Qixia Temple

Built in the Southern Qi Yongming 2nd year (484) as the "foremost famous temple of Jinling", on Qixia Mountain (red-leaf festival mid-November to early December; "Niushou for spring, Qixia for autumn"); Qianfoyan Grottoes (Thousand Buddha Cliff, Southern Qi statues known as the "Yungang of the South") plus the Sarira Stupa (a five-story octagonal stone pagoda of the Sui dynasty). Qixia Mountain has long been summed up as "Niushou for spring, Qixia for autumn"; from mid-November to early December red maples blanket the mountain against the temple's yellow walls, making it East China's flagship red-leaf destination. The Qianfoyan Grottoes behind the temple were carved in the Southern Qi, contemporaneous with the Yungang Grottoes and thus dubbed the "Yungang of the South"; the Sui dynasty Sarira Stupa is a rare five-story octagonal stone pagoda. Legends of Emperor Qianlong lodging five times at the Sheshan temporary palace echo the name "Qixia"; his imperial stele, Shamao Peak and other spots dot the climbing trails — the densest humanistic content of any suburban mountain around Nanjing.

Getting there: Bus, Qixia / self-drive