Nanguo Temple
南郭寺
A mountain temple south of Tianshui, sung about by Du Fu during his stay in Qinzhou. Its 2,500-year-old “Spring and Autumn Cypress” and the North Flowing Spring make it a quiet spot overlooking the town.
Nanguo Temple sits on Huiyin Mountain, about 2 kilometres south of the centre of Qinzhou District. It was first built during the Northern and Southern Dynasties and was already well established by the Tang dynasty. In 759, while Du Fu was staying in Qinzhou, he wrote, “On the mountain is Nanguo Temple; its water is named the North Flowing Spring,” which made the temple famous. The surviving buildings were rebuilt in the Ming and Qing periods, and the temple is a national key cultural relic. Highlights include the Spring and Autumn Cypress in the East Courtyard, about 2,500 years old and known as the foremost cypress of the Long region. Its trunk divides into three, and one branch lies on its side, supported by stone pillars. Beside it grows a Tang-dynasty scholar tree. The Du Shaoling Shrine contains a statue of Du Fu and stone tablets with poems by successive generations. The North Flowing Spring still runs clear and cool. The Hall of Heavenly Kings and the Mahavira Hall retain Ming-style features, and the terrace in front of the temple overlooks Tianshui city and the Jie River valley. The temple has a tea garden, and locals like to drink tea under the ancient cypress. Admission is about 20 yuan, and a visit takes 1 to 1.5 hours. Getting there: a taxi from the city centre takes about 15 minutes. Alternatively, take a bus to the “Nanguo Temple” stop and walk about 15 minutes up the mountain, or climb the stone steps on foot from the foot of the mountain. Note: photography is not allowed in the halls; the cypress is protected by railings, so do not touch it; the mountain paths are steep; and the temple fair on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month is very crowded. It works well as a half-day trip together with the Fuxi Temple and Yuquan Temple, forming a “three ancient sites” tour of Qinzhou.
Opening hours
08:00–18:00