Shengshou Temple in Yiwu

Shengshou Temple in Yiwu

Shengshou Temple in Yiwu is a cultural tourism attraction.

Shengshou Temple is located on the mountainside of Fulong Mountain in Xiayan Township, about 20 kilometers northwest of Yiwu City. The temple gate sits right next to the highway. As soon as you get off the vehicle, the couplet on the stone pillars on both sides of the gate — “A sacred place like this is hard to come by, so don’t miss what’s right before your eyes; the life of a tree is limited, so don’t waste such fine scenery and moments” — will immediately catch your eye.

After entering the gate, walk up the stone steps, passing through Bu Yun Pavilion, Lian Jing Pavilion, and the Bell Tower, and you will see Shengshou Temple nestled among the lush green mountains.

Shengshou Temple was first built in the early Tang Dynasty. In those days, the area featured “flying springs amid misty dreams, peculiar rocks reaching into clouds and waters, ancient pine roots left behind, and moss-covered white jar pagodas.” Due to its tranquil environment, notable scholars such as Song Lian and Fang Xiaoru often came here to write and lecture. Over the years, the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt multiple times.

The current temple complex was reconstructed in recent years. The only historical relics remaining in the temple are the Yuan Dynasty Shengshou Temple Stele, stone arhat statues, stone pagoda bases, and the White Milk Spring. However, the ancient podocarpus tree behind the temple, which died and came back to life, is truly a remarkable sight.