Atlas of China
Jindeng Temple 金灯寺石窟Jīndēng Sì Shíkū
National heritage site · Changzhi, Shanxi
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Days to budget
- Half a day
- City
- Changzhi
- Region
- Shanxi
- Type
- Heritage
- Listed as
- National heritage site
About Jindeng Temple
A temple of seven courtyards built along a cliff in the Taihang Mountains on the Henan border, with 16 caves carved mainly between 1504 and 1565, which the Changzhi government calls the largest surviving group of Ming-dynasty grottoes in China. The central Shuilu Hall is a cave with a spring-fed pool crossed by a stone bridge and 69 painted scenes of Buddhist, Daoist and Confucian figures on its walls. North of the temple stands a forest of 46 monks' pagodas, the tallest the seven-storey Thousand Buddha Pagoda, 10.3 m high.
How to get to Jindeng Temple
It stands near Beiquan village in the Taihang Mountains on the Henan border, about 30 km south-east of Pingshun county town. The grottoes closed on 30 July 2026 until further notice and the nearby Huahu road was under repair in October, so check the current situation before planning.
Nearby
- Taihang Grand Canyon 太行山大峡谷 10 km
Sheer gorges in the Taihang Mountains, explored by boat, cliff path and cable car - Wanxian Mountain (Guoliang) 万仙山 30 km
A village that hand-cut a road through the cliff face - Yinxu 殷墟 60 km
The last Shang capital, where China's earliest writing and Fu Hao's tomb came to light
Also within 20 km: Honggu Temple Pagoda and Qianfodong Grottoes 洪谷寺塔与千佛洞石窟 (under 10 km), Chinese Ancient Chestnut Park 中华古板栗园 (under 10 km), Tianji Mountain 天脊山 (20 km), Taihang Grand Canyon 太行大峡谷 (20 km).
On the map
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