The Yinshan Pagoda Forest Scenic Area is situated in the southwest of Haizi Village, Changping District, and is 5 kilometers (3 miles) east of Ming Tombs. Featured by beautiful natural landscapes and a forest of pagodas, this intriguing scenic area lures visitors from both home and abroad.
In winter, the Yinshan Mountain (Silver Mountain), with three steep peaks and black cliffs, shows her special charms in the snow. The cliffs, composed of black granite, look like iron walls and contrast sharply with the snow covered mountain. The mountain is also known as the 'Iron-wall Silver Mountain' because of these natural features. Pine, oak and cypress trees grow all over this amazing mountain, and the combination of these colorful trees blankets the mountain, creating a spectacular array of colors.
The pagoda forest to the south of the mountain also makes the mountain unique. Since the Sui Dynasty (581-618), this mountain has been a holy land of Buddhism and many temples had been built in the valley. To house the Buddhist relics, various pagodas were built in the Jin (1115-1234) and the following dynasties. It is said that in ancient times the pagodas in this area were countless; however, over the centuries, the temples and many pagodas were ruined. At present, visitors can find eighteen pagodas in the mountain region and in the original temple area. They are made of bricks and stones and consist of four parts: the base, the body, the corbel bracket and the top.
Among the eighteen still standing, there are seven pagodas in the original temple area which are the most renowned. Five of them are multi-eaved and were built in the Jin Dynasty. The other two are lama pagodas, built in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). Those Jin pagodas are ginger yellow in color, stand on a tall base, and are 20 to 30 meters (65.6 to 98.4 feet) high. Two of them are hexagonal ones, each seven stories, and the other three octagonal ones have thirteen floors. Fine-patterned reliefs are engraved on the surface of the first floor and the base. Inside the fake arches on the first floor are lifelike brick carvings of Buddha. Delicate brick carvings of corbel brackets can be found under the eaves of the first floor. One of the two Yuan lama pagodas resembles the Jin pagodas and the other is unique for its combination of both the multi-eaved pavilion and the lama style pagoda.
In addition, an ancient lectern and many tablet inscriptions are also worth visiting. This scenic area is indeed an ideal place to appreciate the natural scenery and research ancient Chinese Buddhism and architecture.
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Admission Fee:
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CNY 20
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April 1 to October 31
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CNY 15
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November 1 to March 31
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Opening Hours:
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08:00-17:30
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April 1 to October 31
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08:00-17:00
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November 1 to March 31
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Bus Route:
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314, 357, 376, 914, 919 Zhi 1, 947, 949 to Changping Dongguan, then take a small bus to the Yinshan Pagoda Forest.
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Beijing Historical Sites:
