[2024 Jinan Attraction] Travel Guide for Simen Tower (Updated Sep)

Jinan Four Gates Pagoda, Black Wukong filming location

Don't miss the Four Gates Pagoda in Jinan. It is the only existing stone pagoda from the Sui Dynasty in China and the earliest and most well-preserved single-story pavilion-style Buddhist pagoda in China. Opening hours: 07:30-17:30 (January 1 - December 31, Monday to Sunday). Ticket price: 30 yuan. (There are discounts online, you can buy in advance) 🚌Bus: Take bus No. 67 (Wuyingshan-Lijiatang line) in the city and get off at the Four Gates Pagoda station. The Four Gates Pagoda is the core attraction of the scenic area. The pagoda is majestic, sturdy, and solemn. It is currently the oldest single-story pavilion-style stone pagoda in China. In addition, the cliff carvings from the early Tang Dynasty and the complete and ancient brick pagoda are also very impressive. There is a forest park in the scenic area. Yongquan is one of the seventy-two famous springs in Jinan. The bamboo forest by the spring grows because of the spring. The spring water gurgles, and the green bamboo sways. In the scorching summer, it is especially cool here. Note: There are many stray cats in the scenic area. Please keep a safe distance when feeding them.

Four-Gate Pagoda

Four-Gate Pagoda is located 4 kilometers northeast of Liubu Street, Licheng District, Jinan City, Shandong Province. The pagoda is entirely built of large blue stones, single-layered, and square-shaped, with an arch gate on each of its four sides, hence the common name "Four-Gate Pagoda." It was completed in the seventh year of the Sui Dynasty's Daye period (611 AD) and has a history of over 1,400 years. Four-Gate Pagoda is the only existing stone pagoda from the Sui Dynasty in China and is the earliest and best-preserved single-layer pavilion-style Buddhist pagoda in China. It is renowned as "China's First Stone Pagoda" and "Hua Xia's First Stone Pagoda." Its design is simple, reflecting the style of Han Dynasty architecture in China. It holds significant value for the study of Chinese Buddhist history and ancient architectural features and is one of the precious heritages of ancient Chinese architecture. Except for some slight decorations on the pagoda's finial, the rest of the structure has no obvious decorations, giving it a solid and simple appearance, ancient yet straightforward. It holds an important place in the history of Chinese architecture. On March 4, 1961, Four-Gate Pagoda was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

Dragon and Tiger Pagoda

Dragon and Tiger Pagoda: Located in the Simen Pagoda Scenic Area, Liubu Street, Licheng District, Jinan City, Shandong Province. Based on the material, shape, and carving style of the Dragon and Tiger Pagoda, it is determined that the base to the body of the pagoda should have been built during the flourishing Tang Dynasty, and the brick eaves of the pagoda should have been built before the Shaosheng period (1094-1098) of the Northern Song Dynasty. The Dragon and Tiger Pagoda is a stone pagoda with a square plan, standing at a total height of 10.8 meters. It is named after the dragon and tiger carvings on the body of the pagoda. It consists of a base, body, eaves, and finial. The architectural proportions of the Dragon and Tiger Pagoda are symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing, making it a fine example of the combination of stone carving art and architectural art. The beautiful shape of the Dragon and Tiger Pagoda complements the high relief carvings, showcasing the unique style of Tang Dynasty carving and modeling art, providing valuable research material for sculptors. On January 13, 1988, the Dragon and Tiger Pagoda, along with the Thousand Buddha Cliff statues, was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as part of the third batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

In the deep mountains of Jinan, there are unexpectedly stone grottoes from the Tang Dynasty

Shandong Jinan Thousand Buddha Cliff carvings are Chinese Buddhist sculptures from the Tang Dynasty. Thousand Buddha Cliff is located in Liubu of Jinan. Liubu is situated 40 kilometers southeast of Jinan City, Shandong Province. The concentrated carvings are located to the northwest of Simen Tower on the eastern foothills of Baihu Mountain, and are the main remnants of Tang Dynasty Buddhist stone carvings in Shandong Province. On the cliff wall, which is 65 meters long and 8.5 meters high, the main features are cliff niche statues. The layout of Thousand Buddha Cliff includes 6 small caves, with a total of 214 statues of various sizes and 45 inscriptions, among which 10 statues are inscribed with the reign titles such as Wude, Zhenguan, Xianqing, Yongchun, and Wuming. The main figures depicted include members of the Tang royal family, such as Princess Nanping, Prince Zhao Li Fu, and son-in-law Liu Xuan Yi, as well as general officials, monks, nuns, and the public. Inside the cave, there is one seated Buddha with a full and serene face, delicate and flowing robe lines, and skillfully refined carving techniques. The cave was excavated in the second year of Xianqing (657) during the Tang Dynasty, and was created by Princess Nanping to pray for the blessing of her late father, Emperor Taizong of Tang. Her husband, Liu Xuan Yi, who was then the governor of Qizhou, created a statue niche located in the southern part of the central area of Thousand Buddha Cliff. The niche is decorated with a beaded architrave, and the exterior is carved with guardian beasts such as muscular men and lions. Most of the carvings were made in the early Tang Dynasty, with a few from later periods, and are mostly well-preserved. In the northern part of Thousand Buddha Cliff, there are two large caves; the southern cave has a stone pillar in the middle of the entrance, and inside the cave, there are two large Buddhas nearly 3 meters tall, created by Prince Zhao Li Fu, the thirteenth son of Emperor Taizong, in the third year of Xianqing for Emperor Taizong. This group of carvings was announced by the State Council as a national key cultural relics protection unit in 1988.

Si Men Tower

Si Men Tower, located 4 kilometers northeast of Liubu Street, Licheng District, Jinan City, Shandong Province. The tower is made entirely of huge bluestone, single-layered, square, with an archway opened on each of the four sides, hence it is commonly known as "Si Men Tower". It was completed in the seventh year of the Sui Dynasty (611 AD) and has a history of more than 1400 years. Si Men Tower is the only existing stone tower from the Sui Dynasty in China, and it is also the earliest and most well-preserved single-layer pavilion-style Buddhist pagoda in China, serving as a model for early Chinese stone architecture. It has the reputation of being the "first stone tower in China" and the "first stone tower in Huaxia". Its design is simple, reflecting the Taoist style of Chinese Han Dynasty architecture. It has high value for studying the history of Buddhism in China and the characteristics of ancient architecture, and it is also one of the precious heritages of ancient Chinese architecture. Apart from the slightly decorated tower part, the rest of the tower has no obvious decoration, and the whole form is solid and simple, simple and concise. It occupies an important position in the history of Chinese architecture. On March 4, 1961, Si Men Tower was announced by the State Council of the People's Republic of China as the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

Which is the earliest temple in Shandong? This temple is now unknown, and it is the Shentong Temple in Jinan. Shentong Temple is located in Liuyu Town, Licheng District, Jinan City. It has beautiful forests and green forests. Now it has developed a lot of farmhouse music Shentong Temple. It was built in the first year of the Qin Dynasty (351 years) and is the earliest temple in Shandong. Later, the temple was destroyed by the fire at the end of the Qing Dynasty, leaving Buddhist temples such as the Four Gate Tower, the Dragon Tiger Tower, the Jiuding Tower, the Tomb Tallinn, and the Cliff Statue. The most famous temple in the temple is the four-door tower. This stone tower is covered by various auras. It is the only surviving stone tower in China. It is also the earliest surviving single-story stone tower in China. It is also the earliest existing pavilion. Tower. There are not many tourists, the environment is good, the mountains are quiet, and there are many ancient trees in the mountains, guiding you to the direction of the four-door tower. The four-door tower belongs to the Shentong Temple, which was built more than 200 years later than the construction of the Shentong Temple. It was built in the Seventh Year of the Great Industrial (611). Initially, the construction time of the four-door tower was quite controversial. When the tower was extensively renovated in 1972, it was discovered that there was a big-year seven-year creation lettering on the top of the tower to solve this mystery. The tower of the four-door tower is made of huge bluestone. It is single-storey, square, 15 meters high and 7.4 meters long. It has an arch on all sides, so it is commonly known as the "four-door tower". The four-door tower was found to be relics 14 years earlier than the Shaanxi Famen Temple, and it was a major discovery.