Jiufeng Mountain

Jiufeng Mountain

Jiufeng Mountain is a national AA-level tourist attraction.

Jiufeng Mountain is located southwest of Shanggao County, about 35 kilometers from the county town. It is the main peak of the Mufu Mountain Range’s Moushan Mountain and covers a total area of 50 square kilometers. Its highest peak, Yunxiao Ridge, stands at an elevation of 801.9 meters. According to the Shanggao County Annals from the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign, “There are nine temples in total, but the Jiufeng on Moushan is the highest. Moushan and Mengshan stand side by side, with Mengshan being the largest and Jiufeng the highest, and together with Kuanglu and Xishan, they are known for their grandeur.” The landscape of Jiufeng Mountain is serene and picturesque, often referred to as a naturally created garden. From a distance, the peaks are densely arranged, resembling weapons at a gate; up close, there are ancient trees covering the hills, lush green foliage, and shaded woods that block out the sun.

Chongfu Temple is the most renowned temple on Jiufeng Mountain. According to Volume 9 of the Shanggao County Annals from the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign, under the section “Temples and Monasteries”: “Jiufeng’s Chongfu Temple was originally the residence of Zhong Chuan from the Tang Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Xizong (874–879), Zhong Chuan gathered troops on this mountain and, after being enfeoffed as the King of Nanping, converted his residence into a temple.” During the Qianying era (889–903), the eminent monk Puman from Dongshan in Yifeng was invited to establish the monastery. Later, the famous monk Daoqian also served as the abbot. Due to flourishing incense offerings and widespread fame, Emperor Zhaozong bestowed the name “Hongji” upon the temple, which was later changed during the Tian era (901–903) to “Chongfu Chanlin,” making it a widely celebrated Buddhist sacred site. During the Song Dynasty, monks such as Daoquan, the Yuan Dynasty’s Daoquan, and the Ming Dynasty’s Xingkong all served as abbots here. Daoquan and Xingkong made significant contributions to the revival of Jiufeng Temple. Daoquan renovated the Buddha Hall, Scripture Depository, Monk’s Hall, Front Zitang, and the East Hermitage’s multi-story building. In the tenth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1377), monk Xingkong added fifteen more halls. In the early Qing Dynasty, the temple was destroyed by fire. In the tenth year of the Kangxi reign (1617), monk Lingshi came from Dongshan in Yifeng, cleared the land, and rebuilt the halls on the original site. The rebuilt Jiufeng Temple had a brick-and-wood structure, featuring a two-courtyard meditation hall with a central well, flanked by seventeen symmetrical wing rooms on the upper and lower sides. The entire temple complex covered an area of 1,800 square meters. The renovation attracted many monks, and the Caodong school of Buddhism flourished again. From the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, Buddhist activities continued uninterrupted. After the Anti-Japanese War, due to the impact of war, the monastic community gradually dispersed. By the time of liberation, only three monks remained in the temple, including one abbot and two lay monks. At that time, the temple still had about 100 acres of temple fields, yielding over 60 dan of grain rent. Local believers often came to divine their fortunes. On the first day of the Lunar New Year, some devotees visited to burn incense and worship, where they were served vegetarian tea and given vegetarian cakes by the monks. For a short period after liberation, monks still resided there. After the land reform in 1951, the monks left, and the temple became empty. Due to years of neglect, the wooden beams were infested with worms, and the roof leaked. By 1993, most of the temple buildings had collapsed. In 1995, through donations from the Jiufeng Forest Farm and local supporters, the front hall of Chongfu Temple was renovated, bringing renewed splendor to this thousand-year-old temple.

Throughout history, literati, eminent monks, and scholars have offered vivid descriptions of Jiufeng’s scenic beauty, leaving behind many beautiful poems and essays. According to the Shanggao County Annals, poets from the Song Dynasty such as Ruan Yue, Jiang Zhiqui, and Yang Dengdong, Yuan Dynasty’s Zou Mingze, Ming Dynasty’s Li Jian, and Qing Dynasty’s Li Linghan all composed immortal verses.

“A famous mountain with an ancient secluded temple, where bell towers echo with the sounds of reading.” Jiufeng Mountain is not only a renowned Buddhist sanctuary in southern China but also a famous Confucian lecture hall. During the Ming Dynasty, the renowned Confucian scholar Zou Shouyi once held lectures here, attracting literati from far and wide. Behind the temple lies the site of the Tang Dynasty’s famed nun Moushan Liao Ran’s sanctuary and altar, located on Sigongping at an elevation of 493 meters. Due to its age, the site is now overgrown with bamboo and thickets. Outside the main area of the sanctuary, there are four sweet potato cellars, each three to four meters deep. About 16.5 meters northeast of the main area, there are also a rice-pounding site and a pile of stones. To the west of the sanctuary, on the same site, the altar is built against the mountain in a terraced, fan-shaped layout. It consists of seven levels, each about 2.5 meters wide, with the top of the altar measuring 8 meters wide and the bottom about 18 meters wide. Each level is approximately 1.2 meters high. About 2.5 meters west of the widest fifth level lies a square stone platform—the preaching dais of the sanctuary. A poem titled “The Ancient Nun’s Sanctuary” reads: “The wild fox awakens to its past karma; do not say the mountain traces are gone. Stones press the roots of the Dharma, longing for the Pure Land; vines shroud the Bodhi tree, recalling the sage. Bamboo paths in the clouds come with woodcutters and herders; pine groves outside the valley cool worldly dust. The golden rooster crows incessantly at midnight—yet who can recognize the path to the Three Bodies?” The famed nun Liao Ran of the Tang Dynasty established her sanctuary at the foot of Emei Peak. She was a disciple of the Great Fool Zen Master, highly virtuous and respected. The first president of the Buddhist Association of China, Master Xuyun, praised her as an outstanding nun. At one time, she had five hundred disciples. One day, Monk Guanxi Xian came to her sanctuary and boasted he would debate her Buddhist principles, claiming he would let her remain as abbess if she could answer him, or drive her away if she could not. The nun first sent a young monk to ask Guanxi whether he had come to enjoy the mountain or to discuss Buddhism. He replied that he came for Buddhism. So Liao Ran ascended the dais, and after Guanxi bowed, the debate began. The nun asked, “Where do you come from, Venerable?” He answered, “From the crossroads.” She said, “Why not cover it?” The monk had no reply and failed the first round, so he bowed in concession. Then he turned to question her. He asked, “Why is it called Moushan?” She replied, “It does not reveal its peak.” He asked, “Who is the master of Moushan?” She answered, “Neither male nor female.” He shouted, “Why not change form?” She calmly replied, “Since I am neither god nor ghost, why should I change?” She answered fluently, and Guanxi conceded defeat, humbly becoming her student and serving as the gardener for three years. The Song Dynasty poet Jiang Zhiqui wrote: “Soft emerald hues trace the evening makeup; white clouds return, encircling the blue mountains. If the Taoist wishes to see the face of Samantabhadra, he must burn ten vows of incense in Western Shu again.”

About one kilometer above the Liao Ran Sanctuary lies the foot of Emei Peak, at an elevation of 723 meters, which is the burial ground for nuns from the Tang and Song Dynasties. The cemetery faces south, with stone walls built on the north and west sides to form an orderly communal tomb area. The site is relatively flat and open, covering about 18,000 square meters, with well-preserved stone walls extending 45 meters in length and 1.2 meters in height. There are 24 tombs, mostly oval, circular, or rectangular in shape. The entire cemetery is shaded by ancient trees.

About 500 meters down and to the right of the Liao Ran Sanctuary, in the valley between Qingliu Peak and Cuixia Peak—known as Aikeng—lies the stupa burial ground of the Seventh Patriarch. Nestled between two ridges and surrounded by steep terrain and dense bamboo, the site features seven large stone mound tombs mainly clustered on the eastern side, all facing south. A man-made path runs through the center of the cemetery, paved with flat stones, with some slopes reinforced by stone walls. The cemetery covers an area of 7,200 square meters.

In addition, to the right of Jiufeng Chan Temple, there are well-preserved sites such as the No. 1 Bridge of the South—the Jiufeng Northern Song Stone Bridge (Wugong Bridge), the Yangshan Northern Song Stone Bridge, Jiuzi An, Yangshan An, and the ruins of the Song Dynasty’s Jingjue Hall Chan Master. To the left of the temple, at the foot of Tianzhu Peak, are the remains of the Ming and Qing Dynasty’s Huangjialing An and the old mill site. A hundred meters west of the hermitage is a clear spring well, likely the temple’s former water source. The hermitage site, nestled under Tianzhu Peak with ancient trees and a beautiful environment, was also a thriving center of Buddhist activity during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Jiufeng Mountain has been an important center for the Caodong school of Buddhism. Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, many eminent monks have come here to serve as abbots of Jiufeng Temple. Additionally, batches of monks came, received teachings from the eminent monks of Jiufeng Temple, became their disciples, and went on to serve as abbots at other famous temples, spreading Buddhist teachings. Thus, Jiufeng Temple became a cradle for training eminent monks. Despite historical upheavals and periods of rise and decline, this blessed land has made historic contributions to the dissemination of Chinese Buddhism and the cultivation of eminent monks throughout history.

Jiufeng Mountain’s rich Buddhist cultural heritage is not only documented in texts but also evidenced by numerous archaeological remains. Provincial archaeological experts note that while most Chinese Buddhist sacred sites only retain stone stupas, Jiufeng Mountain uniquely preserves ancient temple ruins, nun stupas, Chan master tombs, temple bridges, construction materials (such as column bases), and sites related to the daily life and production of the temples—features rarely seen elsewhere. Therefore, Jiufeng Mountain is a treasure trove of ancient Buddhist relics. The concept of Jiufeng Temple refers not just to Chongfu Temple but to the collective term for the many temples across Jiufeng Mountain. Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, this area has hosted numerous Buddhist activity sites, serving as sacred places for worshippers, centers for teaching the Dharma and giving sermons, hubs where many eminent monks resided, cradles for training monks, resting places for the remains of countless monks, and sanctuaries where they ascended to the heavens. Thus, Jiufeng Mountain can be described as a museum showcasing the history of Buddhism in southern China.