James Baquet

    THE ancient fortress at Dapeng is justifiably one of Shenzhen’s best-known attractions. But the area around Dapeng Town has two more excellent destinations, both of which are Buddhist temples.

    A 10-minute walk from the fort’s east gate leads to Dongshan (East Mountain) Temple. The first temple on this site was built in 1394. Although it is called Buddhist, the old temple is a jewel of Taoism, with a typical construction of three halls and two courtyards filled with statues and paintings of folk figures.

    At the foot of the hill, a temporary hall with bronze statues of three Buddhas and the Eighteen Arhats is the forerunner of what will be a major Buddhist temple, the gateway of which is nearing completion.

    The other temple is less than one kilometer from the center of the town (where travelers change from buses 360 or 364 to minibus 928 out to the fortress). Just south of town is Longyan (Dragon Cliff) Temple, first built in 1862.

    The mountain — named for Guanyin, the bodhisattva of compassion — is a jumble of giant boulders, the most astonishing of which protrudes from the mountainside like a giant Frisbee. The temple’s main altar is directly beneath this monolith, which also forms part of the temple roof.

    This and the fresh-water spring gushing from the front of the temple would be reason enough for a visit, but plans are afoot to develop the site into a major attraction, complete with a monumental statue of Guanyin at the top of the hill.