Nanshan Temple () is a

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism repres ...

located in

Sanya Sanya (; also spelled Samah) is the southernmost city on Hainan Island, and one of the four prefecture-level cities of Hainan Province in South China. According to the 2020 census, the total population of Sanya was 1,031,396 inhabitants, livi ...

, Hainan province, China. The temple's name originates from a popular Buddhist expression. ().

History

The temple was built on April 12, 1988, to commemorate two thousand years of Buddhism in China. It has a total area of 40,000 square metres. It contains several Tang dynasty replicas. The temple is part of an area known as the Nanshan Buddhism Cultural Zone, classified as a

AAAAA scenic area AAAAA (5A) is awarded to the most important and best-maintained tourist attractions in the People's Republic of China, given the highest level in the rating categories used by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As of 2020, there are 279 touris ...

by the

China National Tourism Administration The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA; ) was a Chinese government authority responsible for the development of tourism in the country. The CNTA was subordinate to the State Council. Its headquarters are in Beijing, with regional branch ...

Geography

It is located just 40 kilometers west of Sanya City along the Hainan West Expressway. It is a window on China's traditional Buddhism culture.

Summary

The Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone is a large Buddhist complex located 40 km west of Sanya. The area highlights consists of gardens, sculptures, sea views, and different sites dedicated to Buddhist worship. One of its attractions is the 3-sided Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy) statue and at 354 feet (108m) high, is the tallest Guanyin statue in the world. There is also another buddhist statue nearby in Nanshan temple, the Golden Jade Kwan-yin Statue (''Avalokiteshvara, Goddess of Compassion''). The Statue is considered to be a national treasure with the height of 3.8 meters (12.5 feet) and with a cost of 192 million yuan. It was constructed out of gold, diamonds and jade, among other precious stones. The zone has been designated a Priority Project of China Tourism Development and earmarked for further development. Hainan is the only province in China to explicitly be identified by the Chinese authorities for the development of tourism as a mainstay industry. It is also intended to become a test zone for China's tourism reform and tech innovation.

References

External links

*http://www.nanshantemple.com Nanshan temple official website
Nanshan Cultural Tourism Commission
Buddhist temples in China Buildings and structures in Hainan Tourist attractions in Sanya Sanya Religion in Hainan {{PRChina-religious-struct-stub