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Qixia Mountain

Qixia Mountain is located about 22 km (14 mi) away outside Taiping Gate in Nanjing. As the local saying goes, 'Visit Niushou Mountain in spring, and Qixia Mountain in autumn', Qixia Mountain attracts tourists mainly for its autumnal red maples. Qixia Mountain was named 'Sheshan Mountain' in ancient times. It encloses three mountains. The main peak is the middle Fengxiang Peak, with an altitude of 286 m (938 ft). Its deep mountains, dense forests, lucid springs and fantastic rocks make the scenery quite serene and enticing. The mountain is reputed as 'the first elegant and pretty mountain of Nanjing'. During autumn, the maple trees all turn a spectacular shade of red. A Red Maple Art Festival will be held here from late October to December.
Besides the enthralling natural scenery, there are also many famous cultural sights worth seeing. The most well-known are Qixia Temple, Qianfo Rock and the Dagoba. Qixia Temple lies in the western mountainside of the middle peak. The temple was first built in 483 of Southern Dynasty (420-589) and is the largest Buddhist temple of Nanjing. Every New Year's Eve, the temple will hold a bell-beating activity to welcome the new year. And during the Chinese Spring Festival, there will be a Buddhist Culture Festival.
The Dagoba is located not far away in the east of the southern wall of the temple. It was built in 601 of the Sui Dynasty (581- 18). Its exquisite style and sculptures represent the whole Buddhist art of southern Yangtze area. The Qianfo Rock lies east of the Dogaba. There remain hundreds of Buddhist sculptures and niches of the same period of Qixia Temple. Hundreds of Buddhist sculptures and niches dating from the Qixia Temple period still remain there. One relievo named 'Dong Feitian (a soaring figure)' is comparable with those in the famous Mogao Caves of Dunhuang.

Admission Fee	CNY 15 normally;  CNY 30 during the Red Maple Art Festival; CNY 50 on New Year and Chinese Spring Festival Eves; CNY 25 during the Buddhist Culture Festival
Opening Time	06:30–17:30
Bus Routes	Nanlong (南龙); Nanshang (南上); Nanqi (南栖) （All departing at Nanjing Railway Station）