Routes

Tour of Buddhist relics in central Anhui

Updated: 2011-01-14 13:50

"Hefei/Qianshan/Huangmei" 6-day Tour

Route summary

Pay homage to key Buddhist temples – Second Patriarch Temple, Third Patriarch Temple, Fourth Patriarch Temple and Fifth Patriarch Temple;

Visit Ancient Nanyue "Tianzhu Mountain";

Visit Hefei –a time-honored city with a history of 2,000 years, one of the top 4 garden cities in China and one of the top 4 science and education bases in China;

Taste the local food – a farmhouse meal at Tianzhu Mountain, local delicacies in Sanhe and Anhui style food;

Former Residence of Li Hongzhang

Itinerary

Day 1 Hefei

Hotel pickup and transfer to [Anhui Hall of Fame], [Baogong Memorial Temple] – built in remembrance of the honest and upright official Bao Zheng, who lived during the Northern Song Dynasty. Next visit [Former Residence of Li Hongzhang], before going shopping on [Huaihe Road Pedestrian].

Day 2 Hefei/Yuexi county, Anqing city

Go to Yuexi county (3.5hrs drive), have lunch and visit [Sikong Mountain] and [Second Patriarch Temple] (roughly 3hrs drive). The Second Patriarch Temple in Shikong Mountain is a cradle of Chinese Buddhist culture. During the reign of Emperor Jiande in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, the Second Buddhist Patriarch Hui Ke came to Shikong Mountain with a cassock and four volumes of the Lankavatara Sutra passed to him by Bodhidharma. He lived here in seclusion, digging a grotto, practicing Zen before passing the mantle onto other monks.

Day 3 Yuexi county/Qianshan county, Anqing city

Go to Qianshan county by bus in the morning and visit [Third Patriarch Temple], also known as "Qianyuan Temple". The temple has more than 1,400 years of history and has experienced both ups and downs. The remaining ancient buildings are Canon House, Jueji Pagoda, Lihua Pavilion and Sangao Pavilion. Visit Qianxian Museum [Wanguang Center].

Day 4 Qianshan county

Spend the whole day at [Tianzhu Mountain], going up and then down the mountain via cable car. While on the mountain, visit Xiguan scenic area, Kunyuan Pili, June Snow, Mountain Pavilion, Flying Stone, Elephant Trunk Rock, Mystery Valley, Heaven Pillar Pine, Tianzhu Peak (1,488.4m above sea level), Green Dragon Back, Xiguan Site, and finally Liandan Lake – the third largest plateau lake in China.

Day 5 Qianshan county/Huangmei county, Anqing city

Go to Huangmei county in the morning and visit [Fourth Patriarch Temple], located 15km west of the county seat of Huangmei and also a famous scenic spot. Afterwards travelers get the chance to visit the [Fifth Patriarch Temple], also known as Dongshan Temple. The temple is located in Dongshan Mountain 13km north of the county seat of Huangmei, and is where the fifth Buddhist patriarch Hong Ren preached before he was succeeded by the sixth Buddhist patriarch Hui Neng.

Day 6 Huangmei county, Anqing city/Hefei city

Return to Hefei in the morning and visit the millennial water town [Sanhe], enjoying local food on the way. Sanhe Ancient Street is lined with unique historical buildings which preserve the flavor of periods from the Ming Dynasty right up until the era of the Republic of China. The cultural relics, ancient buildings, ancient streets and other historical sites form a testament to the development of Sanhe and are excellent representations of the architectural history of central Anhui.

End of the trip.