"Mountains are not high, but immortals are famous." Jizu Mountain in Binchuan, Dali should prove this saying.

Although it is not as famous as Mount Tai, Mount Hua and Mount Song, it may be located in a remote area of the southwest and has no traffic in ancient times, so not many people know about it.

Looking through the classics, you will find that "Xu Xiake's Travels" contains a lot of accounts of it, and even Xu Xiake wrote a book specifically for it at the invitation of friends.

The most attractive thing about Jizu Mountain is not only its wonderful natural scenery, but also its history and culture!

According to data records, during its heyday, Jizu Mountain had 36 temples and 72 nunnery, plus caves, tree holes, quiet rooms, etc., totaling more than 360 places. The number of people practicing here reached 5000.

In its heyday, the ancient temples of Jizu Mountain were all over the mountains. Since their development, some ancient temples have been washed by wind and rain, leaving only broken walls and ruins. Although some ancient temples have been washed by wind and rain, they are properly protected and constantly repaired still retain the characteristics and momentum of the ancient temples.

According to the altitude from high to low, the six well-known ancient temples on Jizu Mountain are listed in detail. They are also must-visit attractions on Jizu Mountain. These ancient temples are very shocking in terms of their scale and layout!

Jinding Temple is located on the top of Tianzhu Peak, the highest peak in Jizu Mountain, with an altitude of 3248 meters.

According to records, the ancient temple on Tianzhu Peak dates back to before the Ming Dynasty, but later collapsed. During the Hongzhi period of the Ming Dynasty, some people practiced here and built temples here.

Time passed. During the Jiajing Period of the Ming Dynasty, Li Yuanyang built Puguang Hall here. With the continuous development of history, some people built Guanfeng Pavilion Tianchang Pavilion, Shanyu Pavilion and Siguanlou here. The Siguanlou were used to view the sunrise in the east, Canger in the west, Xiangyun in the south, and Yulong in the north.

Photo source: Wang Qinggang

Later, Mu Tianbo, Duke of Qian in the Ming Dynasty, moved the Golden Hall in the eastern suburbs of Kunming here. After continuous repairs and expansion in the Qing Dynasty, the Shangyan Tower was built in modern times.

After many renovations, the pattern we see today has gradually formed. The buildings in Jinding Temple include Sanguan Hall, Ganguang Terrace, Tianwang Hall, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Golden Hall, Shangama Tower, Yinguang Hall, Daxiong Hall, etc.

Also worth mentioning is the gate of Jinding Temple. The entire gate was designed and built by Bai artists. It not only retains the ancient temple style but also integrates Bai architectural elements. The colors are gorgeous and the style is very unique. This is the only place in the entire Jizu Mountain.

The Hall of Kasyapa is located halfway around the cliff of Tianzhu Peak, directly below the Jinding Temple, also known as the Hall of Kasyapa.

Kasyapa Temple is named after the Honored One Kasyapa. Kasyapa was the first disciple of Sakyamuni Buddha. He followed the Buddha's instructions to guard his clothes and meditate at the Huasou Gate. When Maitreya was born, he passed on the mantle bowl. Therefore, Kasyapa Temple is also known as the "First Temple in the Mountain" and the "Ancestral Court of the Temples in the Mountain".

The original Hall of Kasyapa has been destroyed, but the current Hall of Kasyapa was later rebuilt. The Hall of Kasyapa is not large in area, but the architectural layout is scattered.

The Hall of Kasyapa is a three-entry courtyard, with Maitreya Hall, Guanyin Hall, Kasyapa Hall, and Ancestral Hall. Although the courtyard is small, it is also exquisite, and the halls are integrated into each other in a quiet environment.

The couplet at the gate gate of Kasyapa Hall is also very interesting. The couplet and the horizontal plaque are not from the same person. The horizontal plaque was written by the famous calligrapher Sun Taichu, and the couplet was written by an eminent monk, embodying the cultural allusions of "holding flowers and smiling, waiting for the birth of the Buddha".

Guangguang Temple is located at the foot of Tianzhu Peak in Jizu Mountain, directly below the Huashou Gate, located at the key point in the chest of Jizu Mountain.

Guangguang Temple is one of the eight major temples in Jizu Mountain in the Ming Dynasty. It is named because the eight wonders of Jizu Mountain-Tianzhu Buddha Light often appears here.

It has been built many times since then, but all were destroyed. The buildings seen today are all contemporary reconstructions.

Entering from the main entrance, you will find a 90-degree mountain directly in front of the gate. Looking up, you can clearly see the Shangyan Tower and Huashou Gate on Tianzhu Peak. The cliffs stand thousands of feet high and reach into the clouds, making it extremely spectacular.

A dark red and majestic building is built directly below the Shurangama Tower, with a tall tree covering a corner of it, which looks extremely harmonious from a distance.

There are also several seemingly inconspicuous towers and stones in Guangguang Temple. The three towers have the same shape and different colors. They are Arhat Pagoda, Bodhisattva Pagoda and Buddha Pagoda. The Arhat Pagoda is white, the Bodhisattva Pagoda is red, and the Buddha Pagoda is blue.

The two stones between the three towers are diamond and non-phase stone. According to records, the stones were placed here because the two stones once glowed as miracles.

Biyun Temple is located halfway up Jizu Mountain, under Xilai Peak. It was first built during the Tianqi Period of the Ming Dynasty. Biyun Temple is named after a pair of couplets,"Blue clouds flow into arbitrary scenes, and cloud mountains create natural pictures."

Today's Biyun Temple was rebuilt on the original site. The style of Biyun Temple is different from other temples. It is an architectural style that imitates the Tang Dynasty, with blue tiles and white walls, and high-rise temples. The building is simple and heavy, simple and atmospheric, and very charming.

Biyun Temple has towering ancient trees and gorgeous buildings. It mainly includes the Tianwang Hall, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, Buddhist Culture Complex, Wuguantang Hall, Buddhist Pagoda, Guest Hall, Yunshui Tower and other halls.

Biyun Temple is vast and sparsely populated, with a quiet environment and unique scenery. Walking or resting in it can make people relax to the greatest extent!

Zhusheng Temple is located in the hinterland of Jizu Mountain. It was first built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and has been continuously repaired since then, but it has gradually become dilapidated.

During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Zen Master Xuyun rebuilt it here. Later, Emperor Guangxu named it "Guguo Zhusheng Temple". From then on, the ancient temple has been preserved.

In the 20th century, due to the serious damage to Zhusheng Temple, funds were invested to renovate it, and Zhusheng Temple became the most completely preserved ancient temple in Jizu Mountain.

The main halls in the temple include the Afterlife Hall, the Tianwang Hall, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Zen Room, the Daxiong Hall, etc.

Zhusheng Temple is very large in area, with rows of buildings. Small bridges and running water surround the pavilions and pavilions. The environment is very good.

In addition to the thought-provoking couplet at the gate of the temple, the plaque directly above the Daxiong Hall is also very unique. The two plaques are the plaque written by Sun Yat-sen and the plaque written by Liang Qichao,"Lingyue Zhonghui".

When you are in Zhusheng Temple, you will have this feeling: the buildings are majestic and magnificent, with white walls and black tiles, clean and elegant. Tourists in twos and threes are shuttling through the temple, chanting scriptures are constantly heard, and it is very comfortable to sit quietly in the pavilions and pavilions.

The Buddha Pagoda Temple is located at the end of Wenbi Peak in Jizu Mountain. It was originally named "Zunsheng Pagoda Courtyard". It is named after the Zunsheng White Pagoda in the courtyard. The Baita Temple is also the best place to view the eight scenic spots in Jizu Mountain-the autumn scenery of Tayue.

The Buddha Pagoda Temple was originally built during the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty. It was jointly built by Lijiang Tusi and monks. Lijiang Tusi also donated copper bells to hang in the temple. The bells drifted in the mountains in the morning and evening. The Buddha Pagoda Temple was destroyed in the 1960s, and the current Buddha Pagoda Temple was rebuilt later.

The most conspicuous things entering the Pagoda Temple are the white Pagoda and the Three Sacred Temple, the Daxiong Hall, and the Wan Xing Ancestral Hall.

The location of the Pagoda Temple determines its unique natural landscape. The autumn scenery of the Pagoda Moon is the most unique scenery here. In addition, you can also see the ethereal scenery of forests and pine waves, thousands of mountains and autumn colors, and clouds surrounding the mountain buildings.

In its heyday, Jizu Mountain had 108 temples. Although today's Jizu Mountain has not yet been fully restored to its heyday, the number of temples in the mountain cannot be underestimated. In addition to these six typical ancient temples on Jizu Mountain, there are also many ancient temples on Jizu Mountain.

If they hadn't personally traveled to Jizu Mountain, I believe no one would have imagined that a seemingly unknown mountain would contain so many ancient temples!

[Editor] Reading Yunnan Yijing

[Remarks] Please indicate the reprint.