Santower Temple Scenic Area

Santower Temple Scenic Area

Santower Temple Scenic Area is a national AA-level tourist attraction and a cultural relic protection unit of Chuzhou City.

Santower Temple, a renowned temple in the Jianghuai region, is located 18 kilometers northwest of Quanjiao County, Anhui Province, on the northeastern side of Liuzhen. It was established during the Daye era (605–618) of the Sui Dynasty. In the first year of Daguan (1107) during the reign of Emperor Huizong of the Northern Song Dynasty, three pagodas were built in front of the temple, hence the name “Santower Temple.” Legend has it that the famous Yangzhou Qionghua (tree peony) actually originated in Liuzhen, Quanjiao, and was known as “Liuzhang Qionghua” (Liuzhang, the former name of Liuzhen, means “Six Zhang Market”). A massive Qionghua pond was also constructed here (Song Dynasty’s Vice Grand Councilor and local resident Zhang AAA wrote in his poem “Qionghua Pond”: “This flower may be gone, yet no need for sighs, / Dynasties fell for many other reasons. Elders know not the tales of old, / Yet all speak of Qionghua when they meet.”). After Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty moved the Qionghua to the Houtu Shrine in Yangzhou, this temple was built by the pond to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. During the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, bricks from the three towers were taken to repair the imperial tombs at Sishui and Feng, as noted: “Mao Tang Bridge, the pagoda long collapsed, was rebuilt during the Tianqi era, with records by Yang Hongyu” (Quanjiao County Annals, Year 9 of the Republic). The temple has been repaired and renovated through the dynasties. It features five halls with winding corridors: the First Gate, the Second Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Third Mahavira Hall, the Fourth Ksitigarbha Hall, and the Fifth Three Ages Hall. Each hall houses Buddhist statues, making it the largest temple in Quanjiao with the most Buddha statues. It enshrines the Buddha and Guanyin. Beneath the Dabei Tower in the temple grounds, there is a thousand-year-old boxwood tree and over a hundred rare peonies. When they bloom each year, literati gather for “Peony Poetry Gatherings.” The Ming Dynasty scholar Wu Guolong wrote in his poem “Santower Temple”: “By chance I pass through Xiao Pass and rest, / The refreshing autumn air flows long. Birds descend for pine seeds, / I linger for the fragrance of trees. Amidst busyness, I view the simple pines, / Beyond clamor, I find the temple serene. Even more delightful is the new greenery, / Perfectly complementing the little stream.” In the Qing Dynasty, the white-robed Taoist Fang Dingguo resided here, and the Hangzhou Prefect Xue Shiyu wrote “The White-Robed Taoist’s Journey,” which further increased the fame of Santower Temple.

Scenic Area Address: Liuzhen Village, Liuzhen Town, Quanjiao County

Transportation: Shuttle buses are available directly from the county bus station to the scenic area; for self-driving, exit the Hening Expressway at the Quanjiao interchange, drive 20 kilometers westward toward the county seat to reach the scenic area.

Liuzhen Village: Located in the southwest of Liuzhen Town, bordering Machang Town to the west and Erlangkou Town to the south. Liuzhen Village has 38 villager groups, covering a total area of approximately 14 square kilometers, including 8,468 mu of arable land and 1,580 mu of fishable water surface. The population is 4,448. The village contains an ancient thousand-year-old street and the well-known Santower Temple in eastern Anhui. … More details about Liuzhen Village++