Panshan Mountain is located in the northwest of Jizhou District, Tianjin, and is a national 5A‑level scenic area. With its origins dating back to the Han Dynasty, flourishing during the Tang Dynasty, and reaching its zenith in the Qing Dynasty, it is a premier destination for tourism and leisure, where natural landscapes and historic sites coexist, and Buddhist and imperial cultures seamlessly converge.

　　Throughout history, countless emperors, generals, and renowned scholars have flocked to this place. The Qing emperor Qianlong made no fewer than 32 imperial tours to Panshan, leaving behind 1,702 poems in praise of the mountain and famously remarking, “Had I known of Panshan’s splendor, why would I have sought the beauty of Jiangnan?”

　　Panshan is one of the few 5A‑rated scenic areas around Tianjin approved by the State Council. With its history dating back to the Han dynasty, flourishing during the Tang and reaching its zenith in the Qing, it stands as a premier destination for tourism and leisure, where natural landscapes harmonize with historic sites and Buddhist traditions blend seamlessly with imperial culture. Throughout history, emperors, high officials, and countless scholars and artists have flocked here. Emperor Qianlong, in particular, held Panshan in special regard: beginning in the fourth year of his reign (1739), he visited the mountain on 32 occasions over 28 years of his life, even making as many as three trips in a single year, and once remarked, “Had I known of Panshan, why would I have needed to journey south of the Yangtze?” Even after ascending the throne as the Retired Emperor at the age of 87, Qianlong paid one final visit to Panshan. By the sheer number of imperial ascents, no other renowned mountain in China can rival Panshan. As the Qing‑dynasty poet Wang Shizhen wrote when describing Panshan: “Among all the celebrated mountains of the realm, beyond the Five Great Mountains—such as Mount Huang and Mount Kuanglu—since Emperor Taizong of Tang took up residence here, emperors of the Liao and Jin dynasties repeatedly graced its slopes. And in our own dynasty, the Imperial Procession has honored it again and again… no other eminent peak can hope to match its prestige.” Such words eloquently capture Panshan’s preeminent standing among China’s most celebrated mountains in the past.

　　According to statistics, Pan Shan currently preserves 224 well‑preserved and clearly legible stone carvings, including 102 inscriptions, 22 texts, and 120 poems. Among these, the largest number bear the mark of the Qianlong Emperor: 118 poems, 1 text, and 12 inscriptions, accounting for more than half of all such carvings on Pan Shan. Of the mountain’s 63 renowned stones, nine feature imperial inscriptions personally composed by Qianlong. When combined with his imperial calligraphy—such as couplets and plaques—the total number of Qianlong‑related ink relics at Pan Shan amounts to 155.

　　The scenery of Panshan varies with the seasons: at the turn of spring and summer, the mountains burst into a riot of blossoms, with peaches and apricots vying for brilliance. After summer rains, the layered peaks are washed in emerald hues, and myriad ravines heave with verdant greenery. As autumn gives way to winter, fragrant fruits drift through the air, and crimson leaves blanket the hillsides. In the depths of winter, snow blankets everything in white, while ancient pines dot the landscape with their verdant splendor. Panshan’s topography is both majestic and precipitous. Its main peak, Guayue Peak, rises to an elevation of 864.4 meters, fronted by Zigai Peak, backed by Zilai Peak, joined on the east by Jiuhua Peak, and flanked on the west by Wujian Peak—five summits clustered together, their craggy rocks jutting forth in bizarre forms. Thanks to its peculiar stones, extraordinary pines, and clear, flowing waters, Panshan naturally boasts the three‑tiered splendor of “Three Terraces.” “The upper terrace is famed for its remarkable pines.” Many of Panshan’s pines grow nestled in rock crevices; “Huangshan pines are renowned throughout the land, yet only those that take root on sheer cliffs and precipices display truly wondrous transformations—far surpassing the pines of Panshan.” “The middle terrace is celebrated for its strange rocks.” Throughout the mountainside, countless odd-shaped boulders are scattered like stars, among them eight legendary curiosities—such as the Heavenly Well Stone, the Rock That Shakes, and the Suspended Stone—known far and wide for their peculiarity. “The lower terrace flows with cool springs; for ten miles one can hear their mighty rush.” In summer and autumn, when rainfall is abundant, hundreds of springs gush forth, and waterfalls soar into the sky. The murmuring streams and echoing ravines create a spectacle of breathtaking grandeur. The Panshan Scenic Area Administration has invested heavily to restore and enhance this lower‑terrace wonderland, and, building upon the existing Panshan passenger ropeway, it has constructed and opened the Yunsong Passenger Ropeway, enabling visitors to reach Panshan’s summit, Guayue Peak, directly. Within the scenic area, a series of distinctive tourism activities have also been introduced, including a large‑scale historical reenactment of Emperor Qianlong’s visit to Panshan, which vividly recreates the splendor of that bygone era.

Five Peaks and Eight Stones
　　The scenery of Panshan is renowned for its unique splendor, epitomized by the “Five Peaks and Eight Rocks” and the “Three‑Tiered Passages.” The main peak, Guayue Peak, rises to an elevation of 864.4 meters, with Zigaifeng to the front, Zailaifeng at its back, Jiuhuafeng to the east, and Wujianfeng to the west—five peaks clustered together, their jagged rocks standing in rugged profusion.

A victory in three sets
　　Nature has naturally fashioned a “three‑plate triumph”: the upper plate is dominated by pines, their branches winding and shading the sky; the middle plate is ruled by rocks, strange and wondrous; and the lower plate is graced by water, splashing like jade and spouting pearls.

Three plates of evening rain
　　The Three-Plate Evening Rain is one of the Ten Scenic Spots of Tianjin.
　　The “Three Sections” of Panshan—the Upper Section, where pines reign supreme; the Middle Section, famed for its rocks; and the Lower Section, celebrated for its waters—are all shrouded in mist and cloud at dusk, when the fading light mingles with hazy smoke. Standing amid the mountains, one beholds a scene that seems “neither fully clear nor truly rainy.” At such moments, “the mountain’s clouds swell and spread, vast as a sea of snow‑white peaks, with forms rising and vanishing within—like masts of smoke borne on the wind.” This spectacle of Panshan has been lauded by scholars and artists alike as the “Evening Rain over the Three Sections.”

Temple
　　Historically, it has been home to 72 temples and numerous exquisite pagodas, as well as a royal garden—“Jingji Villa”—and is renowned in Buddhist circles as the “Eastern Wutai Mountain.” Panshan boasts majestic, precipitous peaks and graceful, tranquil ridges; from afar, one can behold seas of clouds and rustling pines, while up close, the water and rocks reveal their unique beauty. Every step reveals captivating scenery, and every vista is accompanied by intriguing legends and historical allusions. It is a premier destination for leisure and tourism, where natural landscapes and historic sites harmoniously coexist, and Buddhist and imperial cultures seamlessly blend.

Northern Shaolin
　　According to the “Jixian County Gazetteer,” the Northern Shaolin Temple was originally named “Faxing Temple” and later known as the Northern Shaolin Chan Monastery. Situated on a broad, open hillside at the southeastern foot of Mount Pan in Jixian County, Tianjin—on the “Central Pan” site—it was first established during the Wei and Jin dynasties and has a history of approximately 1,500 years. It is the earliest Buddhist temple documented in the Jixian County Gazetteer and also the oldest temple in Tianjin.
　　According to historical records, during the Yuan dynasty, Daoism was highly esteemed. In the twenty-third year of the Zhiyuan era (1286), the Daoist school known as the “Zao Yunzi” dispatched its disciple Zhang Zhige to select sites for temples; he ultimately chose Panshan. Subsequently, the Daoist community renamed the site Qiyun Guan. In the second year of the Yanyou era under Emperor Renzong of the Yuan (1315), the emperor issued an edict restoring Qiyun Guan to a monastic institution and renaming it “Northern Shaolin Chan Temple.” Master Xue Ting Fuyu then instructed the monks at the temple to practice the martial arts of Shaolin.
During the Ming dynasty, imperial edicts granted titles to the Northern Shaolin Monastery, and major renovations were undertaken in the years Jiajing Dinghai and Chenghua Yichou. In the ninth year of the Shunzhi era of the Qing dynasty, the Duobao Pagoda was extensively rebuilt; during the Kangxi period, the monk Benzhu carried out repairs to the temple. In the tenth year of the Qianlong reign, an imperial decree ordered the restoration of the main hall, and the emperor personally inscribed the plaque reading “The Divine Charm of a Snap of the Fingers.” During the Anti-Japanese War, the Japanese army designated Panshan as a “no-man’s-land,” resulting in the destruction of most of the monastery’s temples. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the Shaolin Temple was placed under the jurisdiction of Zhuanwayao Village in Guanzhuang Town, and villagers gradually constructed dwellings on the temple site, thereby damaging the original ground‑level remains. In 1992, the surviving remnants of the Northern Shaolin Monastery—including the foundation of its mountain gate, stone steles, ancient pagodas, and cliffside carvings—were designated as a Tianjin‑municipal cultural relic protection unit.
　　The reconstruction of the Northern Shaolin Temple is imminent, and the planning proposal for the project has largely taken shape.
　　The centuries‑old ruins of the Northern Shaolin Temple have been awakened from their slumber. After several rounds of revisions, the reconstruction plan has now largely taken shape, and the temple’s rebuilding has entered the implementation phase. The latest revised master plan was jointly developed by Tsinghua University and a design firm from Taiwan. Its overarching vision honors the traditional values of Zen, martial arts, medicine, and the arts, embodies the Shaolin way of life, and seamlessly blends time‑honored cultural heritage with a spirit of contemporary innovation—transforming the Northern Shaolin Temple into a serene, simple, and natural sanctuary for spiritual practice.
　　March 26, 2015 — During the spring equinox, the Beishao Lin Temple scenic area on Panshan Mountain in Jixian County, Tianjin, which is currently undergoing restoration and reconstruction, is awash with blooming wild mountain peach blossoms, their fragrance filling the air. According to local farmers, around the Qingming Festival, mountain peach blossoms, wild apricot flowers, and other blooms come into full blossom, drawing a steady stream of visitors eager to enjoy the scenery.

Jade Manor
　　According to page 1885 of “Ri Xia Jiu Wen Kao,” the Shunzhi Emperor personally bestowed the name “Yushi Zhuang,” a village with a history spanning more than 350 years. Even today, it continues to embody the beauty and virtues symbolized by its name—its spirit of resilience and integrity—and stands as a culturally rich rural community steeped in profound heritage: Yushi Zhuang.
　　Panshan’s renowned “Five Peaks, Eight Stones, and Seventy Monasteries”—including Zigai Peak, Liangjia Stone, Wanfo Temple, and the Qianlong Emperor’s imperial inscription “Thousand‑Foot Snow”—are all located in Yushizhuang Village. Panshan is celebrated for its three great treasures—pine trees, rocks, and water—with its rockscapes and waters particularly acclaimed in Yushizhuang. The mineral water from Maifan stone, low in sodium and rich in silica, contains 8.4 mg/L of sodium and 43 mg/L of silica. Drinking this water is believed to offer health benefits and help prevent illness. Bathing in a Maifan‑stone bath enhances skin elasticity and the flexibility of capillaries, helping to ward off skin ailments, relieve fatigue, and leave the skin rosy and smooth. The waters of Shenxian Lake, the seepage between cliffs, the sacred spring at Wanfo Temple, and the stream of Thousand‑Foot Snow are all integral parts of Panshan’s aquatic splendor—truly a place where favorable winds and flowing waters bring good fortune. In days gone by, the persimmons, walnuts, and oil chestnuts grown here were imperial tributes; today, they enjoy renown both at home and abroad.
　　Throughout the ages, emperors, scholars, and poets have all come here to leave behind their calligraphic masterpieces. Historical records show that the Qing emperor Qianlong visited this place 32 times. It is a celebrated site—blessed with good fortune, rich in treasures, and steeped in quiet mystery. In the entire village, every elder over the age of 80 can carry firewood on their back, push a cart, or sew and mend. Here, there are no endemic diseases; even common ailments arise only occasionally, often due to carelessness in daily life. The health and longevity bestowed by nature are what the locals take greatest pride in—and this is closely linked to the local water quality and the high concentration of negative oxygen ions, earning the area the nickname “a natural oxygen chamber” among city dwellers.
　　The village songs of Yushizhuang, including “Pan Shan Gao Gao” and “Environmental Song,” among four in total, reflect the broad-mindedness and heartfelt sentiments of the local people. Among them, the village anthem “Pan Shan Gao Gao” was written by Qiao Yu, composed by Xu Peidong, and performed by Yan Weiwen.
　　The mountain gate of Shiquyuan is designed in the architectural style of the Spring and Autumn period and constructed entirely of granite— a feature unparalleled elsewhere. The three large characters “Shiquyuan” were inscribed by General Zhang Aiping, former Minister of National Defense.
　　A clay sculpture by Yu Qingcheng, a member of the 9th and 10th National Committees of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. His work seamlessly fuses clay‑sculpture art, rural culture, and sexual culture, earning it the reputation of “divine perfection.” He has been honored with the title of “Master of Arts” by UNESCO, and his creations are sure to inspire joy and excitement. Under Master Yu Qingcheng’s hands‑on guidance, more than twenty rural women have crafted numerous clay sculptures, which have become beloved travel souvenirs among friends at home and abroad—while also enriching the villagers’ material and spiritual lives.
The Wanfo Temple, under the jurisdiction of Yushizhuang, boasts a history of 1,300 years. It is home to the nation’s largest stone-carved standing statue of the Western Three Saints, as well as 10,960 lifelike stone Buddha statues, their radiant light bestowing auspiciousness and peace upon every visitor.
　　Wu Daozi’s “Scroll of Eighty-Seven Immortals” from the Tang Dynasty was magnificently reimagined by the Yushizhuang artisans, who enlarged the grand, awe-inspiring scenes of this celebrated historical painting by a factor of fifty and carved them into the dam face of Shenxian Lake. This monumental work stands as the world’s largest single‑panel stone relief depicting a group of figures, and it has been officially recognized in the Guinness World Records.

Wanfo Temple
　　Panshan Wanfo Temple, originally known as “Shifo Hall,” is situated on the southern slope of Panshan Mountain, to the west of the West Gate of Shiquyuan Garden. It comprises four main sections: the Screen Wall, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Iron Bell, and the Great Hero Hall. Within the Wanfo Hall of Panshan Wanfo Temple stands China’s largest stone sculpture of the Three Saints, with a total of 10,960 Buddha statues. In 1993, led by Han Zhen, the people of Yushizhuang, drawing on their rich cultural heritage, rebuilt Shifo Hall one kilometer west of its original site and renamed it “Wanfo Temple.” Nestled against a steep peak and overlooking precipitous cliffs, it is the only Buddhist sanctuary in eastern Beijing and northern Tianjin that fully embodies the threefold essence of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, visible from dozens of miles away. The three characters “Wanfo Temple” were inscribed by Zhao Puchu, former Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the Buddhist Association of China.
　　Inside the hall stands the nation’s largest stone statue of the “Three Saints of the West”: at the center is Amitābha, 8.1 meters tall; to the left and right are Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva and Mahāsthāmaprāpta Bodhisattva, each 7.6 meters high. Along the northeast, west, and south walls, from the base of the wainscoting to the ceiling, stretches a “Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas,” featuring 10,960 cave‑style niches, each enshrining a single Buddha image. In 1997, the people of Yushizhuang renovated the Stone Buddha Hall, added an auxiliary building, and constructed the Temple’s Screen Wall, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Great Hero Hall, as well as east and west side halls, along with a ninety‑nine‑step staircase that produces a soothing water‑sound effect. With these additions, the “Temple of Ten Thousand Buddhas” was finally completed. Today, the temple has become an important venue designated by the Tianjin Buddhist Association for believers to engage in Buddhist activities.
　　Wanfo Temple is one of Tianjin’s religious venues, home to resident monks, where the morning bell and evening drum resound and pilgrims gather in great numbers. On the 19th day of the second, seventh, and ninth lunar months, as well as on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the temple hosts large-scale Buddhist ceremonies.
On the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, as well as on auspicious days during the Spring Festival, devout men and women come here to pay their respects.