Qixia Mountain & Qixia Temple

栖霞山

'The Most Graceful Mountain of Jinling,' with the Southern Dynasties temple of Qixia, a Sui dynasty relic pagoda and the Thousand Buddha Cliff. Deep autumn turns the whole mountain red, making it Nanjing's top choice for fall foliage.

Qixia Mountain lies about 22 km northeast of central Nanjing in Qixia District. Known in ancient times as Mount She, it took its name from the Qixia Hermitage founded here by an eminent monk during the Southern Dynasties. Emperor Qianlong made six southern inspection tours, stayed here five times, and named it 'The Most Graceful Mountain of Jinling.' Highlights: At the foot of the mountain, Qixia Temple is one of China's Four Great Temples and the ancestral temple of the Sanlun school, and it houses the Vairocana Hall. Behind the temple, the Sui dynasty relic pagoda (a five-tiered, octagonal stone pagoda with finely carved reliefs) and the Thousand Buddha Cliff (cave carvings from the Southern Dynasties through the Tang, rare in the Jiangnan region) are national treasures. The mountain also has Peach Blossom Lake, Mingjing Lake, the Rainbow Mirror and Red Leaf Valley. In deep autumn, liquidambars, Japanese maples and Chinese tallow trees turn the hillsides red. Qixia's autumn foliage rivals Xiangshan in Beijing, and the Maple Leaf Festival is held each year from mid-November to early December. The trail is gentle. The walk from the gate to the main peak, Fengxiang Peak (286 m), takes about 1.5 hours, or you can take a sightseeing shuttle for an extra fee. Admission is CNY 25 on regular days and CNY 40 during the Maple Leaf Festival. Buy tickets through the official WeChat account, as entry is limited on peak weekends. Getting there: take the extension of Metro Line 2, or take bus routes from Nanjing Railway Station (the Nanqi Line or No. 138) to Qixia Temple stop, about 1 hour. Parking is tight in peak season, so driving is not recommended. Plan a half to full day: arrive in the morning, visit the temple and Thousand Buddha Cliff first, then climb for the autumn leaves, and have a vegetarian lunch at the temple. Note that the Maple Leaf Festival weekends are extremely crowded, so go on a weekday or early in the morning. It gets chilly on the mountain, so bring a jacket.

Qixia Mountain & Qixia Temple

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