Huludao Natural Temple

Huludao Natural Temple

Huludao Natural Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Natural Temple scenic area is located southwest of Dahongluo Mountain, currently within the territory of Xingtun in Zhangjiagou Village, Gangtun Town. It lies about 30 kilometers northwest of Lianshan District and roughly 5 kilometers southeast of Gangtun Town. The area features undulating mountains, secluded valleys, dense forests, and a small river flowing from west to east. At the foot of the mountains on both riverbanks lies an open flatland — an old pear orchard — where the ruins of the Natural Temple are located.

Looking eastward from the pear orchard toward the mountaintop, you can see a massive rock lying horizontally, resembling a tiger guarding the summit. Due to its prominent tiger-like head, I’ll temporarily call it the “Tiger Head Rock.” Below the mountaintop lies another large rock known as the “Monk’s Hat,” not only shaped strikingly like one but also allowing you to clearly see the ridges around its brim. Slightly turning your body to the left and continuing to look up, you’ll spot a mountain peak whose top consists of several long, irregularly shaped boulders, closely resembling the rocky formations of Zhangjiajie’s Wulingyuan. A few sparse pine trees grow atop the rocks — calling it the “Potted Landscape Peak” seems fitting. The nearby rocks are quite unique, large in size and gently sloped. Among them, there is a massive rock with a large, round stone beneath its lower left side, the front part of which retracts slightly — this is called the Turtle Stone.

The Natural Temple scenic area is covered with lush vegetation and blooming flowers. Towering pine trees remain green all year round; the less common Chinese honey locust trees hang long seed pods; and the phoenix-attracting tung trees spread their broad leaves. In spring, peach blossoms blush like rouge, pear blossoms are as white as snow, azaleas blaze with color, and weigela sways gracefully. By autumn, pear branches are laden with fruit, red dates hang down, and maple and oak leaves turn a deep red. The mountain’s flora adorns Dahongluo Mountain with unparalleled beauty, while the gurgling mountain springs add a lively charm.

The most eye-catching features of the Natural Temple scenic area are two ancient, towering pine trees standing proudly on the riverbank. Estimated to be around a thousand years old, these pines were planted outside the gate of the Natural Temple. Judging by their age, the temple itself may have been built even earlier. A nearby stone tablet marks this spot as the site of the Natural Temple, and today, only the head of a “Translucent Dragon Stele” remains. Historical records indicate that the original stele bore the four large characters “Chang Zhuan 0,” was 1.74 meters long, 0.75 meters wide, and 0.2 meters thick, with the word “Jin Fu” at the beginning and the signature “60th Year of Kangxi” at the end. This is one of the important cultural relics of the Natural Temple.

Judging from the ruins, the temple complex was roughly square-shaped, measuring 33 meters from east to west and 28 meters from north to south. Stone steps led up to the mountain gate, and a 2.5-meter-high platform stood in front of the main hall. On either side of the platform were three single-story rooms facing south, along with two side halls. The central bay of the main hall was 4 meters wide and 8 meters deep.