Jade Spring Temple (Yuquan Temple)

Located at the foot of Mount Huashan, Jade Spring Temple, aka Yuquan Temple, is a necessary stop for people hiking up the mountain. As a Taoist Temple, the Jade Spring Temple was originally built in China’s Northern Song Dynasty (960 - 1127) by Chen Tuan, a famous scholar and Taoist hermit acquiring reputations as “Taoism Grandmaster Chen Tuan” and “Sleeping Fairy”, to seclude himself and practice Taoist doctrines.

Entrance to Jade Spring Temple

 The name of the temple originates from a charming legend. It’s said that the Golden Fairy Princess in China’s Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) washed her hair beside the Jade Well in Mount Huashan Guarding Palace, which is at the east side of the West Peak of the mountain and has an altitude of around 2,000 meters (6,500 feet).

Unintentionally, she dropped her jade hair clasp into the well. After returning to the temple, she was surprised to find her clasp when washing her hands with the spring here, and thus realized that the spring is connected to the Jade Well. Hence, the temple got its name of “Jade Spring” by the princess.
 For people who select to hike up the Mt. Huashan instead of taking a Huashan Moutain Cable Car to ascend it, the Jade Spring Temple is the first stop. In the southeast corner of the temple stands the Heavenward Proceeding Pavilion, which faces the Golden Lock Pass, one of the dangerous passes on Mt. Huashan. A saying goes that there has always been only one way reaching the top of Huashan Mountain. This pavilion is regarded as the starting point of this way, which is about 12.5 kilometers (8 miles) in length with 9,678 steps.
 The Palace of Wealth God has always been one of the most popular spots in the temple, and it stands on the left side at the entrance part. Every year, people come to the temple and pray for wealth and good business. In particular, during the Chinese New Year Holiday and the Temple Fair on March 15 in China’s calendar, people flock into the palace to seek fortune. Why not join them and make your good wishes?
 This corridor surrounds the temple, and is seen as an iconic part of garden scenery here. A total of 72 windows are installed on the wall, in shapes of a circle, a square, a flower… The number comes from 72 phenological phenomena recorded in the Chinese annals, and the windows allow people to view different scenes in the temple, for example, blooming flowers, swimming fish, and flourishing trees.
 In the Xiyi Cave in the southwest corner of the temple, stands a stone statue of Chen Tuan, the “Sleeping Fiery” who lived long to be 118 years old. It’s said that a person with pain in a body part will stop the pain immediately when touching the corresponding part of the statue. What’s more, it’s said that touching the head of the statue helps the growth of wisdom. Nowadays, touching the statue has become one of the best things to do in the Jade Spring Temple, to pray for a healthy body. It is so named because people feel more relaxed after viewing natural scenes from the pavilion, like the stone boat on the pool, and the towering trees and their reflections. As a ballad says that standing under the Carefree Pavilion in the northwest corner, even if something huge as the sky happens, you are just like a sound sleeper.
 

Interior View of Jade Spring Temple

1. Except for visiting Jade Spring Temple as soon as you arrive at the Huashan Mountain Scenic Spot, setting it as the last stop is also a good idea, especially for those night climbers or in a multi-day tour here. After finishing a challenging climb and enjoying magnificent views on the mountain, to wander around the temple for relaxation of body and mind is a quite good choice.

2. With lovely garden scenery, the temple is even more tranquil and beautiful on rainy or snowy days, allowing people to enjoy leisure with the sound of rain or photograph buildings covered with white snow. If unfortunately, the mountain area is temporarily closed due to bad weather conditions, the tour to the temple will still be a worthwhile experience for you.
 

Opening Hours	8:00-17:00.
Admission Fee	Free.
Recommended Duration for Visit	1 - 2 hours.

 (1) Firstly, you can take a high-speed train from Xi’an North Railway Station to Huashan North Railway Station. Upon arrival, walk to the east from the station exit for 50 meter (55 yards) to take a free taxi to Huashan Tourist Center, from which you can take a shuttle bus to the temple. The entire trip takes about 1 hour, and costs about USD 8.

(2) Take a normal-speed train from Xi’an Railway Station to Huashan Railway Station, and then ride a taxi to the temple after getting off the station. The whole journey takes about 2 hours, and costs about USD 4.5.
 See also: How to Travel from Xi’an to Huashan
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