Liu Gudui Ruins

Liu Gudui Ruins

The Liu Gudui Ruins is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Liu Gudui Ruins are located 500 meters due north of Sanliqiao in Liugudi Village, Banqiaoji Town, northeastern Mengcheng County. It is a large earthen mound standing 4 meters above the ground and is the site of the Dacheng Temple. It is said to have been built during the Qing Dynasty and is now a key cultural relic protection unit of Mengcheng County.

In its prime, Dacheng Temple was majestic, featuring intricately carved beams and painted columns, as well as upturned eaves and bracket sets, all contributing to its splendid appearance. The temple faced south, with six ancient dragon-claw locust trees standing in front of it. The front hall had nine rooms, housing statues of ghost judges and Skanda, which had fierce and eerie expressions that made the place feel spooky. The rear hall had eight rooms, stood 6 meters tall, and contained statues of the Buddha and the Eighteen Arhats, all gilded and colorfully painted, with auspicious clouds and celestial motifs, appearing vividly lifelike. Three side rooms served as living quarters for monks. In the central courtyard stood a stone stele about 2.5 meters high. The deities in the temple were believed to be spiritually powerful, attracting worshippers from nearby villages who came to burn incense, pray, and fulfill vows. The incense burned day and night, and the chanting of sutras echoed continuously.

Over the long course of history, Dacheng Temple experienced repeated cycles of prosperity and decline, and was often damaged and repaired. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the temple became increasingly desolate and dilapidated, eventually being repurposed as an elementary school. During the Cultural Revolution, under the campaign to destroy the Four Olds, the temple suffered another catastrophe and was completely destroyed.

There are several folk tales about the origin of the temple. One says that someone noticed the mound growing larger over time, and a feng shui master claimed it was a fire dragon forming a mountain that would bring disaster. The solution, he said, was to build a Buddhist temple at the dragon’s head to suppress it. Another story says that when Lady Liu Jinding was training troops at Shuangsuoshan Mountain, her horse ran off, dragging its reins and eventually rolling over at the site of the current mound. The horse’s rolling scattered its hair and dirt, forming the mound, while the marks left by the reins became what is now known as the Horse-Pulling Trench.

Of course, these are all local legends.