Qìnyuán

Qinyuan lies in the mountains of southeastern Shanxi, near the upper reaches of the Qin River. Forested Lingkong Mountain rises within its bounds, its slopes sheltering old pines and the Buddhist Shenshou Temple. The temple occupies a wooded mountain setting, and its inscriptions record repairs during the Ming dynasty, including work in 1514 and 1575. People also came to the mountain to pray for rain, linking its religious buildings to the needs of the surrounding countryside.