Spirit Valley Temple and Pagoda (Linggu Si and Linggu Ta)

Spirit Valley Temple and Pagoda (Linggu Si and Linggu Ta) Review

The temple commemorates Xuan Zang, the monk who brought Buddhist scriptures back from India. Farther up the hill is a nine-story granite pagoda with a staircase that spirals up the central pillar. The top is dizzyingly high. This pagoda was built as a solemn memorial to those killed by the Nationalists in 1929; today vendors sell plastic balloons to throw off the top balcony. Also on the grounds is the brick Beamless Hall, which was constructed without any wood or beams to support it. The magnificent 14th-century architecture is now given over to propagandistic "historical" reenactments. Although the temple and pagoda aren't worth a special trip, they are close to Ming Tomb and other attractions around Purple Mountain.