Hiking Meinv Mountain, Checking in at Ningbo's Little Temple of Heaven

In the west of Ningbo city, on the eastern foothills of the Siming Mountain range, there is a north-south oriented mountain shaped like a reclining beauty, hence named Meinv Mountain. When walking in the mountain, it’s hard to see where it resembles a beauty. Meinv Mountain extends southward from Hengjie Town in Haishu District, connecting with Xishan and reaching Yinjiang Town, forming a rolling barrier on the west side of the city. From Tengling Village in Hengjie Town, you can hike Meinv Mountain, passing Xiaoling Peak to Xiling Peak’s Longku Zen Temple. There is an ancient path connecting these points, which has recently been developed into a hiking trail with clear signs along the way. It is a premium section of the Haishu trail, close to Ningbo’s urban area, and has gradually become popular online. To hike Meinv Mountain, you can navigate to Tengling Village in Hengjie Town. For public transport, Ningbo Bus Route 649 starts from Maoxin Village in Gulin Town (Ningbo Family Style Museum) and goes directly to Tengling Village. Tengling Village is a natural village in Feng’ao Village, Hengjie Town. To the east of the village is Tengling Reservoir, which has a fishing base where you can fish for a whole day for 100 yuan and enjoy the fun of fishing. At the end of Tengling Reservoir is Faman Manor, a popular wedding photography location full of French romantic atmosphere. From Tengling Village heading west along the road to the end at Lingdun, west of Ling is Xixia Reservoir, an important drinking water source for the people of Ningbo. On June 19, 2020, the Ningbo City External Water Diversion Project began supplying water to Ningbo. Water from Qincun Reservoir in Xinchang County, Shaoxing City, is channeled through tunnels and pipelines into the Taoyuan Water Plant by Xixia Reservoir, benefiting thousands of households in Ningbo city. Meinv Mountain is embraced by Tengling Reservoir to the east and Xixia Reservoir to the west, adding to its beauty. Before Xixia Reservoir was built, villagers from the Dalei direction would take a shortcut through Zhuangjia Creek and Tengling to Feng’ao and Hengjie to enter and exit the mountain. The Yanshuang Pavilion by the ancient path was a resting place for travelers, built around the late Qing and early Republic periods. It has three bays wide, with couplets written by Wang Chonggan, a Qing dynasty scholar. I still remember on December 9, 2012, when Yingzhi first visited here, Yanshuang Pavilion was still intact. Now revisiting the old site, Yanshuang Pavilion is dilapidated and worn down by time and weather. From Lingdun where Yanshuang Pavilion is located, take the trail entrance and hike up towards Huangyang’ao Ridge. The wooden steps wind and twist, leading up to Meinv Mountain. The tea gardens stretch across the mountain, rarely visited by people, filled with wild charm. Along the way, there are signs for the Haishu Trail. Wooden benches on the mountain provide rest spots, making it a great place to seek tranquility. Hidden in the mountain valley is Xiaoling Peak’s Fuling Nunnery, far from the world, a quiet place for self-cultivation. Continuing along the trail leads to Longku Zen Temple on Xiling Peak. Officially named Xiling Peak Longku Zen Temple, it overlooks a flat plain to the east, ideal for leisure hiking. The Ksitigarbha altar in Longku Zen Temple is modeled after Beijing’s Temple of Heaven and is known as Ningbo’s Little Temple of Heaven, becoming a popular check-in spot in Ningbo. You can navigate directly to “Xiling Peak Longku Zen Temple” to reach here. It is not for seeking personal peace but wishing all beings to be free from suffering. Inside the temple is a 36-meter tall Amitabha Buddha statue, built starting in 2012. It was still unfinished in 2017. Looking at its completed appearance, you can appreciate the difficulties and efforts during construction. From Longku Zen Temple, descend the mountain by road back to Tengling Village at the foot of the mountain, forming a loop of about 11 kilometers, with an elevation gain of 450 meters, taking three to four hours. The return route is relatively plain, so returning to Tengling Village the same way from Longku Zen Temple is also a good option. Hiking Meinv Mountain is relatively easy and can be combined with nearby attractions like Ningbo Yixiantian and Feng’ao Old Street for a full day of sightseeing.