Wuan Yunyan Temple

Wuan Yunyan Temple

Wuan Yunyan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Yunyan Temple is situated on Shengquan Mountain in Beixijing Village, Yangyi Town, western Wuan City. On the mountainside, there is a naturally flat piece of land—whether it was formed naturally or carved out by human hands is unknown. This flat area lies at the end of a vast valley. Standing by the temple, you look up at the sheer cliffs and down into the deep chasm, with various plants and trees stretching their branches in all directions. Looking along the valley, you can see towering peaks surrounding the valley. If you view the temple from below the valley, it seems to be nestled between steep cliffs; if you catch the glow of sunset or see clouds drifting lightly, the temple appears like a floating sky palace above the clouds. It is truly no exaggeration to call it Yunyan (Cloud Rock) Temple.

It is said that in the early Tang Dynasty, as Buddhism flourished in the east, one night, Master Zhishang of Guangzong Temple on Mount Wutai was meditating and chanting sutras when he suddenly saw a radiant light and auspicious clouds in the east. An immortal old man floated over and dropped a piece of colorful brocade inscribed with the words: “Where nine dragons gather at Putuo Rock, seek the sacred site by the holy spring.” Inspired by this vision, Master Zhishang traveled across the Taihang Mountains. After a year and three months, he finally discovered a holy spring hidden within the clouds and forests on the mountainside, and thus decided to build a temple there. However, the mountain was remote, the path treacherous, and the location isolated, making construction extremely difficult. Legend has it that the temple was originally planned to be built in “Siyangu,” a valley at the foot of the mountain. By then, all the building materials had been prepared, an auspicious date chosen, and construction was about to begin. But on the morning of the chosen day, all the materials were found to have been moved to Shengquan Mountain, each item in its proper place and neatly stacked. It is also said that on that morning, all the livestock in the village were sweating profusely, some even bleeding from their backs, leaving the hillside in front of the temple covered in bloodstains—hence the legend of the “Blood-Dripping Slope.”

The holy spring in the mountain was later expanded and incorporated into the Dragon King Hall, now called Panlong Spring. Today, water trickles from the mouth of a cast dragon, about the thickness of a finger, into a square pool with a volume of 0.73 cubic meters. It is said that the pool never runs dry, regardless of drought or flood—it neither decreases in dry spells nor overflows in heavy rain, remains unfrozen in severe cold, and does not spoil in intense heat. The water level remains constant. Even when thousands gather at the temple for major construction projects, there is never a shortage of water. Moreover, the water is sweet, pure, and believed to have health and longevity benefits.

Transportation Guide

Location: Shengquan Mountain, Beixijing Village, Yangyi Town, Wuan City, Hebei Province

By Bus: Take a bus from Wuan to Yangyi (via S202) and get off at Dongjing Village. Walk west to reach Beixijing Village.