Tieling Mingming Temple

Tieling Mingming Temple

Tieling Mingming Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Lingyun Mountain Mingming Temple is an ancient temple combining Buddhism and Taoism, located 23 kilometers from Taoshan Forestry Bureau. It was first built during the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty and, at the time of its construction, was the largest temple in Heilongjiang Province. Situated on Lingyun Mountain within the administrative area of Chunguang Forest Farm, Taoshan Forestry Bureau, it lies 23 kilometers from Taoshan.

There is also a touching legend about the founding of Mingming Temple.

The legend goes that Yuanshi Tianzun, the foremost deity among Taoist immortals, was one night meditating when he suddenly noticed a golden radiance rising from the northeast, enveloping him in light. Overjoyed by this divine omen, he summoned his disciple, Tongtian Daozhang, the next morning and tasked him with descending to the mortal world to spread the Tao and seek out the place where the radiant light had appeared.

Tongtian Daozhang set off on his mission, traveling northeast through many lands until he reached Fengtian (Shenyang). He stayed and practiced in a local Taoist temple, preaching the Tao for decades. One day, while deep in meditation, he once again saw the radiant light ascending from the northeast. Remembering his sacred mission, he promptly journeyed north. However, weakened by illness brought on by his hurried travel and previous shock, he fell gravely ill and took refuge at Ciyun Palace Temple in Suihua. There he remained, too sick to continue, and eventually passed his mission on to Sun Yongqing, a fellow Taoist practitioner at the temple, before returning to the spiritual realm as a wisp of smoke.

Sun Yongqing, originally from Liaoning, was born in 1851 during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty. In 1884, at the age of 34, he became a Taoist disciple at Ciyun Palace in Suihua under the 17th-generation master Liu Jiaoxian of the Longmen Sect. In 1898, at age 48, Sun, carrying on the mission entrusted by Tongtian Daozhang, set out with his junior disciple Liu Yongzhong from Suihua toward the northeast. After traveling hundreds of miles, they arrived at a remote mountain area near Tieshan Bao. Sun then chose to live in seclusion and cultivate himself spiritually. One day, while meditating, he spotted a vision of the radiant light emerging from the southeast. Following the light, he arrived at its source and was awestruck by the landscape: a vast wetland below, tall wild grass dotted with clusters of trees, and a winding stream flowing into a pond. The entire mountain resembled a giant turtle drinking at the edge of the swamp. He named the mountain Lingyun Shan (originally called Qiantazi Ridge), meaning “Surging Clouds Mountain,” and ever since, both the mountain and the nearby village have borne that name.

Inspired, Sun Yongqing began considering building a temple. Local benefactors donated dozens of hectares of land and helped construct a simple hut for him. He farmed diligently and deepened his spiritual practice. One summer, while meditating in the courtyard, he had a vision of a magnificent temple appearing like a mirage on the mountainside to the northeast. Though puzzled, he remained convinced of the site’s spiritual significance. Years later, he encountered celestial beings twice during meditation who pointed to the same location and urged him to build a temple there. Convinced of the mountain’s auspicious feng shui, Sun shared his visions with followers, who offered strong support. In 1905 (31st year of the Guangxu reign), the temple construction officially began. The next year, the Tai Sheng Palace and Hunyuan Hall were completed. Later, more land was donated to support the monks’ livelihoods. Sun recruited disciples and developed agriculture on the temple grounds.

As the temple’s resources and reputation grew, so did the scale of its construction. Sun Yongqing’s fame as a virtuous Taoist spread widely, attracting visitors such as Legeren Ganru and supervisor Li Zhongshan from Lelutang, Jianchang County, Liaoning. Li Zhongshan, an expert in the I Ching, feng shui, and yin-yang, confirmed the exceptional geomantic qualities of Lingyun Mountain and assisted in selecting the final temple site, advocating strongly for its construction. Meanwhile, Sun and his disciples traveled thousands of miles to study famous temples across China, meticulously designing and constructing what would become the renowned Mingming Temple — a unique fusion of Buddhism and Taoism in Northeast China.

Location: Within Chugnag Forest Farm, Taoshan Forestry Bureau, Tieling City, Yichun, Heilongjiang Province

Transportation: Take a bus from Yichun to Tieling, then transfer to a minibus or hire a car to reach the site.

Self-driving route: From Yichun, take the Hegang–Harbin Expressway (Hegang–Ha’erbin Expressway), drive 111.9 km and exit at Frost Soil Bridge No. 6. Head toward Tieling on G222, drive 2.9 km — follow Farm Road — Construction East Avenue — Construction West Avenue — Central Road — Tiennian Road — S203 for 11.0 km, then turn right and drive 1.4 km to reach the destination.