Nanping Hill lies along the south bank of West Lake in Hangzhou. It is no more than 100 meters high, but it stretches as long as over 1,000 meters. The hill stones bear strange shapes, yet very pleasant to see together with the green trees. Jingci Temple, Xingjiao Temple, and other medium-sized and small temples nearby constitute another Buddhist temple community above the Lake besides Lingyin and Tianzhu. With its bell ringing in mornings and evenings, Buddhist scripture reading, incense burning, and red candle lighting, Nanping Hill gets another name of Hill of Buddhist Kingdom. In recent years, Hangzhou celebrities of various trades, foreign guests, overseas Chinese and visitors will gather inside Bell Tower of Jingci Temple and strike the bell to ring out the Old Year and ring in the New Year on New Year’s Eve of lunar calendar. When the 108th stroke is made, it means that the very beginning of a New Year is coming. This activity of striking bell at New Year’s Eve, which symbolizes harmony, happiness, stability and unification, adds new meaning to ancient Evening Bell Ringing at Nanping Hill and makes it even more appealing.
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