Xifeng Temple and Cliff Carvings

Xifeng Temple and Cliff Carvings

Xifeng Temple and Cliff Carvings are a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Xifeng Temple and Cliff Carvings are located by Huating Lake in Taihu County, Anhui Province, which is a national 4A-level scenic area.

Originally named Shizi Nunnery, Xifeng Temple was also called Xifeng Cave because of a natural ancient cave on its left side, with an opening facing west that catches the west wind. According to Volume 49 of "A Comprehensive Chronicle of the Buddha and His Successors," the Fifth Patriarch of the Tang Dynasty Zen sect, Hongren, came to Xifeng Cave in Shuchou (Taihu) to meditate and preach, hence the cave is also known as the Fifth Patriarch Cave. During the Dali era of the Tang Dynasty, the eminent monk Fazhi came to Sifang Mountain in Taihu to establish Sifang Temple and built a practice site at Xifeng Cave, ensuring the continuity of the Dharma ever since. Outside the cave, there is a small stone pagoda called Jijue Pagoda, built during the Tang Dynasty, believed to house the relics of ancient eminent monks beneath it. The temple faces west and originally had three structures, built with blue bricks and small tiles along the mountain slope, giving it a majestic presence. In the sixth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1856), the upper hall was destroyed in war. In the eighth year of the Republic of China (1919), the monk Xingwu raised funds to rebuild it. In the early 1980s, Zhao Puchu, then Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and President of the Buddhist Association of China, inscribed the plaque “Xifeng Temple” for the site.

Xifeng Cave boasts stunning and serene scenery, with layered green mountains and uniquely shaped ancient rocks, making it a scenic highlight of Taihu. It has been a popular destination for visitors throughout history, who have left behind numerous poems and cliff carvings. All the carvings are incised in intaglio. On a large rock on the western side in front of the Upper Buddha Hall, the sloped surface is carved with multiple inscriptions. These include “High Mountains and Flowing Water” carved by the Qing Dynasty scholar Lu Keheng, an anonymous regular-script poem, and the signature “Jin Chengshi, the Stonemason.” On the pathway stone wall southeast of the Upper Buddha Hall, there are Lu Keheng’s “Stone Path Piercing Through Clouds” and a running-script poem by Li Shenghao, a Qing Dynasty scholar-official. Inside Xifeng Cave, the walls bear the eight characters “Tang Dynasty Imperial Order Built Xifeng Ancient Cave.” On the eastern side of the cave, on the stone wall of the Lion Rock, are six large characters “Namo Amitabha,” while on the opposite reclining stone are four characters “Tang Dynasty Ancient Temple.” At the back mountain scenic spot “Immortals Playing Chess,” the stone wall bears the inscription “Another World Beyond,” believed to be written by Li Bai. At the “One-Line Sky” scenic spot, there is a running-script character “Cheng” (sincerity) on one side of the stone wall, along with a running-script poem by Li Shenghao of the Qing Dynasty. At the “Careful Slope” spot, there is a regular-script character “Ren” (endurance), carved by Luo Rufang (styled Jinxī), the Ming Dynasty magistrate of Taihu and philosopher, who also left the inscription “Jinxī Luo.” On the leaning rock to the left of Fazhi Cave, there are multiple carvings. Historical records indicate that there were two poems by the great Song Dynasty poet Huang Tingjian, but they have been eroded over time, leaving the inscriptions barely visible. At the mountaintop scenic spot “Flying Stone,” there are running-script poems by Li Shenghao and Lu Keheng, along with some other carvings that have also weathered.

The Tang Dynasty poet immortal Li Bai, the great Song Dynasty poet Huang Tingjian, the Qing Dynasty Jiaying-era top imperial scholar Zhao Wenkai, and modern international friends have all left their footprints and poetic cliff carvings here, further enhancing the fame and brilliance of the ancient Xifeng Cave. When Huang Tingjian visited Xifeng Cave, he composed a poem: “Pines and bamboos block the sky, rustling in autumn; valley birds and stream sounds blend like pipa and zither.” When Zhao Wenkai stayed overnight at the temple, he wrote a five-character regulated verse: “In the ancient temple deep in the clouds, I ask a shepherd boy tugging vines; birds circle beyond autumn hues, human voices echo in evening mist; the kitchen covers millennia-old stones, cliffs howl with midnight winds; I briefly leave worldly dreams, by the meditation mat glows a red lamp.”

As the fame of Xifeng Cave grew, more and more people came to worship and sightsee. By the end of the 1990s, the Taihu County government had extended the mountain road to the front gate of Xifeng Temple, and a new Mahavira Hall was built. Xifeng Temple will be expanded into “Five Halls, Two Chambers, Three Pavilions, and Two Caves,” showcasing a unique landscape integrating ancient architectural art and ancient stone carving art, rich in tourism resources and profound cultural heritage.

In November 1982, the Taihu County People's Government designated it as a county-level key cultural relic protection unit. In October 2004, it was listed as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit by the Anhui Provincial People's Government.

Protected Area: Within 5 meters outside the drip line of the eaves of Xifeng Temple and within 5 meters around the cliff carvings themselves.

Construction Control Zone: 15 meters outside the protected area of Xifeng Temple and 25 meters outside the protected area of the cliff carvings.