Zhenhai Temple

Zhenhai Temple is located on the west side of the Nanqingshui River in Taihuai Town, Wutai County, Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province, 5 kilometers away from Taihuai Town. The temple is built on the steep stone mountain mouth, closely following the forefront of the courtyard, with flagpoles and stone lions, and is equipped with a mountain gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and two floors of bell and drum towers. Zhenhai Temple was founded in the Ming Dynasty. It was named after the Zhenhai Tower built on the seabed spring next to the temple. During the Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, it was the residence of the Living Buddha Zhangjia, and it is now a Gelug sect monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. Zhenhai Temple is located in the feng shui treasure land of 'two dragons playing with a pearl'. The surrounding peaks on both sides are like two flying dragons descending into the valley, arching their backs and bending over, writhing and embracing; the temple buildings are on a stone mountain mouth embraced by the two mountains, resembling a pearl played with by two dragons. There are tall and straight old pine trees at the mountain gap, walking on the paths among the pine forests, and listening to the rustling pine wind, gives a feeling of quiet solitude and depth. Looking around the temple, the mountains on the south side are covered with dense fir and poplar trees, and on the peaks of the north side, ancient pines that are thousands of years old emerge from the rocks. This is a scenic spot of Mount Wutai, where the ancient pines with lush greenery shelter the mountain temple, which is rare in the temple area of Mount Wutai.