Plan at a glance
Focus on Song-dynasty sculpture and timber architecture
Chongqing Temple stands halfway up Ziyun Mountain in Ju Village, Setou Town, Zhangzi County. Most of the main buildings and sculptures date from the Song dynasty. The eighteen arhats in Dashi Hall, the Thousand-Buddha Hall, and the Ming-dynasty hanging sculptures in Dizang Hall are the main reasons to visit. Allow about 1.5–2 hours for the temple walk and visit.
Tickets, hours, and the ride uphill
Admission is RMB 40 per person, with half-price tickets for students. Some older visitors, military personnel, people with disabilities, and teachers can enter free with the required identification. No advance reservation is needed; buy tickets on site. Opening hours are 09:00–17:00, with last entry at 16:30. After parking at the foot of the mountain, you can take a shuttle up; the round-trip shuttle fare is about RMB 10, and all details should be confirmed for the day.
Tickets and visit details
View visit options for this attraction and confirm the visit date and current arrangements before you go.
Choose your visit
The eighteen arhats in Dashi Hall
Dashi Hall is Chongqing Temple’s central highlight. The eighteen arhat sculptures on its two sides were completed in the second year of the Northern Song Yuanfeng era, 1079. Each figure has a different pose and expression. Take time to observe the folds, facial expressions, and poses from the permitted viewing distance.
The Thousand-Buddha Hall and Dizang Hall
The Thousand-Buddha Hall was built in 1016 during the Northern Song and is the oldest building in the temple. Dizang Hall, also called Shidi Hall, contains Ming-dynasty hanging sculptures. The two halls offer different things to look at: Song-dynasty timber construction in the first, and the hanging-sculpture scenes and spatial layers in the second.
Who it suits
Chongqing Temple suits visitors interested in historic buildings, sculpture, and cultural history, especially those comfortable with changing transport at the foot of the mountain and quiet observation inside the halls. Temple management is strict, so if you are travelling with children, explain the visiting rules in advance and watch the steps.
For the separate Tang-pagoda and sculpture route nearby, see Faxing Temple, Cuiyun Mountain.
Build your day
A route without unnecessary detours
Enter through the Chongqing Temple Visitor Centre, buy your ticket at the foot of the mountain, and take the shuttle uphill. Inside the temple, visit the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, Thousand-Buddha Hall, Dashi Hall, and Dizang Hall in that order, then take the shuttle back down. Allow about 1.5–2 hours in total; the sequence links the building dates with the sculpture highlights.
If your stamina is limited
The uphill walk from the foot of the mountain to the temple gate is about 1 km and takes roughly 20–30 minutes. Visitors with limited stamina can use the shuttle and save their energy for the three main halls. Shuttles and the halls may have queues during public holidays, and do not start the uphill ride close to the 16:30 last-entry time.
Visit with Faxing Temple on the same day
Chongqing Temple is about 7.5 km from Faxing Temple in Cuiyun Mountain, about a 12-minute drive, so the two can form a half-day or full-day cultural route in Zhangzi County. Confirm tickets, photography rules, entrances, and parking separately, and check both shuttle and return times before setting out.
Get there
Drive to the foothill Visitor Centre
Driving from Changzhi takes about 1 hour. Navigate to “崇庆寺” or “崇庆寺游客中心” (Chongqing Temple / Chongqing Temple Visitor Centre), then park in the free car park at the foot of the mountain. The temple gate is not the driving destination; after parking, take the shuttle according to the day’s arrangement or walk about 1 km uphill.
Public transport
From Changzhi, take Bus 11 to the “Cilinshan Coal Mine” stop, then change to local transport or a taxi. There is no stable direct shuttle to the temple, so arrange the return in advance rather than waiting until you arrive at the bus stop.
Know before you go
No photography inside the halls
Photography is not allowed inside Chongqing Temple’s halls, including flash photography. Follow any additional instructions posted at the hall entrances or given by staff, and do not touch the objects or cross the marked boundaries.
Queues, water, and steps
The shuttle and hall visits may both involve queues during public holidays. There are no food or drink sales inside the temple, so prepare water at the foot of the mountain. The uphill path, stone steps, and temple courtyards call for shoes with good grip; surfaces are more slippery in rain, and older visitors and children should have company when taking the shuttle and entering or leaving the halls.
Food nearby
Plan a proper meal in Zhangzi County or Changzhi. If you visit Faxing Temple on the same day, check the opening and return times for both places before choosing a meal stop in the county town.