Tulou Temple (North Mountain Temple), Xining西宁土楼观（北山寺）

Type

Temples and Abbeys (Gongguan)

Location

China · Qinghai · Xining · The cliffs of North Mountain (Tulou Mountain), Chengbei District

Coordinates

36.64, 101.76 Map ↗

School

Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism

First built

Northern Wei (according to one account, Han) · Grottoes were carved into the cliff and pavilions built above; known as the Beichan Temple in the Tang and Song, it became a Daoist temple in the Ming and Qing, with Buddhism and Daoism coexisting; celebrated as 'the finest scenic site of ancient Xiping'

Heritage status

Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (2013)

Overview

The Tulou Temple, popularly known as the North Mountain Temple or Beichan Temple, stands on the cliffs of North Mountain in Xining. Caves were first carved into the cliff face and pavilions built above them during the Northern Wei, and the site passed through the Tang and Song before being converted into a Daoist temple in the Ming, with Buddhism and Daoism coexisting; it is one of the oldest religious buildings in Qinghai and is celebrated as 'the finest scenic site of ancient Xiping.' Dozens of grottoes, linked by suspended plank walkways, survive today, along with the Ming- and Qing-dynasty Hall of the Numinous Officer, Yuhuang Palace, and Hall of the Queen Mother, and an open-air 'Vajra' figure (a colossal Buddha carved into the cliff); the cliff face still preserves traces of murals from the Northern Wei through the Tang and painted sculpture from the Ming and Qing. The Tulou Temple is the seat of the Qinghai Provincial Daoist Association and a major center of the Longmen Lineage of Quanzhen in Qinghai. It was designated a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level in 2013.

Highlights

• Cliffside grottoes
• Suspended plank walkways
• Open-air Vajra figure
• Traces of Northern Wei murals