Nanshan Temple (南山)

The 1,000-year-old Buddhist temple with the best Yangtze view in Chongqing

Nanshan Temple (南山 Nánshān, literally “South Mountain”) is a 1,000-year-old Buddhist temple on the south bank of the Yangtze River, 30-40 minutes by Didi from central Chongqing. The temple is small (1 main hall, 2 side halls, and a meditation garden), but its location on a 580-meter mountain gives it a panoramic view of the Yangtze River and central Chongqing’s skyscrapers that is unmatched anywhere in the city. The adjacent Nanshan Pagoda — a modern 7-story pagoda built in 2004 — offers a 360° view from the top for ¥5.

The temple grounds are free to enter, the pagoda is ¥5, and the area is one of the most popular sunset and night-photography spots in Chongqing.

What the foreigner experience looks like in 2026

Nanshan is one of the most underrated experiences in Chongqing. Most tour groups skip it (it is not on the standard Great Wall / Forbidden City / Yangtze Cruise itinerary), so the temple is peaceful even on weekends. The experience is straightforward: take a Didi from central Chongqing, walk through the temple, climb the pagoda, watch the sunset, eat Nanshan spring chicken for dinner, take a Didi back.

The main thing to know is that the temple itself is small — first-time visitors typically spend 30-40 min in the main hall. The reason to come is the view, not the architecture. Plan to spend 1-2 hours at the pagoda and the sunset viewpoint, plus 1-1.5 hours for the spring chicken dinner.

The 1,000-year history of Nanshan

Nanshan Temple (涂山寺 Tushansi, sometimes called Nanshan Temple as the popular name) was founded in the late Tang dynasty, around 800 AD, making it one of the oldest Buddhist sites in the Chongqing area. The temple is built on the site of a legendary Xia dynasty (2070-1600 BC) ceremony — according to Chinese mythology, the great ruler Yu the Great (大禹) performed rituals here to control the Yangtze floods. The temple was built on the same site to commemorate the legend.

The temple flourished during the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD), when it was a major Buddhist learning center with 500+ resident monks. The Ming and Qing dynasties saw multiple rebuilds; the current structures are largely from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911 AD) and a 2004 restoration. The 7-story Nanshan Pagoda (南山塔) was added in 2004, replacing a Ming-dynasty pagoda that had collapsed in the 19th century.

In the 20th century, the temple suffered the same fate as most Chinese religious sites — damaged during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), partially restored in the 1980s, and fully revived in the 2000s. Today, it is an active Buddhist temple with 30+ resident monks and daily prayer sessions.

The Nanshan Pagoda and the Yangtze view

The 7-story Nanshan Pagoda is the most-photographed structure at Nanshan, and the single best viewpoint in Chongqing. The pagoda is 168 steps to the top, with each of the 7 floors featuring Buddhist sculptures, paintings, and calligraphy from local artists. The top floor is an open viewing platform with 360° views.

From the top, you can see:

• North: The Yangtze River and central Chongqing’s skyscrapers, with the Qiansimen Bridge and Hongya Cave clearly visible
• West: The Jialing River confluence, with the Chaotianmen dock area and the massive Chaotianmen Bridge
• South: The Nanshan mountains, with the botanical garden and the spring chicken restaurants
• East: The Yangtze River continuing east, with the bridges and the Nanbin Road waterfront

The best time to climb is 17:00-18:00, when the late-afternoon light hits the Yangtze and the central Chongqing skyscrapers. After sunset (18:30+), the city lights turn on, and the view is the most-photographed night scene in Chongqing. A tripod is recommended for the low-light photography.

The Nanshan spring chicken

The mountain is famous for a single dish: Nanshan spring chicken (南山泉水鸡). The dish is a free-range chicken from the Nanshan mountain farms, cooked in mountain spring water with Sichuan peppercorns, dried chilies, ginger, and garlic. The recipe dates to the 1980s, when a local farmer started serving it to hikers. It became famous in the 1990s, and today the mountain has 50+ restaurants specializing in the dish.

The classic place to try it is 竹楼泉水鸡 (Bamboo Building Spring Chicken), 10 min walk down the mountain from the temple. The chicken is served whole, with the cooking liquid as a dipping sauce. ¥150-200 per whole chicken, enough for 2-3 people. Pair it with mountain vegetables and local rice wine (¥30-50 per bottle) for the full experience.

The dish is spicy but not the mouth-numbing mala of Chongqing hotpot — the Sichuan peppercorns give a tingly, aromatic flavor, not the burning heat. Most foreign visitors who find Chongqing hotpot too spicy can handle Nanshan spring chicken.

Final tip

Go for sunset, stay for night photography. The sunset view (17:30-18:30) is the main draw, but the night view (19:00-21:00) is equally photogenic. The Nanshan Pagoda is open until 18:00 (closing time), but the temple grounds and the surrounding viewpoints are open until 21:00-22:00. Bring a tripod and a wide-angle lens; the blue hour (the 20-min window after sunset) is when the city lights and the sky are both visible.