A Mount Tiantai, Half a Volume of Tang Poetry Heritage

⛰️ Mount Tiantai is located in Tiantai County, Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province, situated at the junction of Ningbo, Shaoxing, Jinhua, and Taizhou. It features many cliffs, steep rocks, and waterfalls. As one of the birthplaces of Zen Buddhism, it has a long history of Buddhist culture. The scenic area is large, with separate admission fees for each attraction, mainly including Tiantai Mountain Grand Waterfall Evolution, Guoqing Scenic Area, Shiliang Scenic Area, and Chicheng Scenic Area. . 🍁 One-day Tour Recommendation 1️⃣ Accommodation Arrive in Tiantai the night before and choose a guesthouse near Guoqing Temple to stay, preparing for an early morning walk into the temple the next day. Besides guesthouses, there is also Tiantai Hotel (100 meters from the temple, the closest one, but fully booked during National Day), as well as Tiantai Hot Springs and Lujing. . 2️⃣ Guoqing Temple No admission fee. Generally opens at 7 a.m. The ideal situation is to enter right at opening time to take photos freely and finish early to avoid the crowds. Guoqing Temple was established during the Sui Dynasty, and many buildings show their age, with lush trees. The fewer people in the temple, the more you can feel the tranquility and serenity. Visiting in October, the wheat fields beside the Sui Pagoda are golden, perfect for photos! When entering the temple in the morning, monks are drying grain and chopping wood. Even with many tourists, the temple maintains a calm atmosphere. ⏱️ Visit time: about 1-2 hours ⚠️ You can buy a small white cloth bag in advance or bring a notebook 📙. You can get the Guoqing Temple seal stamped inside the Yuhua Hall for 2 yuan per stamp [cash only]. ⚠️ You can buy super cute blessing sachets, car hangers, bracelets, and prayer beads near the Maitreya Hall. ⚠️ Free tea is available near the exit, a good place to rest after touring, tastes good, and is suitable for photos. ⚠️ The Sui Pagoda is not far from the temple gate but is outside the courtyard. . 2️⃣ Tiantai Mountain Grand Waterfall The scene is truly breathtaking! There are three main attractions: the Grand Waterfall (ticket 100 yuan), Qiongtai Fairy Valley (ticket 65 yuan), and Huixian Bridge (ticket 80 yuan). A combined ticket for the waterfall and fairy valley is 165 yuan (only sold before 1:30 p.m.). ⏱️ Visit time: ① Only the Grand Waterfall, 2 hours ② Grand Waterfall + Fairy Valley, more than 3 hours ⚠️ Since the scenic area involves mountain climbing and there is only one path, it is very physically demanding! If you visit the waterfall first, climbing to the top takes nearly 2 hours and is very tiring! If you visit the fairy valley first, you can buy a 10 yuan bus ticket and take a 20-minute ride to the top, then walk down from there. Our route was to take the bus directly to the top, skipping the fairy valley (because the fairy valley and Huixian Bridge are in opposite directions), and then walk down the waterfall from Huixian Bridge (glass plank road), descending all the way on stairs, which took over 2 hours at a normal pace. ⚠️ Recommended to bring a hat, sun umbrella, and wear sports shoes because there is little shade on the mountain, and it can be quite sunny on good weather days. ⚠️ Recommended to bring some snacks and water, as there are few and expensive shops on the mountain.