If you list what Yunnan is most famous for, the top three are definitely flowers, beautiful scenery and delicious food.
Among Yunnan's beautiful scenery,"mountains" and "water" are both top on the list. Most of Yunnan's "mountains" are famous for their scenery, such as Yulong Snow Mountain, Meili Snow Mountain, Cangshan Mountain, and Jiaozi Snow Mountain. There is one mountain that is unique. It is famous for its ancient temples.
This mountain is located in Binchuan, Dali, and is famous for its ancient temples. It is the famous Jizu Mountain in Binchuan, which is famous in the southwest.
Jizu Mountain in Binchuan is a famous mountain. Its thousand-year legend began in the Tang Dynasty and reached its peak in the Ming Dynasty. The beginning of all this originated from the "temple".
From the Tang Dynasty, people began to smoke on the mountains, and small nuns were built here. Then, to the peak of their peak, there were 72 nuns and 36 temples, totaling 108.
But unfortunately, the wind and rain have devastated us, we can no longer see the style of our heyday. Don't be sad. There will be reconstruction if there is damage. After decades and hundreds of years, generations of people have continued to work hard. Now there are more than ten new temples on Jizu Mountain, 10 of which can be regarded as "Zhenshan Ancient Temple".
The ten temples are Buddha Pagoda Temple, Zhusheng Temple, Shizhong Temple, Muni 'an, Xuyun Temple, Biyun Temple, Guangliang Temple, Kasyapa Temple, Bronze Buddha Hall, and Jinding Temple.
These ten temples are existences that cannot be ignored in terms of scale, status and influence.
Follow the pace of your journey, walk into Jizu Mountain in Binchuan, stroll around the mountains and fields, discover the stories behind these ancient temples or new temples, understand their past and present lives, and reveal what kind of ups and downs they have experienced.
Entering Jizu Mountain Town means you will enter the range of Jizu Mountain. After passing through the Xixin Pavilion, you will drive in the direction indicated by the road sign. After a while, you will arrive at the gate of Jizu Mountain-Lingshan Mountain.
After passing through the gate gate, you will officially enter Jizu Mountain. When you enter Jizu Mountain, you can find these ten temples in turn by following the road signs.
According to the tour route, the first thing to arrive is the Pagoda Temple.The Buddha Pagoda Temple was originally named Zunsheng Pagoda Yuan, also known as Tapan Temple. According to records, it was built in the 11th year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty. It was jointly founded by the local magistrate of Lijiang and the monks Daoyuan and Daozhen of Xitan Temple.
Later, during the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, the Mu family in Lijiang donated money to cast a large copper bell and placed it in the temple. Once the bell rang, it spread all over hundreds of miles.
During the Republic of China, due to the close connection between the Buddhist Pagoda Temple and Tibetan areas, Tibetan governors often sent people to repair it. When later generations donated to build Dajue Temple, the Buddhist Pagoda Temple was overhauled.
It was destroyed in 1966, and the current Buddhist Pagoda Temple was rebuilt with donations on the original site in 1991.
There is a wonderful sight in the Buddha Pagoda Temple, which is related to the Zunsheng White Pagoda. This wonderful sight is one of the eight famous scenic spots in Jizu Mountain,"Pagoda Moon and Autumn Moon".
The Zunsheng White Pagoda is an "Arabian Aquarius" type. The tower is 22 meters tall and is coated with lime. It looks pure and elegant no matter what time it looks like.
"Tayue Autumn Moon" means that in the middle of the lunar month in autumn, the moon shifts to the west of the Shurangyan Tower on Tianzhu Peak. At this time, the full moon connects with the Shurangyan Tower and the Zunsheng White Pagoda in a straight line. At this time, the surroundings are dark and without light. Only the Shurangyan Tower and the Zunsheng White Pagoda are white and bright, shining with weak white light. This is one of the most famous eight scenic spots.
Previously, it was mentioned that there is a close connection between the Buddhist Pagoda Temple and Tibetan areas, so Tibetan governors have sent people to repair it many times. This also stems from the Zunsheng White Pagoda.
The White Pagoda is also called Wuying Pagoda. On the 15th of the eighth month of the lunar calendar every year and when the full moon is in the Mid-Autumn Festival, not only will the moon, Shurangama Pagoda and Zunsheng White Pagoda connect into a line, but the Zunsheng White Pagoda at this time has no tower shadow. The white pagoda is whiter and brighter than when it is full in other months.
Legend has it that the story of the invisible white tower is related to Princess Wencheng. When Princess Wencheng and Songzan Gampo got married, Jizushan sent people to congratulate her. The latter princess and his wife once enjoyed the scenery in the pagoda courtyard on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. The princess saw that the shadow of the white pagoda was dim and dull, which affected the beauty, so she raised the swan feather fan in her hand and waved it gently. From then on, the shadow of the pagoda that honored the white pagoda disappeared without a trace on the Mid-Autumn Festival night.
According to the tour route, the second person to arrive is Zhusheng Temple.Zhusheng Temple is currently the largest and best-preserved temple on Jizu Mountain. It was originally named Yingxiang Temple, also known as Boyu Temple. It was built during the Jiajing Period of the Ming Dynasty, with Chen Liu first built it.
After the temple was built, many litterateurs and monks came here to leave poems and poems. The temple was repaired and rebuilt during the Chongzhen period of the Ming Dynasty and Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty.
Later, due to long-term uninhabited and disrepair, the temple was dilapidated. In the thirty-second year of Guangxu, Master Xu Yun went to the capital (now Beijing) to repair and rebuild the Zhusheng Temple with funds from Cixi.
When he entered Beijing this time, Master Xuyun brought back not only money, but also the "Dragon Zang", Golden Fu Luan Jia, jade seals, purple clothes and bowls, tin staff, etc. given by Emperor Guangxu. Emperor Guangxu also re-named the "Guguo Zhu Sheng Temple".
These things given by Guangxu have now become cultural relics, together with the paintings, paintings and scriptures collected in the past dynasties, they are hidden in the Sutra Building of Zhusheng Temple.
Walking into the temple, you will be shocked by the "temperament" of the ancient temple. There are magnificent Daxiong Hall and various Buddhist halls, in which countless Buddha statues are placed.
On both sides of the Daxiong Hall are simple and elegant bell towers and drum towers, and there are various corridors connecting every room in the temple. There are ancient pavilions with exquisite shapes and rich colors in the courtyard, as well as ancient monuments of the Ming and Qing Dynasties with a full sense of history.
According to the tour route, the third person to arrive is Muni 'an.Muni Temple is located on the right side of Zhusheng Temple, next to Jiulong Waterfall. Its initial construction was a kind act. During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, some people built a Maoan Temple here to practice and gave tea to alms. People called it a "tea house". Later, it was destroyed by a fire. Yang Zhou built Muni Temple on the original site.
In the twenty-first year of Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, Yang Sheng 'an and Zhang Han, a celebrity in Baoshan, visited Jizu Mountain and arrived at Muni' an, where they wrote "Jizu Mountain Annals". However, due to a fire in the temple later, the manuscript was destroyed.
During the Wanli period, Muni 'an experienced fire again and was rebuilt again. It survived until 1966 and was destroyed again. In 1999, it was rebuilt by Hongbo.
Nowadays, when you walk into Muni nunnery, you will find the houses in the nunnery, the courtyard is small and exquisite, the environment is quiet and peaceful, and the ancient cypresses are vigorous and powerful, making it easy to relax!
According to the tour route, the fourth person to arrive is Shizhong Temple.Photographer: Li Wenhai
Shizhong Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty. It was rebuilt and expanded many times during the Hongwu, Yongle, Zhengtong, Hongzhi, Wanli of the Ming Dynasty and Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty.
As the oldest temple in Jizu Mountain, Shizhong Temple not only has a long history, but also has profound cultural connotations.
From its establishment to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, literati and dignitaries who came to visit Jizu Mountain would go to Shizhong Temple to write plaques, banners, and couplets for Shizhong Temple.
Calligraphers Dong Qichang, governors Wang Jiwen and Li Yuanyang of the Ming Dynasty, governors Cai Yurong and Fan Chengxun of the Qing Dynasty, and Sun Yat-sen and Yu Youren of the Republic of China all left inscriptions in Shizhong Temple.
Photographer: Li Wenhai
Now Shizhong Temple is being rebuilt. Although it has not been completed, there are many statues of various types, and the number of tourists who come here has never decreased.
Photographer: Li Wenhai
Photographer: Li Wenhai
According to the tour route, the fifth person to arrive is Xuyun Zen Temple.Xuyun Temple, originally named Jueyun Temple and later named Dajue Temple, is located halfway up the mountain of Jizu Mountain. The ancient temple is surrounded by mountains, towering ancient trees, and the ecological environment is very good.
During the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, a small temple was built here, which was also the predecessor of Xuyun Temple. In the third year of Wanli, funds were raised to expand it and was named Jueyun Temple. In the 30th year of Wanli, Jueyun Temple presided over the fundraising and expansion and renamed Dajue Temple. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, monks in the temple were recruited to build halls and corridors again.
In 1934, it was destroyed by fire. It was rebuilt in 1998 by the inheritors of Master Xuyun and renamed Xuyun Zen Temple.
Photographer: Li Wenhai
Walking into the newly built Xuyun Zen Temple, the hall style is very unique and magnificent. The largest hall in the temple, the Daxiong Hall, has a five-room structure with double eaves and mountains. The antique layout makes the entire hall look solemn and solemn.
The temple has red walls and gold tiles, and the halls are solemn and heavy, with the charm of the Han and Tang Dynasties. Together with the various flowers and trees planted in the courtyard and the elegance, the warm environment makes this a quiet place on earth!
Photographer: Li Wenhai
According to the tour route, the sixth person to arrive is Biyun Temple.Biyun Temple and Xuyun Temple are not far away. They were first built by Master Huanxiang, a Beijingman, during the Tianqi Period of the Ming Dynasty and have been rebuilt many times. However, unfortunately, the original temple has been destroyed.
Today's Biyun Temple was rebuilt in 2006. The rebuilt Biyun Temple is huge in scale, with main hall, side hall, bell tower, drum tower, and quiet room. The architectural style contains the legacy of the Han and Tang Dynasties and is very outstanding among all temples in Jizu Mountain.
According to the tour route, the seventh person to arrive is Guangguang Temple.Guangguang Temple is located in the heart of Jizu Mountain, directly below Huashou Gate. It was first built during the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty and was founded by Yuan Xing and Li Yuanyang.
It was destroyed by fire in the third year of Wanli and was later rebuilt. During the Chongzhen period, the entire temple underwent large-scale reconstruction and renovation. The good times did not last long. Ten years after Kangxi, it was destroyed by fire. Reconstruction began in 1999 until 2016. It took 17 years for all the main buildings of Guangliang Temple to be completed, which is what we see today.
Walking into the rebuilt Guangguang Temple, the temple has no walls, leaving only a simple temple gate. In front of the temple gate is a huge life-saving pond.
The body of the Shangama Tower on the top of the mountain directly behind the temple gate is clearly visible. There is a huge stone in front of the temple gate. It is covered by trees and the stone is covered with moss. This is the legendary stone that shines.
Walking into Guangguang Temple, the various buildings in the temple are shaded by giant trees, and the three-story Imperial Sutra Pavilion is also blocked.
The buildings of Guangguang Temple are not as strictly distributed as other temples. They are built everywhere without seeming layout, giving people a mysterious and casual feeling.
According to the tour route, the eighth person to arrive is the Temple of Kasyapa.The Hall of Kasyapa is located on Tianzhu Peak, directly below the Jinding Temple. It was not called the Hall of Kasyapa. Its specific name is no longer verified. It was renamed the Hall of Kasyapa because it welcomed the sandalwood statue of Kasyapa carved by Ananda during the Tianbao period of the Tang Dynasty.
According to records, monks practiced here in the early Ming Dynasty. During the Jiajing period, the temple was expanded and later collapsed. During the Wanli period, a bronze statue of Ten Thousand Buddhas stood in front of the main hall, shining with gold and dazzling light. It was called the "Golden Light Tower" among the people.
During the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, the organization expanded. During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, all halls, pavilions, buildings, and towers were all destroyed by fire, and were later rebuilt and rebuilt many times, but none of them returned to their peak.
The current Hall of Kasyapa was rebuilt in 1992. After this reconstruction, the Hall of Kasyapa has undergone great changes and its scale has also expanded a lot. The building area in the hall is as high as 6,000 square meters.
It is really rare to build a temple with such a large building area on the steep Tianzhu Peak!
The Hall of Kasyapa is a three-tiered hall. The third floor is the Hall of Kasyapa, which houses a newly carved statue of Kasyapa in meditation. It is also the largest wooden statue of Kasyapa on Jizu Mountain.
There are countless murals, statues, and couplets in the Hall of Kasyapa, telling various short stories related to Kasyapa, such as picking flowers and smiling stories.
According to the tour route, the ninth person to arrive is the Bronze Tile Hall.The Bronze Tile Hall was originally named Logic Temple, Bronze Buddha Hall, and Chuandeng Temple. It was first built during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty. Because it is located on the top of the mountain, the wind is constant all year round and the snow is heavy in winter. In order to resist wind and snow and protect the hall, copper tiles are smelted to cover the roof. So it is named "Bronze Tile Hall".
It was renovated during the Wanli period, and every subsequent dynasty had protective repairs. However, due to the special period in 1966, it was damaged by humans.
Today's Bronze Tile Hall was rebuilt in 1979. The Bronze Tile Hall is located on the edge of a cliff. Although it is small in area, it still has a main hall and a side hall. The overlooking view here is unmatched by other ancient temples.
According to the tour route, the tenth person to arrive is Jinding Temple.Jinding Temple is the highest temple in Jizu Mountain and the most famous temple in Jizu Mountain.
According to records, Jinding Temple first had a tower, and then temples were built around the tower. Before the Ming Dynasty, a square tower was built on Jizu Mountain.
During the Hongzhi period, some monks built nunnery here to cultivate. During the Jiajing period, Puguang Temple was built; during the Wanli period, Guanfeng Pavilion was built; during the Tianqi period, Tianchang Pavilion was built; during the Chongzhen period, Shanshan Rain Pavilion was built, and Shura Changge Pavilion was built around it. Four viewing towers were built on the city to view clouds, sun, sea and snow.
During the Chongzhen period, Mu Tianbo, Duke of Guizhou, moved the copper cast from Taihe Palace on Yingwu Mountain in Kunming (now Kunming Golden Hall) here, and later expanded it many times. However, unfortunately, the first time the original Jinding Temple experienced was a fire during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty. All other halls except the Golden Hall disappeared into the dust.
After it was destroyed during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, it went through another reconstruction and restored to its original size. Unfortunately, the Jinding Temple after the second reconstruction was destroyed in a special historical period in 1966.
Today's Jinding Temple is what it looked like in 1980 after being rebuilt and repaired with government funding. The Shangama Tower in the temple was also built in 1932. Since its completion, the Shangama Tower has been a natural navigation mark for the Hump Route.
Walking into the Jinding Temple, this temple is slightly larger in area than the Bronze Tile Hall, but it is still divided into three courtyards. The most eye-catching ones are the glittering "Golden Hall", the tall "Shangama Tower" and the full of aura. Daxiong Hall.
The uniqueness of Jinding Temple lies not only in the architecture, but also in the scenery, because the four directions here are open and you can see the famous "four views", namely, the sunrise in the east, the Xiangyun in the south, the Canger in the west, and the Jade Dragon in the north.
Jizu Mountain in Binchuan was built from the Tang Dynasty to large-scale expansion in the Ming Dynasty. It flourished in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but was later damaged by fire, long disrepair, and special historical periods.
These ancient temples have experienced pain, wind and rain, and the laws of historical development. Now they are appearing in front of people again. Following Jizu Mountain on the road of revitalization, temples have reappeared in front of our eyes, telling the story of the glory, wind, frost, rain and snow it has experienced!
Editor: Reading Yunnan Yijing
Photo: Photo taken in Yunnan, some pictures provided by Jizushan-Li Wenhai.
Remarks: Please indicate the source for reprinting this article. The pictures are prohibited for commercial use without permission.