Weekend Trip to Tong'an, Xiamen

The weather is so nice, of course I have to go out! This week I went to Tong'an outside the island for a half-day trip. Overall, it was a good experience and not very physically demanding. I mainly visited Meishan Temple and Fantian Temple. 🌟 Meishan Temple 🕰️ History: Meishan Temple was built in the Sui Dynasty. It is one of the three ancient temples in Tong'an, along with Fantian Temple and Lingxia Huangfo Temple. 🏯 Highlights: The largest white jade Buddha statue in China: The statue of Sakyamuni is 9 meters high and consists of three parts: the lotus seat, the statue, and the halo. It cost more than 4.7 million yuan and is the largest Burmese white jade Buddha statue in China. Song Dynasty cliff inscriptions: On the southern slope of the rock wall behind the temple, there are cliff inscriptions of the two characters "Tongshan" written by Zhu Xi in the Song Dynasty. The handwriting is vigorous and elegant. Stone mountain gate: The mountain gate of Meishan Temple is entirely carved from granite, with a total stone volume of more than 680 cubic meters, making it the largest stone mountain gate in China. ⭐ Fantian Temple 🕰️ History: Fantian Temple was built in the first year of the Kaihuang period of the Sui Dynasty (581 AD) and is one of the earliest Buddhist temples in Fujian. After many vicissitudes, Fantian Temple was rebuilt by the monk Wuwei in the 13th year of the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty (1380 AD), forming the grand scale it has today. 🏯 Highlights: Ancient architectural complex: The main buildings of Fantian Temple are distributed along the central axis, including the mountain gate, the Hall of the Diamond, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Sutra Pavilion, etc., with a magnificent momentum. Zhu Xi's relics: Behind the temple, there are Ming Dynasty buildings commemorating Zhu Xi, such as the Wengong Academy and the Yangzhi Pavilion, with an elegant environment. Brahmin Pagoda: The Brahmin Pagoda built in the Song Dynasty is a physical material for studying the history of ancient religions and stone carving art. 🚗 Transportation: Bus or self-driving (with parking lot)