Huludao Lingyin Temple

Huludao Lingyin Temple

Huludao Lingyin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

At the northern foot of Dahongluo Mountain lies Lingyin Temple, while at the mountain’s summit stands the Jade Emperor Temple. In 1916, the virtuous lay Buddhist Li Wenju began constructing the temple, which was later damaged. In 1994, Li Wenju’s direct descendant, Li Shude, led local devotees to carry cement and sand up the mountain three times a day. Finally, in 1996, the Jade Emperor Temple was rebuilt and completed.

In front of Lingyin Temple stand two 12-meter-high flagpoles. On the middle and lower parts of the flagpoles is a couplet: “The temple stands firm, the mountain rises majestically alongside heaven and earth; the Buddhist teachings are solemn, the divine might resplendent as the sun and moon forever shine.” Below the flagpoles sit two fierce stone lions guarding the mountain gate. The gate is a four-pillar, three-bay archway adorned with carved drum stones, with four large characters engraved on the lintel: “Immortal as Heaven.” On both sides of the gate are two more couplets. One reads: “Upholding the sacred path, refuting heresy — fish leap and kites soar, true nature’s principles; grasping the profound mystery, comprehending the wondrous truth — auspicious clouds and mists form a little Penglai.” The other reads: “Seated among the five elements, the mountain divides the eight trigrams; the rainbow soars a hundred feet, the snail coils a thousand layers.” These couplets were all penned by Xu Mingluan, a late Qing Dynasty scholar and lay Buddhist of the Bagua Academy, an affiliate of Shaolin.

Upon entering the mountain gate is the Five Mothers Palace. The five main halls enshrine the Unborn Mother, Queen Mother, Earth Mother, Dipper Mother, and Golden Mother. On the left are the Goddess of Childbirth and the Goddess of Descendants; on the right are the Goddess of Sight and the Goddess of Smallpox. At the rear, murals depict stories from *Journey to the West*, while the western wall shows scenes of the underworld. The main hall door bears a couplet: “Bestowing life-giving rain through the ages, strictly adhering to Confucius and Mencius; rectifying declining morals for eternity, emulating Yao and Tang.”

The Mahavira Hall covers an area of over 200 square meters, featuring soaring eaves, bracket sets, painted beams, carved rafters, splendid colored drawings, and dignified Buddha statues. The central shrine houses the Three Saints of the West: Sakyamuni, Bhaisajyaguru, and Amitabha, all carved from precious sandalwood from Fujian, gilded to a dazzling brilliance. To the sides are Manjushri and Samantabhadra, flanked by eighteen arhats sculpted from white marble, each with unique expressions and lifelike gazes. To the rear right is the Bodhisattva Guanyin, who saves beings from suffering, best known for holding a precious vase, with murals of the Five Hundred Arhats on either side. Naturally, Skanda and Wei Tuo accompany the deities above. On the stone pillars of the Mahavira Hall’s main entrance is a couplet: “Dahongluo’s layered splendor, the jade emperor’s peak stands majestic and awe-inspiring; Lingyin bathed in Zen light, the famed temple’s pure dharma rain fragrant and transcendent.” A new alchemy furnace has been built on the western rear side of the Mahavira Hall, with a couplet on either side of its door: “The treasure peak reaches the red-hot heavens, threads of flame repaying the netherworld; the golden furnace rooted in the earth, wisps of blue smoke offering tribute to heroic spirits.”

Climbing up the mountain via the path beside Lingyin Temple and crossing a high ridge leads to a valley where the eroded bed of a mountain flood can be seen, scattered with rugged rocks. This was once the site of the Middle Hall of Dahongluo Mountain. Legend has it that long ago, a close relative of the Qing imperial family attempted to build a temple here to station troops for a rebellion, but was exposed and executed.

The summit is the Jade Emperor Summit, accessible by climbing ninety-nine steps. At the top stands the Jade Emperor Temple, enclosed by a square stone railing courtyard measuring 12 square meters. Inside the temple are enshrined the Jade Emperor, Taibai Jinxing, and the Heavenly King Holding the Pagoda, flanked by the Four Heavenly Officials and the Primordial Celestial Worthy. The railing panels are carved with images of the Four Heavenly Kings, Eight Great Emperors, and Eight Immortals, all vividly lifelike. On the southern wall is the Southern Heavenly Gate, flanked by two tall flagpoles. Below the gate lies a bottomless abyss, daunting to all who look down.