In Taizhou, I found a "Hanging Temple" as stunning as the one in Shanxi

Carved into the cliff for twenty years, creating a southern China hanging wonder

Within the Baxianyan Scenic Area of Changyu Dongtian in Wenling, Taizhou, Zhejiang, a temple is built against a sheer cliff. Its red walls and black tiles appear faintly among the green mountains and trees. This is Wenling Wanfo Temple, known as the "Little Potala Palace of Taizhou." Looking up from the foot of the mountain, the temple resembles a dazzling pearl embedded in the cliff, breathtaking to behold.

A Temple of Ancient and Modern Fusion

Wanfo Temple was originally called Baxianyan Temple, with a history dating back to the first year of the Tongzhi reign in the Qing Dynasty (1863). The modern Wanfo Temple began with a reconstruction project in 1999. This grand project, lasting twenty years, installed halls and statues on the cliff face, a contemporary feat comparable to the legendary Yu Gong moving mountains.

The temple blends harmoniously with the mountain scenery, using natural materials such as stone, wood, and tiles, built according to the mountain’s terrain, pursuing harmony with nature. This architectural style gives Wanfo Temple both the solemnity of an ancient temple and the unique aesthetics of modern architecture.

Architectural Marvel and Artistic Value

The construction of Wanfo Temple is a miracle. On an almost vertical cliff, builders combined traditional craftsmanship with modern technology to transport tons of wood and stone materials up the mountain. The temple’s winding paths lead to main attractions including the Wanfo Hall, Reclining Buddha Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Ancient Buddha Cave, Dharma Hall, and Sutra Library.

The Ancient Buddha Cave houses numerous exquisitely carved Buddha statues, lifelike and artistically valuable. At the highest point of the temple stands a giant "Golden Guanyin Statue," shining with golden light, solemn and majestic, adding a sacred aura to the entire Baxianyan Scenic Area.

A Place of Practice and Spiritual Symbolism

The completion of Wanfo Temple owes much to the great aspiration and persistence of Abbot Master Changjun. He vowed to build a contemporary Dunhuang Grotto, inheriting the Yu Gong spirit of Wenling’s ancestors who opened the mountains and quarried stone, creating a modern-day Wanfo Cave.

Master Changjun and his disciples poured their hearts into every brick, stone, blade of grass, and piece of wood. After twenty years, they finally built this tranquil sanctuary on a former mining wasteland on the cliff. As Master Changjun said, "I have only completed one thing: building a truly open sanctuary on the cliff. As the Dharma says, this is crossing from this shore to the other shore."

🚩Wenling Wanfo Temple
📍Address: Baxianyan Scenic Area, Changyu Dongtian, Xinhe Town, Wenling City, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province
🎫Tickets: Temple free, scenic area entrance 10 RMB/person
🚗Transportation: Take high-speed rail to Wenling Station then taxi; or drive and navigate to "Wanfo Temple," free parking available at the entrance