The "Little Forbidden City" in the south is a hidden gem with few visitors and free admission.

🎈I accidentally discovered a hidden gem, not in Beijing, but in Jiangsu! The only northern-style temple in the Yangtze River Delta region - Huangluo Temple, also known as the "Little Forbidden City"! 🌟Huangluo Temple was first built in the middle of the Tang Dynasty and was originally called "Jishan Nunnery"😮. It was founded by a monk from the Western Regions named Desheng in the first year of the Jianyan period of the Southern Song Dynasty (1107)👳, but later, due to the invasion of the Yuan army, the monks dispersed, and the temple was abandoned😔. Fortunately, in the 38th year of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1610), Master Xinguang rebuilt Jishan Nunnery, and it gradually prospered👏. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed "Wanglu Nunnery", and later, it was said that Emperor Qianlong stayed here for one night while traveling to Jiangnan to find his father, so it was renamed "Huangluo Nunnery"🤴. In 1931, Master Yuanming from Shanghai came here with two disciples to rebuild the temple, and built the Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Hall, Dizang Hall, etc. 🏯Architectural style: Huangluo Temple is a rare ancient temple in the Jiangnan region with a northern architectural style😲. The red walls and yellow tiles, with flying eaves and upturned corners, are particularly grand and magnificent👍! The beams and interior ceilings are exquisitely carved, revealing a sense of stability and tranquility amidst the splendor😌. In front of the Mahavira Hall, there is a giant stone carving of a dragon, which is lifelike and shows the solemnity and magnificence of the hall🐲! 🌳Layout and landscape: The temple is surrounded by water on three sides, as if in a fairyland😍. Inside the temple, there are lotus ponds, pavilions, winding corridors, rockeries, small bridges, flowing water, towers, and pavilions, with many landscapes and the characteristics of Jiangnan garden architecture😜. Behind the Mahavira Hall is the Sutra Library, with the Jade Buddha Hall on the ground floor, where a reclining jade Buddha is enshrined🙏; the second floor is the Ebony Buddha Statue Hall, which houses more than 100 ebony statues, each with a different expression and lifelike, and is the treasure of the temple😲! 🎉Religious activities: On the first day of each lunar month, a 24-hour chanting ceremony is held in the temple, attracting many believers from all over the world, and the scene is very spectacular🙏. 🎫Tickets: Free admission 🚗Transportation recommendation: Bus: Huangluo Temple Station (866, 865, 87, get off and walk 800m) 🚗Self-driving: Navigate directly to the parking lot of Huangluo Temple. 🍜Food recommendation: You can taste Sheng Tang Temple vegetarian noodles, Shen Zhou green dumplings, Yangcheng Fisherman's Hidden, Yangcheng Lake Beauty Leg Farmhouse, and let your taste buds enjoy the fun of travel😋!