Pengzhou Sanmei Zen Forest | Sanmiao Water, Sanmei Water

The first time visiting a temple, I understood the origins and legends of the temple so clearly. Sanmei Zen Forest is located in Shuangsong Village, Jiulong Town, Pengzhou City, situated on Chalong Mountain, near the scenic area of Danjing Mountain in Pengzhou. It is also an ancient temple with a long history, first built in the 13th year of Xiantong in the Tang Dynasty (872 AD). It is named after the spring water that cured the 'human face sore' of the eminent monk Wuda Guoshi of the Tang Dynasty. This Wuda Guoshi is revered as the 'First Seat of the Three Teachings' and is honored in the Buddhist community as the 117th of the Five Hundred Arhats - 'Venerable Wuda'. Speaking of which, Sanmei Zen Forest also has a connection with Baoguang Temple. Tang Xizong once sent Wuda Guoshi to expand Baoguang Temple, and he is also the founding patriarch of Xindu Baoguang Temple. 🕒 Opening hours: Open all year round 💰 Ticket price: Free! 📣 Suggested visiting time: About 1.5 hours (considering the need to climb stairs, the speed may vary for everyone) 🚗 Transportation (without a car): Chengdu to Pengzhou by intercity train, ticket price is 10 yuan (same for soft seat/no seat), the time is about 20-35 minutes. Chengdu Xipu Metro Station (Line 2/Line 6) - transfer to Xipu Intercity Train (Xipu to Pengzhou Station); Arrive at Pengzhou High-Speed Rail Station, take bus 315 from Pengzhou High-Speed Rail Station, get off at Danjing Mountain Town Government Station; After getting off, there is still about 3km to walk. You can also take a taxi directly, just navigate to 'Sanmei Zen Forest', it is about 15km. Sanmei Zen Forest is a collective name for 'Upper Sanmei' (Shuiting Temple), 'Middle Sanmei' (Zhide Temple), and 'Lower Sanmei' (Anguo Temple). 'Sanmei' is a Buddhist term, transliterated from Sanskrit, meaning to eliminate all distractions and calm the mind. From the moment you enter the Zen Forest, there are many stone statues along the way, vividly and interestingly telling the origin stories of Sanmei Zen Forest, making it easy to understand. Legend has it that Wuda Guoshi of the Tang Dynasty had an incurable disease called 'human face sore' on his knee, and no famous doctor could help. Recalling that in his early years of traveling, he once took care of a monk with a severe illness, Venerable Jialuo Jia. Later, when he encountered difficulties, he received guidance from Venerable Jialuo Jia and used the Sanmei spring water from Jiulong Mountain in Western Shu (now Danjing Mountain) to cure the 'human face sore'. To commemorate this experience, Wuda Guoshi built a hut for cultivation until his death and wrote 'Compassionate Sanmei Water Repentance', which made Sanmei Zen Forest famous. 🌟 Recommended attractions in the temple: The buildings of the entire Zen Forest are concentrated in Lower Sanmei, with the most spectacular being the Ancient Resentment Cave, the Arhat Group, and the Pagoda Forest. The Arhat Group is really quite spectacular and very majestic. The top of the Pagoda Forest houses the relic bones of Wuda Guoshi. I didn't dare to take pictures there, as it is surrounded by tombs, so I just took a quick look. In addition, there is a cliff carving of a reclining Buddha about 2 meters long with a unique posture on the mountain road leading to Upper Sanmei. At the very top, at the Upper Sanmei Shuiting Temple, there is a spring above the Holy Water Pavilion, which is said to be the place where Wuda Guoshi washed his sore. Walking the entire route is a bit tiring because it's all stairs, but the atmosphere is really very serene and peaceful, suitable for hiking.