No. 64: Zhanshan Temple, Qingdao, Shandong

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 15, 2013.)

The delicate Drum Tower (鼓楼) at Zhanshan Temple (湛山寺), Qingdao, Shandong (山东, 青岛市)

August 31, 2011 - Getting from Shijiazhuang to Qingdao proved to be more difficult than I had imagined. I was forced to lay over one night in Beijing, forfeiting the room I had booked in Qingdao.

So instead of a leisurely night in that beautiful seaside town, I arrived by train around 12:30, and had a four o'clock flight back to Shenzhen! This allowed only a one-hour visit to the temple, followed by a frantic ride to the airport.

Trip 10: Dongbei, Hebei, and Qingdao (August 24-31, 2011)

This is a record of my tenth trip to visit the 142 Key Temples of China. Links lead to articles on the temple (or other site) named.

No. 18: Xingguochan Temple, Ji'nan, Shandong

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on May 14, 2012.)

Two Buddhas (佛), seen in the grottoes (石窟) at Xingguochan Temple
(兴国禅寺) on Qianfo Shan (千佛山) in Ji'nan, Shandong (山东, 济南市).

April 5, 2010 - The night I arrived in Ji'nan, Shandong, I had a nice stroll around the Muslim quarter, where I found an excellent Indian/Pakistani restaurant.

The next morning, I took a taxi to the north gate of Qianfo Shan (Thousand-Buddha Mountain), where one temple on my list is located.

EXTRA: Home of Confucius, Qufu, Shandong

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on May 7, 2012.)

Inside one of the rooms at the Home of Confucius (孔府) in Qufu, Shandong (山东, 曲阜市). I was
fortunate to visit there with my friend Venerable Yanti (释延提) and one of his seniors, the great
monk Yongqian (释永乾) from Shaolin Temple (少林寺), and a "Buddhist pop star" named Gu Kai (顾凯).

April 3 & 4, 2010 - After my two summer trips, school started and my pilgrimage was put on hold until, in the spring of 2010, I received a surprise invitation.

Trip 3: Ji'nan (April 2-5, 2010)

This is a record of my third trip to visit the 142 Key Temples of China. Links lead to articles on the temple (or other site) named.