Shunchang White Dragon Temple

Shunchang White Dragon Temple

Shunchang White Dragon Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Shunchang White Dragon Spring is located about 3 kilometers southeast of Shunchang County. There lies a mountain with majestic peaks and enchantingly serene scenery, called Lingtou Boat. Commonly known as White Dragon Spring and also referred to as Henglong Ridge, it is said to be the place where Guo Pu, the renowned geomancer of the Western Jin Dynasty, wrote the *Qingxiang Aoyu Proverbs*, and later composed the widely celebrated *Classic of Burial*. The ancient temple Baiquan Temple is located at the foot of this mountain.

Originally named Henglong Temple, White Dragon Temple was built in the 6th year of the Chunyou era during the Southern Song Dynasty (1246). Legend has it that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty, while inspecting the southern regions, sought to find his mother, who had left the palace to become a nun. After an exhaustive search with no success, he stopped to rest at Henglong Temple on Lingtou Boat. His sincerity moved the senior monk there, who informed him that his mother had once stayed briefly at the temple before departing to another monastery in Xiamao, Sha County. Indeed, Qianlong eventually found his mother and took her to visit famous temples across the south as an act of filial devotion. Deeply moved by the dedication of the monks at Henglong Temple, the emperor bestowed upon it the name “White Dragon Temple” and composed a poem with the lines: “With earnest benevolence and profound grace, / Flowing between two peaks, it is called the White Dragon…”

Unfortunately, White Dragon Spring was burned down by bandits in the 8th year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty (1856), leaving only ruins. Since the spring of 1987, devout Buddhists have raised funds to gradually restore the Guanyin Hall, the Mahavira Hall, and the Kṣitigarbha Hall on the original site. In front of and on the pillars of the Guanyin Hall are two couplets, which read: “White steam rises and coils around the sacred temple; golden dragons dance and encircle the lotus,” and “Amid the purple bamboo hills, wisdom’s sunlight brings forth a surge of compassion; within the White Dragon Temple, gentle breezes waft as manifestations arrive.” Here, the sky is clear, the clouds white, the mountains green, and the forests lush, with the Buddhist temple nestled among the greenery, exuding peace and serenity.

White Dragon Spring boasts many scenic spots worth visiting, such as the Dragon Spring Waterfall, Stone Dragon Boat, Broken Drum Rock, Immortal Ox Drinking Water, Golden Rooster Nest, Dripping Water Cave, Immortal’s Seat, Bottomless Cave, as well as tales like “The Old Man Fishing” and “Fragrance of Roasted Pork Leg.” These sites come with captivating folk stories and legends that are both intriguing and memorable.

Since the Song Dynasty, White Dragon Spring has attracted numerous literati and poets who came to compose verse, engage in wine-drinking games, and enjoy tea, leaving behind a wealth of travelogues and poetic inscriptions. Among them, Yao Bao’s “White Dragon Spring” is the most famous. Yao Bao, courtesy name Guishu, was a native of Shunchang and the top imperial scholar in the 4th year of the Jiading era of the Song Dynasty. His poem is recorded as follows: “The jade dragon soars from the pillar, emitting jade blossoms, / As if a moonlit boat on the Milky Way. / Agate paths wind amid crumbling vine railings, / Crystal curtains hang askew over stone bridges. / Returning currents like silk ribbons pierce three gorges, / Midnight thunder of the south shakes ten thousand homes. / If not for the Greed-Spring, one must still drink, / For the immortal’s dew on the palm tastes divine.” Other poets and local scholars such as Lin Tingxuan, Chen Ding, Chen Ying, Xu Tingwu, Zheng Chengzhi, He Yilin, Huang Xuan, and Fu Er’tai have also left behind widely admired poems here.

The mountain scenery of White Dragon Spring is both delicate and elegant, yet not without a majestic presence; ancient and profound, yet brimming with vitality. Only upon careful appreciation can one discover its transcendent beauty.