Licheng, Zhangqiu, Zibo and other places used this road to climb Daiding. Monks and mountain people would do good deeds here, giving away rice or selling rice. meal.

According to textual research, Yuquan Temple has experienced several ups and downs, several demolitions and several constructions. The Main Hall was also built in the scenic spot later. Historically, the construction scale of Yuquan Temple was very large and it was a royal temple. It also once said: "The bells in the morning and the drums in the evening The forest is far away, and the sound of sutras is singing among the floating clouds."

After leaving Yuquan Temple and returning along the same route, the autumn colors made us linger. At this time, a few puppies walked by the road. They seemed to be raised by nearby monks or villagers. Those puppies were not afraid of people. I called them over and played with them for a long time. The sky is getting darker and I look forward to visiting Yuquan Temple again next year.

Tips: Yuquan Temple is a separate attraction and is not within the Mount Tai Scenic Area. It can be reached by navigation. There is a parking lot at the entrance of the scenic area and you need to walk up the mountain. Admission is free with a photography permit. The Yuquan Temple in late autumn is colorful because of these ginkgo trees.