Qianfo Mountain

The last one of the three great tourist attractions of Jinan is Qianfo Mountain. It has an altitude of 285 meters, it was called Li Mountain before the Zhou Dynasty (about 1100 -256 BC). It was said that Shun once toiled at the foot of the Li Mountain, and left many folk stories which are still well-known today. In the Sui Dynasty (581 -618 AD), under the reign of Kaihuang Empire, many figures of Buddha were carved according to the topography of the mountain, and the Qianfo Temple was built, so the mountain was also called Qianfo Mountain. In the Tang Dynasty (618 -907 AD), the name of “Qianfo Temple” was changed into “Xingguochan Temple”; since the Yuan Dynasty(1368 -1644 AD), the temple was expanded, so it gradually became a pilgrimage shrine. In 1995, it became one of the Seven National Great Scenic spots.

Scenery in lat summer

According to a legend related in theYouyang Zazu (Youyang Miscellanies) by the Tang Dynasty writer Duan Chengshi (800-863), the Qianfo Mountain was originally located by the sea and the sea god had locked it in place there by a large lock in order to prevent the god in charge of the mountains from moving it around. However, eventually the lock broke and the mountain was hurled through the air into its present position. An artwork shaped as a large lock and a piece of chain has been placed on the summit of the mountain as a reference to the legend.

Chinese character, means Buddha

The mountain's flora and fauna are a adraw, but most people go there to see and learn about the Buddhas. Everywhere you look on Qianfoshan, you see Buddha. From the Qianfo Shi temple at the foot of the mountain to the sleeping Buddha temple, via Guan Yin – also venerated by Taoists – Qianfoshan scratches every religious itch Buddhists can expect to experience. Here's the run-down on Qianfoshan's main Buddhist shrines:

Xingguo Chan: Dedicated to the National Development (Xingguo), this temple was built during the reign of emperor Taizhong, the second monarch of the Tang dynasty (618-907).

Bouddha Maitreya: One of the more recent constructions on Qianfoshan, Boudha Matreya was built in 2000. The park even includes the largest buddha statue in Northern China, 20 metres high and 30 metres diameter.

See how big the Buddhas are!

The sleeping buddha: Built in 1996, it is one of the most beautiful Buddhas in Qianfoshan. With a (religious, not ideological) swastika on his chest, this horizontal Buddha is almost 10 metres long and weigh 50 tons.
Wanfo Dong, the cavern of a myriad of Buddhas: 28,000 representations of Buddha can be found in Wanfo Dong cavern. The biggest one is a gigantic , 28-metre long horizontal Buddha.

Guan Yin temple: Qianfoshan's must-see temple. This sanctuary is dedicated to Guan Yin ( 觀音 Guānyīn), one of the most popular deities in China, which is unsurpsing really, as her name means "the one who answers all calls". In some ways her veneration resembles that of the Virgin Mary within Catholicism, with Taoists also worshipping.