A Jewel of Southern China

📍Address: Shibaoshan Scenic Area is relatively remote, but perhaps because of this, the grottoes have been so well preserved. The scenic area is located between Shaxi and Jianchuan.
🚗Transportation: The roads to the scenic area are village roads. It seems that you can take a small van that goes through the villages, or you need to carpool or charter a car to go there. We rented a car and drove ourselves, which was more convenient. Cars can only be parked at the entrance of the scenic area, and parking is free. Only two of the main scenic spots were open when we went, and it takes about half an hour to get there by tourist bus.
👍️Must-see attractions: Shizhong Temple (Shizhongshan Grottoes) was built during the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms. The entire temple was carved out of the Danxia rock mountain on the top of the mountain. Next to the temple grottoes on the top of the mountain are cliffs. The grottoes are not very large in scale, but they are all very exquisite. Through these stone carvings, we can see the inheritance of the culture of ethnic minorities in Southwest China for nearly a thousand years.
Baoxiang Temple, also known as the Southern Hanging Temple, is located in a giant rock on the top of the mountain. A main hall was built in the cave at the bottom of the rock, following the mountain. Inside, there are eight guardian deities and an exquisite reclining Buddha. Up the stairs is the Ksitigarbha Hall, with two stunning large Buddha statues and the Lingkong Hanging Bridge. Next to it, there is a mountain spring flowing down. The most impressive thing is the group of monkeys, which are much more polite than those in some other places and have a strong sense of boundaries.
🎟️Tickets: The scenic area has a one-ticket system, and there are no separate charges for attractions inside. It is strongly recommended to purchase a sightseeing bus ticket because it covers about ten kilometers of winding mountain roads, which is very cost-effective.
💗Other tips: 1. The mountain near Shizhong Temple is quite steep, so pay attention to safety and stand firm when taking pictures. 2. As soon as you get off the bus at Baoxiang Temple, there are some local villagers setting up stalls. Old women will come around and lend you wooden sticks for free. If you don't have your own trekking poles, you can borrow one and return it to them when you come down. 3. Learn from the monkeys, keep a distance, and don't provoke them, as they are wild animals after all.

Post by _TI***kd | Mar 23, 2025