At an altitude of a kilometer, Zhejiang's most beautiful ancient temple traverses a millennium of time and space

There are no red walls or clay Bodhisattvas, where all connections come and go freely. This Buddha-less and deity-less Sishi Temple presents another possibility for ancient architecture: nothingness. Time stands still here, displaying the beauty of demise to all who visit. 🏡 Sishi Temple was founded in the tenth year of the Shaoxing era (1140) during the Song Dynasty and is a key national cultural heritage site. Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty bestowed the name 'Sishi Academy' in the tenth year of the Shaoxing era. In the first year of the Hongwu era (1368) of the Ming Dynasty, Chengyi Earl Liu Ji inscribed the name 'Sishi Daochang'. In the first year of the Xuande era (1426), it was renamed Sishi Temple. The existing temple complex covers an area of 1,193 square meters and consists of the mountain gate, the Mahavira Hall, the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, the Heart Sutra Bell Tower, and the Ma Xian Palace, forming an ancient temple complex with a Han-style layout. It preserves the architectural style of the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, with a long history and simple elegance. The temple is a rare architectural spectacle that combines a temple, a shrine, and an academy in one location, spanning the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, and harmonizes Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. 🌳 Next to the ticket office of Sishi Temple, there is a 'Cryptomeria King' that is over 1,500 years old. Originally over 50 meters tall, it now stands at 28 meters due to a lightning strike that damaged the top of the tree, and the trunk is hollow. Behind the mountain gate of Sishi Temple is another ancient tree, a 17-meter-tall thorny cypress, also aged 1,500 years. These ancient trees have been guarding the ancient temple for a millennium. ⛩️ The Ma Xian Palace is a Qing Dynasty building that worships the goddess Lady Ma. It is said that the original site was elsewhere before being relocated here. 🛖 The Heart Sutra Bell Tower was built during the Ming Dynasty. It is a wooden structure with three floors and a hip-and-gable roof. The building is supported by four robust pillars and connected by a precise mortise-and-tenon structure and bracket sets, making it a remarkable sight. The third floor once housed a Heart Sutra bronze bell, weighing 800 jin (approximately 400 kg). The bell is inscribed with the full text of the Buddhist 'Heart Sutra' and its sound could be heard for more than 30 li (approximately 15 km). 🏯 The Mahavira Hall was built in the tenth year of the Shaoxing era (1140) of the Song Dynasty and is the most well-preserved Song Dynasty ancient building in the south of the Yangtze River. According to the 'Mei Family Genealogy', Mei Yuan, the fifth-generation descendant of the Mei family, was six years old when his grandfather passed away. He observed filial piety and mourning for three years, with utmost sincerity. Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty heard of this and, after investigating the facts, issued an imperial edict on the tenth day of the eleventh month of the tenth year of the Shaoxing era to the Ministry of Rites, generously bestowing silk and honoring the individual as 'Filial Child' and the residence as 'Sishi Academy'. ‼️ Tips for Visiting ⭕ The site shares a joint ticket with the Yunzhong Dajue Scenic Area, and it's a 10-minute walk from the Snowflake Dajue to Sishi Temple. ⭕ Drone photography can capture the entire architectural structure of the temple, almost like CG modeling. ⭕ For photography, the evening light is more beautiful, so it is recommended to wait until after 3 pm.