It is said that a piece of the real skull of Buddha was found inside an old pagoda in Nanjing in 2010. A spectacular shrine was built in an area where many Buddhist temples used to be, Niushoushan (Cow's head mountain). Completed in 2015, this is a new tourist attraction in Nanjing. The structure is stunning. The ‘palace’ comprises three stories above the ground and 6 stories underground. The main attractions are underground, the lowest floor holding the holy relic. The skull itself is not displayed. There are many statues and artworks throughout the building, which are absolutely spectacular. I was told that they spent close to 1 billion dollars for the construction of the building and the surrounding area. If you visit Nanjing, this is a must-see place.

“The Niushou Mountain testifies to half the history of Nanjing.” The Niushou Mountain is the foremost of the four major scenic spots in Nanjing. The paramount element of the scenic area is the Foding Palace, which not only enshrines the parietal relic of Shakyamuni Buddha but is also a sublime must-see location. Experience the pure Buddhist light in the Grand Zen View, overlook the scenery from the top of Foding Pagoda, and touch the sky in the Thousand Buddha Hall. Every view is guaranteed to be awe-inspiring.

We visited the area primarily to see the pagoda. First we thought to book a tour but the hotel told us we would be better to go by taxi and get our own tickets at the gate and make our way around. Great advice as the tour was a few hundred dollars but when finding our own way there plus entry and bus ride to the mountain was $50 each. The area is great to walk around but the big surprise was the temple built under the mountain 5 levels down. This was incredible. We were also lucky to see the show inside the ground level temple. I so advise a few hours to walk around.

Of my week’s stay in Nanjing this was the most spectacular place I visited. Staggering views and scenery in both the main pagoda temple (the other was closed) and the adjacent building which contains two massive underground halls which were breathtaking. Clearly a very modern creation but the artistry is incredible.