[2025 Tianshui Attraction] Travel Guide for Nanguo Temple (Updated Jan)

With its ancient charm and modern style, Tianshui is like a hidden paradise in the depths of time. From the legends of the ancestors of China, to the Zen sounds of ancient temples in the mountains and forests, to the Buddhist shadows of the stone caves on the cliffs, a poetic encounter with history and nature is waiting for you. 🌲 Step into Fuxi Temple, where ancient cypress trees stand like guards, watching over the years. As you enter the solemn and majestic halls, a sense of awe arises. Gently touch the stone tablets, and the legends of the origin of China seem to awaken from your fingertips, with ancient wisdom shining brightly in the hexagrams. ⛰️ Nanguo Temple is hidden in the mountains and forests, and walking along the winding mountain road is like stepping into a landscape painting. As you wander through the gardens, the clear and mirror-like Beiliu Spring once reflected the talent of Du Fu. Find a pavilion, brew a cup of Longnan spring tea, watch the pine waves dance, listen to the birds sing, and immerse yourself in this poetic world. ✨ Maijishan Grottoes are like a Buddhist paradise suspended on a cliff, with thousands of Buddha statues with flowing robes and compassionate eyes, and the plank road seems like a heavenly path leading people to explore. The craftsmen's devotion and skill are all condensed in these exquisite clay sculptures. Choose a miniature Buddha statue as a souvenir, and on the way back at sunset, the poetry of Tianshui has already left an impression on your heart, full of the excitement of the fusion of history and nature. 🚗 Transportation Guide: City buses are available to Fuxi Temple and Nanguo Temple; To Maijishan Grottoes, there are special tourist buses from Tianshui Railway Station, with picturesque scenery along the way. 🏠 Accommodation Suggestions: If you want convenient travel and dining, choose the center of Qinzhou District, close to Fuxi Temple; If you prefer tranquility, the homestays near Maijishan are the best choice, with a good night's sleep accompanied by the mountain scenery.

Meet Tianshui in the name of poetry! Encounter Li Bai and Du Fu across time and space! It is said that this is where Du Fu wrote "The dew is white tonight, and the moon is bright in my hometown". Nanguo Temple is located in a mountainous area 2 kilometers south of Tianshui City, Gansu Province. It is a quiet and ancient temple with a history of more than 1,000 years. The ancient temple is full of lush trees, and the "Spring and Autumn Ancient Cypress" in the temple has a history of more than 2,500 years. If the ancient trees are the roots of Nanguo Temple, then Du Fu's poems are its soul. In the autumn of 759 AD, the poet Du Fu lived in Qinzhou and lived in Nanshan, leaving 117 famous poems such as "The Nanguo Temple on the top of the mountain, the water is called the North Stream Spring" and "The dew is white tonight, and the moon is bright in my hometown". Climb to Nanguo Temple and look far away, the panoramic view of Tianshui City is in sight. As one of the famous temples in ancient Qinzhou, the trip to Nanguo Temple is not to be missed. The temple is not very large, and there are not many tourists. It is especially suitable for a quiet stroll. If you are tired, you can also sit in a bamboo chair and have tea in the bamboo forest. 📍Nanguo Temple: No. 54, Nanguo Road, Qinzhou District, Tianshui City, Gansu Province

👍 Most Recommended: Chengji Museum, a private museum established by the famous collector Mr. Zhang Youping, located right next to the Nanguo Temple archway. ❤ Reason for Recommendation: After visiting Nanguo Temple, I felt there was still some time left, so I decided to check out Chengji Museum. Honestly, I didn't have high expectations, thinking that as a private museum, it probably wouldn't have anything too surprising. But to my amazement, there were numerous overseas returned and auctioned collections inside, incredibly exquisite and stunning! Just as I entered the exhibition hall, I saw a newly hired guide demonstrating their explanation skills to the museum staff (probably an assessment), which was so lucky! So I didn't need to hire a guide. Honestly, the explanation was quite good. Through the guide, I got a detailed understanding of the exhibits and the history and origins of each treasure. This trip was really worth it! 📍 Attraction Address: Third step of the Nanguo Temple mountain gate, Xihuang Avenue, Qinzhou District, Tianshui City, Gansu Province 🚗 Attraction Transportation: This location is easy to find, located just below Nanguo Temple. You can see it as soon as you enter the Nanshan Scenic Area gate! It's very convenient to take bus No. 80 🚌 or a taxi in the city. Refer to my Nanguo Temple travel photos for specifics. 👍️ Must-See Exhibits: Wooden Buddha statues, Tang Dynasty stone-carved Buddha heads, Spring and Autumn period gilded bronze chime bells (the gilding is very thick, almost like gold leaf, shining brightly), Han Dynasty jade cicadas, Tang Dynasty court ladies, polo girls, horse-riding generals, gilded Buddha hats, gemstone phoenix crowns, dragon heads, long-necked pots, phoenix bird statues, various animal shapes, pure gold auspicious beasts, gold-plated carriage accessories, large dragon-shaped bronze ware, bronze tripods, and authentic works of Qi Baishi... The quantity and quality are comparable to the National Museum, absolutely beautiful! After appreciating each piece in detail, I realized it was already noon and the museum was closing, so I reluctantly left. I will definitely visit again if I have the chance. 🎟️ Ticket Information: Free admission with reservation, enter with ID card 💗 Other Tips: Chengji Museum is a private museum, closed from 12:00 to 14:00, similar to regular working hours. Please plan your visit accordingly.

Folks😎, today I'm going to take you into the mysterious and beautiful place of Tianshui in Gansu🤩! It has a unique charm that makes people linger and forget to return👏. Tianshui, this ancient city🏯, carries a rich history and cultural heritage✨. It's like a thick book📖, waiting for us to flip through and savor👀. 🎈Itinerary Planning: Day One🚩: Maijishan - Xianren Cliff. Set off in the morning to Maijishan to appreciate the spectacular grotto art🧐. In the evening, arrive at Xianren Cliff to enjoy the peaceful natural scenery🌅. Day Two🚩: Fuxi Temple - Nanguo Temple - Yuquan Temple - Hu's Residence. A full day's itinerary😜, letting you fully experience the cultural charm of Tianshui🤩. 😍Eight Must-Visit Attractions: Maijishan🧡: As one of China's four major grottoes👍, the clay sculpture art of Maijishan is unparalleled👏. Those lifelike Buddha statues👼, seem to be telling us the vicissitudes of history🤔. Xianren Cliff💛: This place is like a paradise🤗, with beautiful mountains and clear waters, intoxicating visitors😍. Fuxi Temple💚: A sacred place to pay homage to Fuxi, the ancestor of human culture🙏, and to feel the ancient cultural heritage📖. Nanguo Temple💙: Ancient cypresses reach to the sky, and the temple architecture is majestic and spectacular🛕, giving a sense of tranquility and peace🤫. Yuquan Temple💜: A Taoist sanctuary, with a solemn and mysterious atmosphere🧐, where your soul can find a moment of peace🤗. Hu's Residence💕: A well-preserved Ming dynasty residential building🏠, taking you back in time to appreciate the wisdom and aesthetics of ancient life👀. Shimen Mountain💖: The mountain peaks are steep and the scenery is pleasant🤩, a paradise for photography enthusiasts📸. Gangu Daxiangshan💗: The huge clay Buddha on the mountain is awe-inspiring🙌, giving a deep sense of the profoundness of Buddhist culture🙏. 🎊Travel Guide: At Maijishan, you can savor the expressions and demeanor of each Buddha statue👀, feeling the charm of ancient art👏. Xianren Cliff is a great place for a leisurely stroll and to enjoy the scenery😃, breathing in the fresh air as if you are in a fairyland🧚. Fuxi Temple is an important place to learn about Fuxi culture📖, consider listening to a guide's explanation for more insights🙌. The ancient architecture and garden landscapes of Nanguo Temple are unique🤩, suitable for slowing down and enjoying quietly🚶. The Taoist atmosphere of Yuquan Temple brings inner calm🤫, a good place to pray for peace🙏. The architectural details of Hu's Residence are worth appreciating🏮, experiencing the wisdom and aesthetics of the ancients👀. Shimen Mountain is a great spot for mountain climbing enthusiasts🧗, climb to the top to overlook the beautiful scenery🤩, a fulfilling achievement💪. The big Buddha of Gangu Daxiangshan is heart-stirring🙏, deepening your understanding of Buddhist culture📚. 🚩Travel Tips: 👉Respect local religious and cultural customs🙏. 👉Be mindful of protecting cultural relics and the environment🌳. 👉Mountain weather can be unpredictable, be sure to carry suitable clothing👚. 👉Pay attention to safety, especially when climbing and visiting mountainous sites💪. 👉Arrange your time wisely to avoid an overly tight schedule🕙. 😋Food Recommendations: 🍜Tianshui Guagua: The rich and spicy flavor😝, tantalizes your taste buds, making it irresistible👅. 🍲Jiangshui Noodles: Refreshing and tasty👄, a perfect dish to cool down in summer. 🥟Bian Shi: Thin-skinned and generously filled, delicious and fragrant😍, supremely satisfying with just one bite🤤. 🥗Tianshui Mixed Dish: A perfect combination of various ingredients🤩, rich in nutrients, with diverse flavors😜. Tianshui, this charming city🏙, has so much to discover🎉. Come on a trip on a whim🚶!

YUQUAN TEMPLE 🌈Named for the 'Jade Spring' of the Yuan Dynasty. It boasts over 90 Taoist buildings and is known as the 'Number One Famous Temple in Southeastern Gansu'; Nanshan Scenic Area (Nanguo Temple) 🌈With a history of over a thousand years, it has been a favorite spot for poets and scholars throughout the ages. The great poet Du Fu wrote over 100 poems in praise of it during his visit. Tianshui Ancient City 🌈One of the largest and best-preserved residential courtyards from the Ming and Qing dynasties in the northwest region. It's better to go at night to see the night view. It's near the Fuxi Temple, and you can stay nearby at night and go directly to the Fuxi Temple the next day. An hour is enough Maijishan Grottoes 🌈Second only to the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, it is China's second-largest art cave and is known as the 'Eastern Art Sculpture Gallery'. It is one of the four major grottoes. The Maijishan area is the most worthwhile place to spend time. You can view from a distance and climb the plank road for a detailed appreciation. Generally, it takes about two hours, but if you like sculpture and mural art, time is not a limit. ⭐️Transportation: About 100 yuan by taxi from Tianshui South Station, or you can take a bus Maiji Never Night City: Intangible cultural heritage folk customs, performances, snacks, fruits, nearly 200 stalls, experience the local night market. Tianshui City Industrial Museum 🌈Features a science and technology experience hall, time corridor, and industrial history museum, providing insight into the industrial development of Tianshui. Maijishan Grottoes 🌈95 RMB per person for advance reservation includes the grotto scenic area + sightseeing car, and is known as one of China's four major grottoes along with the Mogao Caves, Longmen Grottoes, and Yungang Grottoes Maijishan Grottoes--Immortal Cliff 🌈This section has a direct bus for 50 RMB per person (including round-trip direct bus + Immortal Cliff ticket + scenic area sightseeing car) ⭐️It is really recommended to buy this as it is convenient and time-saving, and the scenery of Immortal Cliff is really good with very few tourists. It consists of three cliffs, five peaks, and six temples, mainly touring the three cliffs you can climb the mountain following the route 'West Cliff--East Cliff--South Cliff' without taking the same way back and not missing any scenery Tianshui Botanical Garden (inside Maijishan) 🌈Not considered a separate attraction, there are ice waterfalls in winter, which are still worth seeing. It takes about half an hour to walk in and out, and if you're looking at the ice waterfalls, it will take a bit longer. It's inside Maijishan and worth a visit. North and South Houses (Hu Family Ancestral Home) 🌈After breakfast, it's just a few steps away. This is the only remaining official residence from the Ming Dynasty in the northwest region. Because there are two parts, south and north, it is also called North and South Houses. The South House is larger, and the North is slightly smaller. There is an underground passage connecting the North and South Houses, but unfortunately, it was not open when we visited. This place is open to the public for free~ Behind the North and South Houses is the Temple of Literature, one and a half to two hours is enough Fuxi Temple and Tianshui Museum 🌈The entrance fee for Fuxi Temple is 20 RMB, and it is open for free at certain times. There is a large square in front of the gate, which is probably the place for holding grand ceremonies. The dragon and phoenix window inside is from the Ming Dynasty and is very exquisite. The little red figures used for blessings on the trees in the temple are also quite interesting. Behind the Fuxi Temple is the Tianshui Museum, which is free to visit and can be accessed directly.

❤Reason for recommendation: Gansu is located in the Hexi Corridor and is an important node city on the Silk Road. Since ancient times, there have been many temples, stone carvings and large Buddhas. However, Nanguo Temple in Tianshui, with a history of over 1000 years, is known as the top temple in Longyou. What makes this ancient temple different? 🌟Highlight features: Nanguo Temple is located in the middle of Huiyin Mountain in the south of Qinzhou District, Tianshui, about twenty minutes drive from the city center. Huiyin Mountain is not high, with uphill and downhill mountain roads on both sides. The road conditions are good, surrounded by lush greenery, and the top of the mountain overlooks the entire city of Tianshui. Nanguo Temple is nestled in Huiyin Mountain and built against the mountain. It is one of the few temples in the country that face north from the south. Over the centuries, it has attracted many literati to come and enjoy the scenery, leaving many famous articles. 👍Most recommended: Nanguo Temple has a history of over 1000 years and was already quite large during the Tang Dynasty. There are many ancient relics in the temple, but there are three must-see places: 1. Ancient cypress of Spring and Autumn. Nanguo Temple has towering ancient trees, the most famous of which are two cypresses that are contemporaries with Confucius, Sakyamuni, and Socrates, and have a history of 2500 years. They are divided into north and south branches, as if they were split in the middle, but their roots are connected. The south-facing branch has dark frost skin, dry and purple, straight into the sky. Amazingly, the top is still vibrant, with lush branches and leaves; the northwest-facing branch is already dead, cleverly set on the branches of the locust tree, and a black egg tree (poplar tree) with a chest circumference of 108 cm is parasitic in the split dead trunk, with lush branches and leaves, full of vitality. Known as the ancient cypress of Spring and Autumn, it is a rare treasure and is hailed as one of the eight scenic spots in Tianshui. 2. Du Shaoling Shrine. In 759 AD, Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu came to Tianshui to seek refuge from his nephew to avoid the Anshi Rebellion. He brought his family to live in Nanguo Temple and wrote 117 popular Tang poems here, which attracted many people to Nanshan Temple and Qinzhou, Tianshui. Among them, 'The temple on the mountain top, the water is called the north-flowing spring. The old tree gets the empty courtyard, the clear canal is passed on by a town' is the most famous. In the 30th year of the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the locals changed the East Zen Forest Court of Nanguo Temple to Du Shaoling Shrine to express their admiration for the poet Du Fu. In recent years, the sculptor of the Mother of the Yellow River, a female sculptor, has specially sculpted a statue for Du Fu. At present, Du Fu's bust is standing in Du Shaoling Shrine, surrounded by bamboo forests, with a quiet environment. There is also a large and magnificent stele gallery next to it, which collects the calligraphy essence of calligraphers Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, and is engraved with the excellent works of poet Du Fu. 3. North-flowing spring. There is an ancient spring in the Guanyin Hall of the East Court of Nanguo Temple, which flows from the south mountain to the north, so it is called 'North-flowing Spring'. The spring water is clear and never exhausted. Later, the monks dug wells to keep the spring, which is still in use today. Nanguo Temple also has many plaques of famous people from all dynasties. The three big characters of 'Nanguo Temple' at the mountain gate and the big characters of 'North-flowing Spring' plaque are all works of calligrapher Sha Menghai. The three big characters of 'The First Mountain' are the handwriting of Mi Fu, a calligrapher of the Qing Dynasty, and the original work is in Wudang Mountain, Hubei. There is a vertical plaque written by Zhang Ti, the governor of Qinzhou in the Qing Dynasty, hanging on the gate of Du Shaoling Shrine, and a pair of door plaques written by Zhou Wuxue, the loyal and martial general, in the courtyard, and so on. Coming to Nanguo Temple in early autumn, the temple is very quiet, especially suitable for slow tours. Standing in Nanguo Temple, I think of the poet Du Fu who lingered in the temple in the past, with a heart full of patriotism, but because of the war, he was displaced and had no way to serve the country. That kind of desolation and sadness makes people sigh. It has been half a month since I left Nanguo Temple. Today I remember that the Maitreya Buddha statue is enshrined in the Heavenly King Hall, and there is a couplet on both sides, which is still impressive. That is 'The big belly can tolerate, tolerate the sky and the earth, and tolerate everything with people; open your mouth and laugh, laugh at the past and laugh at the present, and put everything into a laugh.' I hope this couplet can encourage those who see this article.

Gansu Tianshui's spicy hot pot is trending again ! Even through the screen, you can smell the fragrant aroma wafting through the air🍲, making it irresistible! The soul of Tianshui's spicy hot pot lies in a unique type of chili pepper—the Gangu chili pepper🌶️! This chili has a cultivation history of over 400 years and was once a tribute in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. Today, it has ascended to the throne of China's National Geographical Indication products ! Its characteristic is being spicy yet fragrant, aromatic without being dry, leaving a lasting impression! Of course, Tianshui's delicacies are not limited to spicy hot pot. Take a look at the local favorites below👇🏻 Skewers at the entrance of the pedestrian street🍡, Fatty Fish Hotpot, Chicken Soup Broken Noodles🍜, Fish Noodle Soup, Yusheng Alley Breakfast, Sweet Embryo Milk Tea, and behind Lantian Supermarket, grilled squid and fried stinky tofu 🚩Tianshui Travel Guide Day: Tianshui South Station––Maijishan––Xianren Cliff––Jingtusi Temple––Tianshui Ancient City Day: Fuxi Temple––Tianshui Museum––Yuquan Temple––Nanbei Houses––Nanguo Temple Maijishan Grottoes: The signature attraction of Tianshui, one of the four major grottoes in China, with caves dense as a beehive, walkways soaring through the air, layered upon each other, majestic and magnificent Xianren Cliff: It is said that in the past, hermits often secluded themselves here for cultivation, hence the name Xianren Cliff. The scenic area is renowned for its towering mountains, beautiful waters, steep cliffs, and dense forests, and has been praised since ancient times as the number one cave paradise in Qinzhou. Tianshui Ancient City: The night view is quite beautiful, and there are many delicious snacks inside. Don't miss the Tianshui snacks Gua Gua, Ran Ran, and Mian Pi. Fuxi Temple: A complex built to commemorate the cultural ancestor Fuxi, with plaques and couplets scattered throughout the temple, shining with the dazzling light of Chinese culture's historical brilliance. Tianshui Museum: Located inside Fuxi Temple, it is a great place to learn about Tianshui's history and culture. Nanguo Temple: Founded during the Northern Wei dynasty, it is an ancient temple with a history of over 1600 years. Inside the temple, there is a 2500-year-old ancient cypress from the Spring and Autumn period. The 'Poet Saint' Du Fu, during his stay in Qinzhou, wrote 'Atop the mountain is Nanguo Temple, by the water is the north-flowing spring,' describing this very place. Accommodation Recommendations: Most of the scenic spots in the city are concentrated around Tianshui Ancient City, so it is advisable to choose accommodation near the ancient city.