Have you been to Zhejiang Guoqing Temple?

It is said that there are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people, and the evaluation of scenic spots is also very subjective. It is difficult for a scenic spot to have zero negative reviews. However, an incredible scenic spot appeared in Chengguan Town, Tiantai County, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, with almost zero negative reviews and no admission fees. It is the famous Guoqing Temple, a quieter place than West Lake.

Guoqing Temple was built in the 18th year of Emperor Kaihuang’s reign in the Sui Dynasty (598). It was named Tiantai Temple after it was first completed. Later, when the temple was completed, the country was Qing Dynasty and it was renamed Guoqing Temple. This ancient temple, which dates back more than 1,400 years, covers an area of ??73,000 square meters.

In the course of more than 1,400 years of development, this temple has had a significant impact on China and even the world. Guoqing Temple has witnessed many major events in the history of Buddhism. The eminent monk Zhiyue of the Sui Dynasty founded the Tiantai Sect in Guoqing Temple, making it the birthplace of the Tiantai Sect of Chinese Buddhism, with influence far and wide at home and abroad. When Jianzhen traveled to the east, he paid homage to the Kokusei Temple; the Japanese monk Saicho went to Mount Tiantai to learn scriptures and learn Dharma from the Taoist scriptures. After returning to Japan, he built Yanliji Temple on Mount Hiei in Japan and founded the Japanese Tendai Sect. He later honored the Kokusei Temple in Tiantai Mountain, Zhejiang, as his ancestral home. .

The Guoqing Temple we see now was built during the Qing Dynasty. It is one of the four unique temples in China along with Jinan Lingyan Temple, Nanjing Qixia Temple and Dangyang Yuquan Temple. Master Yi Xing, Han Shan, Shi De, Monk Jigong, Master Kukai, the founder of Japan's Eastern Esoteric Buddhism, and Master Saicho, the founder of Japan's Taiwan Esoteric Buddhism, are stationed here.

For the convenience of tourists, the Guoqing Temple, which has such splendid scenery, has specially waived the entrance fee. In this way, Guoqing Temple has become the third 5A-level scenic spot in Zhejiang that is free of tickets. Before Guoqing Temple offers free admission, West Lake in Hangzhou and Lu Xun’s former residence in Shaoxing have already offered free admission. Since West Lake became free of admission, it has been popular among people, and many tourists have come from far away. However, West Lake has not escaped the fate of being complained about. Compared with Guoqing Temple, there is still some gap.

There are many reasons why Guoqing Temple can escape the fate of being criticized. First of all, it is a temple with a long history. People who travel here basically have a pious heart to worship Buddha. Moreover, the ancient temple can indeed satisfy all people's fantasies about antique temples.

Secondly, Guoqing Temple is surrounded by mountains and lush ancient trees. The temple built on the mountain is magnificent, with rows of buildings arranged neatly. The Tianwang Hall, Yuhua Hall, Mahavira Hall, Pharmacist Hall, and Guanyin Hall are lined up along the central axis, with dozens of courtyards dotting both sides. Walking quietly, the vicissitudes of the earth-yellow courtyard walls tell the story of its glory in the past. The towering ancient trees and their luxuriant branches make the ancient temple look even more quiet and simple. The eyes are full of Zen, which purifies all worldly worries. In this artistic conception, any pressure disappears.

Finally, the service in this temple is very considerate. I once went to the "A Bite of China" vegetarian meal, which cost only 2 yuan per meal. If tourists want to stay here for one night, the temple will also provide rooms for tourists, which only cost 25 yuan (a bed).

When other ancient temples have a strong commercial atmosphere, Guoqing Temple shows this image to others, and of course it will receive a lot of praise.