📍Dayi Baiyan Temple
Driving time: 1.5 hours (departing from Chengdu city center
Route: self-guided
Road conditions: very good
Tickets: Free
Keywords: #九子GINKGO, #TibetanBuddhism, #500Arhatstairs
When the weather is a little better on weekends, I can't help but want to go out for a walk. November in Chengdu is a good time to see ginkgo in late autumn. In addition to universities such as the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and Sichuan University in Chengdu, you can also see ginkgo. I would like to recommend a relatively small attraction around Chengdu: Dayi Baiyan Temple. Because it is very close to Chengdu, it is completely ok to go back and forth on the same day.
There are a lot of delicious food along the way. If you pass by Yuantong Town, you can also eat a bowl of Chazha noodles, cold shredded chicken, and a bowl of hot, white hoof flower soup. It really can’t be better. Satisfied. Of course, if you pass by Yuantong Town, you must buy the pepper duck and braised duck head from Shen Huajiao~
Baiyan Temple is located in Dayi County, west of Chengdu, at the junction with Chongzhou. The temple got its name because it is located under a huge white sedimentary rock. Baiyan Temple is said to be the only Tibetan Buddhist temple built in Han Dynasty. It has a long staircase with 500 Arhats on both sides, which is quite unique.
In addition, the most famous thing in the temple is the "Nine Sons of Ginkgo" that has been around for thousands of years. (Because it was too big, I didn’t take a panoramic shot😂)
The first time I came to Baiyan Temple was during the National Day of my freshman year. Because my family didn’t like to go to crowded tourist spots to join in the fun, we chose Baiyan Temple, which almost no one had heard of at the time. It was the first time I saw the "Nine Ginkgos" with nine families of ginkgo trees huddled together. It was quite spectacular.
This is the second time I came to Baiyan Temple. It has been 4 or 5 years since the last time. Unfortunately, only 6 of the thousand-year-old ginkgo trees in the temple are left due to lightning strikes and insect infestations. However, there is still a thick layer of golden ginkgo all over the ground. Ginkgo leaves are great for taking photos. Of course, many more Chengdu people came here to take pictures this time.
It only takes 15-20 minutes to climb from the parking lot at the foot of the mountain to the temple. There are many local farmers on both sides of the road buying local fresh vegetables and free-range eggs. When you arrive at the temple, you can take a photo of the ginkgo biloba, and then climb up and hike for a while. If you can climb the entire mountain and play at the same time, you can actually complete the round trip in 2 hours.
( Long staircase of 500 Arhats in the temple )
(There are many Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags along the way)
(The new friend I met, the little yellow-haired dog)
Look at the brilliant yellow ginkgo trees, sweat a lot while climbing the mountain, and then go to the temple to make a wish. A happy and relaxing weekend is over~
