Lingyan Temple (Jinan)

Lingyan Temple (simplified Chinese: 灵岩寺; traditional Chinese: 靈巖寺; pinyin: Língyán Sì; lit. 'Temple of the Spiritual Rocks') is a Buddhist temple located in Changqing District, Jinan, Shandong Province, China, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of the city of Tai'an.^[1] The temple grounds are situated in a valley on the western edge of the Taishan range. The Lingyan Temple has a long recorded history, and was one of the main temples in China during the times of the Tang and Song Dynasties. Its most renowned landmarks are the 11th century Pìzhī-tǎ (辟支塔; "Pizhi Pagoda") and the Qiānfó-diàn (千佛殿, "Thousand Buddha Hall") which houses a Ming dynasty bronze Buddha statue as well as 40 painted clay statues of life-size luohan from the Song dynasty.^[2]