Silver Mountain Pagoda Forest 银山塔林
十三陵的东北边9公里, S308
Part of A Better Guide to Běijīng’s coverage of Běijīng Suburbs and Beyond
The Chinese credit the Japanese with the destruction of the temple buildings here in 1941, but the cluster of five major closely-eaved brick and stone pagodas with elaborately carved bases, surrounded by steep slopes, is magnificent.
The now-vanished temple was supposedly of Jīn (1115–1234) foundation, the dates of the pagodas disputed but clearly earlier than much else in Běijīng other than the solitary Tiānníng Sì Pagoda.
There are also multiple other stupas and lesser markers of later date. Paths up from the left-handside of the site follow a pleasantly cooling artificial stream to viewpoints providing, after about 45 minutes, an unusual view of the pagodas from above, and across the neighbouring arid and rather crumpled landscape.
▶ Yīn Shān Tǎ Lín, in Chāngpíng County, 60km N of Běijīng, gps 40º19’02”N, 116º19’17”E, t 8972 6426, 7am–4.30pm. ¥25 peak; ¥20 otherwise. m Jīshuǐ Tán, walk east on N side to take b 346 from just W of the Déshèng Mén to 昌平北站: then b 昌31 to 湖门村, about 2 hrs, and walk on, turning left into 银山路.
Next in Běijīng Suburbs and Beyond: Cuàn Dǐxià
Previously: Hóngluó Sì
Main Index of A Better Guide to Beijing.
For discussion of China travel, see The Oriental-List.
