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Nanshan Temple

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Lying in the Buddhist Cultural Theme Park on Nanshan (South Mountain), Nanshan Temple is about 40 km (24.9 miles) west of Sanya City. A Chinese old saying says 'Any mountain can be famous with the presence of an immortal', so is the Nanshan. It is said to be the living place of Kwanyin Bodhisattva, and the east and west islands nearby were considered the tombs of her parents. Legend has it that Kwanyin had helped two passing monks when they were in difficulty. One is Jianzhen of the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) and the other is Master Dongmi from Japan. In order to pass down and spread Buddhism, the local government and the Buddhist Association of China decided to build the Nanshan Temple on Nanshan Mountain in 1993.

Since it is the living place of Kwanyin Bodhisattva, you will find many splendid statues of Kwanyin, for example, the Gold and Jade Kwanyin is 3.8 m (12.5 feet) tall. It cost nearly CNY 190 million and is listed in the Guinness World's Records. Another one is the 108 m (354 feet) on-sea Kwanyin statue. It is standing on Kwanyin Island in the South China Sea. Furthermore, there are 33 different statues of Kwanyin in the Thirty-Three Kwanyin Statues Hall where the culture of Kwanyin and Buddhism is fully displayed.

As the biggest temple in Southern China, Nanshan Temple takes up an area of 5,500 square meters (6,577.9 square yards). It lies on Nanshan Mountain and faces the sea, built in the style of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. The representative constructions of the temple are: the Hall of the Humane King, the Golden Palace (Daxiong Palace), the Bell and Drum Tower and the Kwanyin Hall. Together with refreshing springs, dense trees and green grass, Nanshan Temple brings you the feeling of peacefulness and lustration. 

To spread Buddhism, Nanshan Temple shows the essences of Buddhism everywhere. Take the symbolic site - the Dharma Door of Non-duality (the highest stage in Buddhism, stepping into which, one will easily get to the level of Nirvana) for example, it was built in the style of the Tang Dynasty , which consists of a Tang-Dynasty style building, groups of sculptures, carved stones and embossment. The square in front of the Dharma Door of Non-duality is surrounded by large kapok trees and red kapok flowers. On the square is built a Xumi Hill (King of the hills and center of the world in Buddhism) where many divine guards live. Entering the Dharma Door of Non-duality, you come to the auspicious and peaceful Nanshan Temple. 

 Tips: 
There are some religious taboos when you are visiting Nanshan Temple: 
a. Taking pictures with the figures of Buddha is considered poor taste. If you really want to, do not place the Buddha over you on the photo, since it is considered not good for you in Buddhism.
b. When you say 'hi' to the monks, they may not respond for they do not care much about daily etiquette.
c. When in the temple, enter from the left door or gate and exit from the right ones, which is said to be a rule of the Buddhism.
 There is a cafeteria on the Mountain, providing nearly 100 kinds of vegetarian dishes for visitors (CNY 68 per person). 

 Entrance Fee: CNY 150 
(The ticket for Kwanyin Hall an extra CNY 20) 

 Opening hours: 08:00 - 17:30

 Best Time to Visit: Nov. to Mar.

 Transportation:
 Bus Routes: 
1. Take the Xinguo Nanshan Special Line which departures from Yalong Bay, via Dadonghai, Luhuitou Garden, the Egret Park, the Beauty Crown Culture Center, Sanya Bay, West Island, Tianya Haijiao, to Nanshan and Sanya Dongtian Park (CNY 10 for the entire journey, and CNY 8 to Nanshan; the bus leaves every 12 minutes from 6:00 to 19:00). 
2. Take a mini bus at the West Bus Station or No.2 Jiefang Road in Sanya City to Nanshan. 
 By Taxi: Take a taxi from Sanya City (CNY 50 - 100).
 If you have reserved rooms in Nanshan Hotel, there are free hotel buses traveling between Sanya and Nanshan. The bus runs at 10:00 from Dadonghai and gets back to Sanya at 15:00 from Nanshan Hotel (you need to reserve the bus in advance). 
 There are electric power carts on Nanshan Mountain for visitors' convenience (CNY 20 per person. Carts run from 08:00 to 18:40). 
 There are vehicles for charter in the scenic area for the well-heeled. The payment depends on the number of users and the time with a minimum of 1 hour. There is an additional charge for each half-hour. A 2-hour fee deposit is required. The standard charges are as follows:

1-6 persons: CNY 400 per hour 19-22 persons: CNY 1000 per hour
7-9 persons: CNY 500 per hour 23-30 persons: CNY 1500 per hour
10-12 persons: CNY 600 per hour 31-40 persons: CNY 2 000 per hour
13-18 persons: CNY 800 per hour 41-55 persons: CNY 2500 per hour

Questions & Answers on Nanshan Temple
  • How to Take the Xinguo Nanshan Special Line from Luhuitou Garden? where is the bus stop near Luhuitou Garden? How long does it take?

    Asked By napa (Thailand) | Mar. 22, 2017 00:27
    1 AnswerAnswer Question
  • Asked By Meicy | Mar. 15, 2014 10:41
    1 AnswerAnswer Question
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