Thousand-Buddha Hill one of the three major places of interest in Jinan, is located about two and a half kilometers southeast of the city with a height of 281 meters.And also it is considered the "number one hill of Jinan." In ancient times, the hill was named Lishan.
According to legend, Yu Shun (one of the sagacious kings in the late primitive society of China) once tilled at its foot, so it is called Shun Tilling Mountain too. From 581 to 600 AC, Buddhism was in trend and thousands of stone Buddhist sculptures were engraved on the mountain. From then on, it took the name of Qianfo Mountain (Thousand Buddha Mountain).
The main scenic spots include pagoda-tree of the Tang Dynasty, Xingguo Temple, Nine Spots Terrace, Wenchang Temple, Shun Temple and Stone Buddhist Head. It was during the reign of the Emperor Kaihuang (581-600AD) of the Sui Dynasty (581-618AD) that Buddhism flourished in Shandong Province.
Many monasteries were built around Lishan Mountain and numerous Buddhist Images were sculptured on the rocky cliffs. Hence the place became known as the Thousand Buddha Hill, which today also embraces Yellowstone Cliff (Huangshi Ya) and Jueshan Mountain in the south and east respectively.
Thousand Buddha Hill, overgrown with grass and flowers as well as age-old pine and cypress, at a distance is like a giant wearing a huge green carpet dotted with pavilions, towers and terraces. Although it is not of impressive height (only 280 meters), nor does it boast weird peaks or strange valleys, the convenient location and picturesque scenery of this spot, as well as the tranquil beauty of the ancient monastery nestled in its bosom, draw tourists by the thousands each year.
Probably the most famous temple on Thousand Buddha Hill is Xingguo Temple, originally built in the Tang Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Taizong (627--649). On the south side of the temple is Qianfo Cliff, carved with more than 60 Buddhist statues. The largest ones are over 3 meters high and the smallest ones are only 20 centimeters. Three hundred stone steps stretch half way up the hill to the temple, which is most famous for the stone inscription opposite the front gate. In the courtyard, there is a sculpture of Emperor Shun, who, according to local legend, ploughed the soil in Jinan as well as inventing the writing brush.
Now the mountain is a park rich in natural beauty and several historical monuments, shrines and temples, ageless traditions and legends, which all make it a living museum that any visitor would cherish its vivid memory in his/her heart forever.