Liuding Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone is located in the southern suburbs of Dunhua City, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Jilin Province, China. It is a national 5A-level tourist attraction and the first listed company of cultural tourism zones in Jilin Province. With Buddhist culture and Bohai culture as its core, the scenic area integrates natural ecology and human landscapes, and is known as a "Cultural Holy Land · Holiday Paradise". The total area of the scenic area is about 52 square kilometers, with the core scenic area covering about 10 square kilometers. The main buildings include the Jinding Buddha, Zhengjue Temple, and the Bohai Ancient Tombs, forming a comprehensive tourist area integrating sightseeing and pilgrimage, cultural experience, and leisure vacation.
Historical Culture
The Liuding Mountain area has a long history, with human activities dating back to the Neolithic Age. During the Tang Dynasty, this was an important area of the Bohai Kingdom. The existing Bohai Ancient Tombs are important relics of Bohai culture, providing precious material for studying the history, culture, and funeral system of the Bohai Kingdom. Among them, the Tomb of Princess Zhenhui is the first excavated Bohai Kingdom tomb in China, with a large number of cultural relics unearthed.
The inheritance of Buddhist culture in Liuding Mountain can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty. Zhengjue Temple was first built during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, went through ups and downs, and began to be rebuilt in 2000. Now it has become one of the largest Buddhist temples in Northeast China. The Jinding Buddha was completed and consecrated in 2011, with a height of 48 meters. It is the world's tallest bronze sitting Buddha of Sakyamuni, further establishing Liuding Mountain as a Buddhist sacred place.
In 2006, the Bohai Ancient Tombs were listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit; in 2015, Liuding Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone was rated as a national AAAAA-level tourist attraction, becoming an important window to display the history, culture, and religious culture of the Yanbian area.
Main Attractions
Jinding Buddha
Jinding Buddha is located on the top of Liuding Mountain and is a landmark landscape of the scenic area. The Buddha is a bronze sitting statue of Sakyamuni, with a total height of 48 meters, including the Buddha body height of 38.4 meters and the lotus pedestal height of 9.6 meters, implying "stability in all aspects and peace in all directions". The Buddha statue adopts copper casting and gilding technology, consuming about 500 tons of copper and about 25 kilograms of gold, and was cast by Nanjing Aerospace Chenguang Group. The Buddha's left hand forms the meditation mudra, and the right hand forms the fearless mudra, looking solemn and kind, overlooking all living beings. The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall at the foot of the Buddha enshrines 10,000 small Buddha statues, forming a scene of "all Buddhas paying homage to the Buddha" with Jinding Buddha.
Zhengjue Temple
Zhengjue Temple is located below Jinding Buddha and is a Han Buddhism temple, covering a total area of about 40,000 square meters and a construction area of about 18,000 square meters. The temple adopts the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, with buildings such as the mountain gate, Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Hall, and Scripture Storage Building distributed along the central axis. Mahavira Hall is the main building of the temple, 26 meters high, with seven bays in width and five bays in depth. It enshrines the Three Buddhas, with the Buddha statues 8.6 meters high, looking solemn and respectful. The temple also has a Buddhist Culture and Art Museum, displaying a large number of Buddhist cultural relics and art treasures, which is an important place to understand Buddhist culture.
Bohai Ancient Tombs
Bohai Ancient Tombs are located in the hinterland of Liuding Mountain and are the burial area of the royal nobles of the Bohai Kingdom (698-926). There are about 100 existing tombs, among which the Tomb of Princess Zhenhui is the most famous. Princess Zhenhui was the second daughter of Da Qinmao, the third king of the Bohai Kingdom. The tomb consists of three parts: the tomb chamber, the corridor, and the tomb passage, with a total length of 15 meters. Precious cultural relics such as tombstone, stone lion, and pottery figurine were unearthed. Among them, the "Tombstone of Princess Zhenhui" is an important object for studying the characters and history of the Bohai Kingdom. The inscriptions are written in Chinese characters in regular script. There is also a Bohai Culture Museum around the ancient tombs, which systematically displays the history and culture of the Bohai Kingdom through cultural relic exhibitions and scene restoration.
Qing Ancestral Temple
Qing Ancestral Temple was built to commemorate Bukuri Yongshun, the ancestor of the Manchu people, covering a total area of about 50,000 square meters and a construction area of about 2,000 square meters. The main buildings in the temple include the archway, the main gate, Qing Ancestor Hall, and east-west side halls, adopting a design combining Manchu architectural style and Qing Dynasty royal architectural style. The Qing Ancestor Hall enshrines a statue of Bukuri Yongshun, 3.8 meters high, with historical murals showing the origin and development of the Manchu people on both sides. Qing Ancestral Temple is an important place to study Manchu culture and explore the origin of the Qing Dynasty, and holds activities such as the Manchu Culture Festival every year.
Liuding Mountain Lake
Liuding Mountain Lake is located in the middle of the scenic area. It is a natural lake with a surface area of about 1.2 square kilometers and a maximum depth of 12 meters. The lake water is clear to the bottom, surrounded by mountains and lush forests, forming a beautiful landscape of "mountains surrounding the water and the water embracing the mountains". The lake shoreline is winding, about 5 kilometers long, with a 3-kilometer-long wooden plank road around the lake. Tourists can walk along the plank road to enjoy the lake and mountain scenery. There is also a cruise terminal in the lake, where visitors can take cruise ships (each can accommodate 50 people) to tour the lake and experience the comfort of "a boat sailing on the blue waves, with people traveling in a painting".
Food
Yanbian Cold Noodles
Yanbian cold noodles are sold in restaurants in the scenic area and Dunhua urban area, which is a characteristic food of the Korean nationality. Cold noodles are made of buckwheat noodles, with ingredients such as beef soup, spicy cabbage, eggs, shredded cucumber, and pear slices. They taste chewy, and the soup is sweet, sour, and refreshing. The price of cold noodles in the scenic area is about 15-20 yuan per bowl. Among them, the freshly pressed cold noodles in the "Big Cold Noodles" restaurant are the most famous, with noodles made and pressed on-site, paired with a secret soup base, having a unique flavor.
Stone Pot Bibimbap
Stone pot bibimbap is a traditional Korean food, common in Korean restaurants around the scenic area. It uses rice as the base, covered with shredded carrots, bean sprouts, spinach, eggs, pork belly and other ingredients, drizzled with Korean chili sauce, and heated in a stone pot until a crust forms at the bottom of the pot. The high temperature of the stone pot makes the ingredients blend and tasty, and the crust is crispy and delicious, with a price of about 20-25 yuan per serving. "Jindalai Restaurant" in Dunhua urban area is a good place to taste stone pot bibimbap, with fresh ingredients and authentic sauce.
Dagao (Korean Rice Cake)
Dagao is a Korean festival food, sold in characteristic food stores in the scenic area. It is made of glutinous rice, which is steamed and then beaten with a wooden mallet until it is sticky, then cut into small pieces and eaten with soybean flour or sugar, tasting soft, glutinous and sweet. There are varieties such as ordinary dagao and red bean paste dagao, with a price of about 10 yuan per serving (200 grams). Most of the dagao in the scenic area are made and sold on-site, and tourists can watch the making process of dagao to experience folk culture.
Dunhua Pancake
Dunhua pancake is a local characteristic snack, made of corn, millet, rice, etc., ground into pulp and spread into cakes. It can be rolled with shredded potatoes, fried dough sticks, pickles, etc. The pancake is thin and crispy, rich in nutrition, and sold in breakfast shops around the scenic area, with a price of about 5-8 yuan per serving. Among them, the miscellaneous grain pancakes in the "Time-honored Pancake Shop" are the most famous, made by traditional craftsmanship and loved by tourists.
Tickets
The ticket price is 110 yuan per person (including the sightseeing bus).
You can search for the official WeChat public account "六鼎山文化旅游区" to get the latest news or buy tickets online.
Opening Hours
The opening hours are slightly adjusted according to the season: the peak season (May 1 - October 31) is from 9:00 to 17:30 (admission stops at 17:00); the off-season (November 1 - April 30 of the next year) is from 8:00 to 16:30 (admission stops at 16:00). The opening hours of Buddhist activity venues in the scenic area (such as Zhengjue Temple) are from 8:00 to 16:00, subject to the announcement of the day. In case of major holidays or special events, the opening hours may be extended. It is recommended to check the official information in advance.
Tour Routes
Recommended one-day tour route: After entering from the main gate of the scenic area, take a battery car (or walk) to the Bohai Ancient Tombs, visit the Tomb of Princess Zhenhui and the Bohai Culture Museum to learn about the history of the Bohai Kingdom, which takes about 1.5 hours; then go to Qing Ancestral Temple to experience Manchu culture, which takes about 1 hour; have lunch in the vegetarian restaurant in the scenic area at noon to experience Buddhist vegetarian food; take a battery car to Zhengjue Temple in the afternoon, visit buildings such as the mountain gate, Heavenly King Hall, and Mahavira Hall in turn, which takes about 1.5 hours; then walk to Jinding Buddha, climb to the top to worship the Buddha and overlook the panoramic view of the scenic area, which takes about 1.5 hours; finally, go to Liuding Mountain Lake, choose to walk around the lake or take a cruise to tour, which takes about 1 hour. The whole journey takes about 6.5-7 hours, allowing you to fully experience the cultural and natural landscapes of the scenic area.
Transportation
- Bus: You can take bus No. 8 in Dunhua urban area to directly reach the main gate of Liuding Mountain Cultural Tourism Zone. The interval between buses is about 30 minutes, the first bus is at 6:30, the last bus is at 17:30, and the fare is 2 yuan per person.
- Tourist special line: There is a Liuding Mountain tourist special line in Dunhua Railway Station Square, departing at 8:00, 9:00, and 10:00 every day, with return times at 15:00, 16:00, and 17:00. The fare is 5 yuan per person, and the journey is about 30 minutes.
- Self-driving: Starting from Dunhua urban area, drive south along Hanzhang Street for about 5 kilometers to reach the scenic area. The scenic area has a parking lot, with a parking fee of 10 yuan per day for small cars and 20 yuan per day for large cars. The parking lot can accommodate about 500 motor vehicles.
- Taxi: Taking a taxi from Dunhua urban area to the scenic area costs about 15-20 yuan, and the journey is about 15 minutes.
Must-visit Attractions
- Jinding Buddha: The world's tallest bronze sitting Buddha of Sakyamuni, 48 meters high, with exquisite copper casting and gilding technology. Climbing to the top, you can overlook the panoramic view, which is a must-visit place for Buddhist pilgrimage and taking photos.
- Zhengjue Temple: The largest Han Buddhism temple in Northeast China, with the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty, magnificent halls, rich Buddhist culture, where you can experience Buddhist rituals and culture.
- Bohai Ancient Tombs: A national key cultural relics protection unit. The cultural relics unearthed from the Tomb of Princess Zhenhui have important historical value and are the core attractions to understand the history of the Bohai Kingdom.
- Liuding Mountain Lake: It is a natural ecological landscape with an open lake surface. The wooden plank road around the lake is suitable for walking, and taking a boat tour allows you to enjoy the beautiful scenery where mountains and waters reflect each other, and feel the tranquil atmosphere.
Travel Suggestions
- It is recommended to arrive at the scenic area before 9:00 a.m. At this time, there are fewer tourists, so you can avoid the peak crowd, and the light in the morning is suitable for taking photos.
- The scenic area is large, and the attractions are scattered. It is recommended to buy a battery car pass (20 yuan per person) to save energy and improve the tour efficiency; if you are in good physical condition, you can also choose to walk, with beautiful scenery along the way.
- When visiting Buddhist sites, you need to abide by etiquette, dress appropriately (do not wear shorts, short skirts, or vests), do not make loud noises, and do not touch Buddha statues and ritual objects.
- Sunscreen measures should be taken when traveling in summer, as the ultraviolet rays in the scenic area are strong; the temperature is low in winter, so it is recommended to wear warm clothes. Some roads may be covered with snow, so pay attention to anti-skid.
- The vegetarian restaurant in the scenic area provides Buddhist vegetarian food with fresh ingredients and light taste. You can try it, with an average consumption of about 30-50 yuan per person.
Precautions
- Smoking and littering are prohibited in the scenic area. You need to protect cultural relics and the natural environment and abide by the regulations of the scenic area.
- When visiting the Bohai Ancient Tombs, it is forbidden to touch cultural relics or climb the tombs. You need to visit in the designated area and follow the guidance of the staff.
- When taking a cruise ship, you need to wear a life jacket, follow the command of the crew, do not play or fight on the ship, and pay attention to safety.
- There is a medical room (located east of Zhengjue Temple) and a tourist service center in the scenic area. If you feel unwell or need help, you can contact the staff in time.
- There are many tourists in the scenic area during holidays. It is recommended to buy tickets through official channels in advance to avoid queuing on site; at the same time, take good care of your personal belongings to prevent loss.