Lingyan Temple is one of the four great Buddhist monasteries of Tang Dynasty China, built in a deep valley in the Taishan mountain range about 80 kilometres southwest of Jinan. Though the main Tang structures were rebuilt in the Song and later dynasties, the complex retains an extraordinary collection of Song Dynasty painted clay sculptures of Buddhist monks — among the finest examples of realistic figure sculpture in Chinese history.
The site also contains the Pizhi Pagoda, a nine-storey Song Dynasty brick structure, and a wooded valley with streams and carved rock inscriptions accumulated over fifteen centuries of pilgrimage and scholarly visits. The setting is beautiful and the visit rewards a half day; combine it with an overnight in Tai'an if you are also visiting Mount Tai, as Lingyan is roughly on route. Bus connections from Tai'an are more convenient than from Jinan city.