Yongquan Temple (Drum Mountain)

Foremost temple of Fujian (founded in 915), with the 'Heshui Rock' legend (Master Shenyan's shout turned the mountain spring aside); Thousand-Buddha pottery pagodas (a Song-dynasty pair unique in China) plus cliff inscriptions (465 panels of Gushan inscriptions from successive dynasties, the 'Stele Forest of the Southeast'). The temple was founded in 915 under the Later Liang of the Five Dynasties, on the mountainside of Drum Mountain (Gushan) before Baiyun Peak, honored as the 'foremost temple of Fujian'. Legend has it that founding master Shenyan, disturbed by the noisy ravine spring while chanting sutras, gave a great shout and the spring changed course to flow east — hence the name 'Heshui Rock'. The pair of Thousand-Buddha pottery pagodas before the temple are Song-dynasty relics, their tiered pottery reliefs of a thousand Buddhas unique in China. The ancient climbing trail on Gushan carries 465 panels of literati inscriptions from successive dynasties, with handscripts by Zhu Xi and Cai Xiang still extant — the so-called 'Stele Forest of the Southeast'. Take the cable car up and the old trail down: the morning bell of Yongquan Temple and the inscription clusters together form the essence of Fuzhou's suburban cultural-mountain route.

Getting there: Gushan cable car / ancient climbing trail