Lingyan Temple is located 30km from Tai'an in Shandong Province, at the northern foot of Tai Shan.
It has a lot to offer, including 40 fine clay statues of arhats, all with distinct features and incredibly well preserved; a beautiful nine storey octagonal pagoda; a peaceful and pleasant forest of 200 stupas ; and finally great hiking in the surrounding mountains.
Yes indeed this temple has it all, magnificent location and an old original feel to it, which is so rare these days in China, as most temples have been poorly restored.
Hardly any tourists make it here, you are more likely to see locals coming to worship.
It is easy to spend a whole day here, just soaking in the atmosphere and following some of the many paths in the mountains.
Otherwise, it's an easy stop on the way to Jinan or Tai'an, and the temple is easily reached from both cities.
The bus will drop you off along the main road, from where you can catch a taxi for another 15 minutes up to the temple.