A Day of Zen at the Sui Plum Temple: A Photo Tour Guide to Guoqing Temple, Taizhou

**A Day of Zen at the Sui Plum Temple: A Photo Tour Guide to Guoqing Temple, Taizhou** **A Millennium of Zen: Where History and Art Intertwine** Guoqing Scenic Area In the 18th year of the Sui Dynasty's Kaihuang era, before Grand Master Zhiyi passed away, he drew a blueprint for a temple on Mount Tiantai. Emperor Yang of Sui ordered the construction of "Guoqing Temple," named with the wish for "national peace and temple purity." The temple's 1,400-year-old Sui Plum was planted by Master Guanding, the fifth patriarch of the Tiantai school of Buddhism. Its gnarled branches lean aslant, like an old monk in meditation. Wang Wei once praised, "Tiantai Guoqing Temple, where mountains and rivers gather spiritual wonders." In the southeast corner of the Grand Hall, a fragment of Liu Gongquan's stele inscription "Great China Guoqing Temple" is hidden. On the Lotus Sutra Stone Pillar, Song Dynasty line carvings of flying apsaras flutter gracefully. Along the Ancient Trail of Xu Xiake, one can still find the "dense clouds and mist" described in his "Diary of Travels on Mount Tiantai." **Transportation Tips** - Take the high-speed train to "Tiantai Mountain Station," then a 15-minute taxi ride directly to the temple (approx. CNY 20). - A 2.5-hour drive from Hangzhou. Free parking lot at the scenic area, but it is recommended to arrive before 8:30 am on weekends. **Stay in a Zen Ambience** ▲ **Lujing Tiantai** Lujing Tiantai Resort Hotel: A Zen hotel next to Guoqing Temple. Guest rooms are named after the seven volumes of the "Lotus Sutra." Wake up in the morning and see the silhouette of the Sui Pagoda through the window. Includes vegetarian breakfast for two. ▲ **Tiantai He Hotel**: A quality choice in the county town, a 5-minute walk to the Former Residence of Ji Gong, with Hanfu rental services available. **Secret Realm Experience** - The best time to visit the temple is on a rainy day, when the moss-covered Seven Buddha Pagoda and the misty distant mountains form a long ink painting. - At the Dharma Artifact Circulation Center, ask for a handwritten copy of "Hanshan's Poems." The stamping location is next to the Sangharama Palace. - In the afternoon, visit the "Sanmu Yu Shi" café outside the temple. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the old Sui Plum wall and rice fields create a wabi-sabi aesthetic. **Tips** Admission is free, with three complimentary incense sticks. Vegetarian meals are served at 11:10 am (CNY 2/person, cash only). There is a "Pilgrimage Shuttle" bus at the high-speed train station, with the last bus departing at 5:30 pm.