Nanjing
Niushou Mountain Scenic Area
Visitor and Exhibition Center

The urban design for the future Niushou Mountain scenic park reflects the intention of creating a balanced environment that allows for the coexistence of the Nanjing Nanchan Temple Culture and the enjoyment of the natural environment, while simultaneously becoming an exemplary model for the area’s eco-tourism industry. In line with its long Buddist tradition, Niushou Mountain will be developed to become the major Buddist Culture site in Jiangsu Province.

The Park will feature a clear system of paths for orientation within the natural environment and explicitly distinguish man-made and natural, building and forest. The Temple cultural buildings act as landmarks and remain predominant in the landscape. The new supporting facilities will distinguish themselves in form and language from the existing cultural buildings, while still retaining certain principled elements, thus creating an implied ‘universal language’ unique to this regional park.

The Niushou Mountain, as „a place between heaven and earth“, shall be made available for a particular form of tourism - both spiritual and willing to educate itself in order to respect equally  environment and heritage. The Exhibition and Visitors Center, in particular, shall play an important educational role.

„The sky is round, the earth is square “following this old saying, for this special spiritual place, we have created clusters of building that vary in size and function. This identity is based on centuries of tradition of sacred traditional buildings and is reinterpreted into contemporary form. The cylindrical buildings, together with the old and reconstructed buildings, create an unequivocal unity therefore literally enabling the “samsara“, the continuous flow and cycle of life.

Niushoushan is located in Jiangning District. It extends along the hilly areas between the Yangtze River and the Outer Qinhuai River. Its name is derived from its appearance and it literally means “the head of an ox”.