Mingyan Ancient Temple 1-2 Day Zen Tour: Explore the Buddha Kingdom in the Cave · Trace Hanshan's Poetry

📍Location: Houqiu Village, Jietou Town, Tiantai County, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province
⏳Best Season: Spring and Autumn (March-May for flowers, October-November for red leaves)
🎫Tickets: 5 RMB (Incense and flower coupon), Opening hours 08:00-17:00

🚗 Transportation Guide | How to Reach the "Cliffside Buddha Kingdom"?

Self-driving (Recommended):

From Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai: Navigate to "Mingyan Ancient Temple," about 2.5-3 hours from Hangzhou/Ningbo, enter the scenic area through a tunnel (single-lane tunnel, park outside if driving skills are not confident).
Parking: Free parking lot at the village entrance or "Temporary Parking on the East Side of Jieyuan Road."

High-speed Rail + Shuttle:

Arrive at Tiantaishan Station, take a taxi for 30 minutes directly (about 50 RMB), or take bus No. 57 to Jietou Town and transfer to a village bus.

Bus: Take Tiantai Bus No. 132 to [Mingyan] station, then a 10-minute walk.

📅 1-2 Day Itinerary | Temple Exploration + Hanshan's Poetic Realm
Day 1: Ancient Temple Exploration + Natural Wonders
🌅 Morning (8:00-12:00) | Cave Buddha Hall and Hanshan Relics

08:00 Arrive and check in at the Peach Blossom Secret Realm entrance, enter the temple through the tunnel, and experience the sudden openness like in "The Peach Blossom Spring."
09:00 Explore the Three Saints Hall: Buddha statues enshrined in a natural cave, mountain spring dripping from the cave ceiling, lotus lamps illuminating a scene like a fantasy martial arts drama.
10:30 Trace the Five Horses Hidden Rock Wall: Observe the five horse brands left by the Tang dynasty governor chasing Hanshanzi.

🍜 Noon (12:00-13:30) | Zen Simple Meal

Recommended: Temple vegetarian Luohan noodles (15 RMB/person) or bring your own picnic.

🌇 Afternoon (14:00-18:00) | Geological Wonders and Hiking

14:30 Mantis Fishing Toad Peak: A 40-meter-high stone pillar resembling a mantis fishing for a toad, a geological wonder perfect for photos.
16:00 Hanshan Cave Poetry Search: Poems by Hanshan carved inside the cave, "I choose to live among the dense rocks," on rainy days enjoy the ink-wash spectacle of "Blue sky falling white rain."
17:30 Xiake Ancient Trail Climb: Overlook the entire ancient temple, stunning sunset light and shadow.

🌃 Evening (Optional) | Starry Sky and Zen

Stay at Hou'an Village guesthouse, stargaze at night or participate in monks' evening chanting (advance inquiry required).

Day 2 (Optional): Nearby Joint Tour
🌿 Morning (8:00-12:00) | Guoqing Temple + Hanyan Scenic Area

08:30 Guoqing Temple (40-minute drive): Sui dynasty ancient temple, ancestral court of Tiantai Buddhism, enjoy Sui plum blossoms and millennium-old pagoda.
10:30 Hanyan Scenic Area (3.5 km from the ancient temple): Cliffside plank road, Magpie Bridge dry stone beam, ticket 60 RMB.

🍜 Noon (12:00-13:30) | Tiantai Mountain Specialty Food

Recommended: Hou'an Village Hulatai (noodle skin rolled with vegetables), Tiantai Mountain bamboo shoot dumplings.

🏡 Accommodation Recommendations | Zen Living

Hou'an Village Guesthouse (150 RMB per person):

Recommended: "Village Flower Room" guesthouse, forest cabin style, includes handmade experience.

Around Guoqing Temple:

Tiantai Hotel: Four-star, 5-minute walk to Guoqing Temple, suitable for joint tours.

Budget: Jietou Town Express Hotel, 15-minute drive.

🍜 Food Map | Must-Try List

Temple vegetarian dishes: Luohan noodles, stir-fried seasonal vegetables.
Local specialties: Hulatai, Huanggou pig head meat (Suqian intangible cultural heritage), silverfish scrambled eggs.

⚠️ Practical Tips | Pitfall Avoidance Guide

Avoid peak times: Enter the temple before 7 am to enjoy the quiet valley Buddhist chants and possibly catch monks' morning chanting.
Recommended gear: Non-slip shoes (cave is slippery), rain gear (mountain weather changes), cash (some areas have no signal).
Joint ticket discount: Hanyan + Mingyan Ancient Temple combined ticket 60 RMB, Guoqing Temple free but requires reservation.

✨ Copy Inspiration (For Social Media Sharing)
"At Mingyan Ancient Temple, time is carved into the rock walls—Hanshanzi's poems, the legend of the Five Horses Hidden Rock, the incense of the Buddha hall in the cave... This is not a martial arts film set, but the last 'Cliffside Buddha Kingdom' in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai."