Twin stamp
That is the story of Fanjingshan
Shrouded in fog: the twin temples of Fanjingshan.
© khunballang / Shutterstock.com
Some temples in China are very special. So do the twin temples in the Wuling Mountains.
God knows, or rather Buddha, there are enough temples in China. The most famous are the Temple of Heaven in Beijing or the Wudangshan Zixiao Gong in Hubei Province. But it can be much more spectacular! At the top of Fanjing Mountain in Guizhou Province, two temples are enthroned, separated by a deep gorge and yet somehow belong together: Welcome to almost 2,400 meters above sea level, where a UNESCO natural heritage slumbers wrapped in fog.
Strictly speaking, it is of course not the temples on the "golden summit of the red cloud" that are part of the world natural heritage, but the surrounding land of the Wuling Mountains. To get to Fanjingshan, the highest peak of the Wuling Mountains, is not that easy. Rocks, cliffs and a dense jungle are reluctant to let visitors through. Once you have reached the foot of the mountain, there are around 8,000 steps waiting to be climbed – this can take a while, depending on your fitness.
Once at the top, one arrives at the Buddha Temple, which is all about the present. A narrow bridge – which is modeled on the appearance of a dragon – leads to the second part of the complex. This is dedicated to Maitreya, who is venerated in Buddhism as the Buddha of the future and as the great coming world teacher.
The twin temples may be the most spectacular in the area because of their location alone, but they are by no means the only ones. According to "The Telegraph", 48 temples were built in the surrounding area during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), many, but not all, of which have stood the test of time and can be visited.