Shiren Hall

Shiren Hall

Shiren Hall is a cultural tourism attraction.

Shiren Hall is located within the jurisdiction of Shiren Township, approximately seventy Chinese miles northwest of Shangrao County. Originally named the Hu Zhao Ancestral Temple, it is also known as Shiren Temple, Shiren Shrine, and Shiren Peak Shrine, named for its location at the foot of Shiren Peak in Lingshan Mountain. In the sixth year of the Zhenyuan era during the Tang Dynasty (790 AD), after the deities Liu TaiZhen and Li Desheng were enshrined here, the temple was renamed after them, referred to as General Liu’s Temple, Li True Lord’s Temple, and others. In the second year of the Xuanhe era of the Song Dynasty (1120 AD), in September, after being bestowed the plaque of Yingwu Hall, it was subsequently also called Yingwu Hall and Yingwu Temple.

The original structures of Shiren Hall included two main halls and one mountain gate. Inside the halls were stone wells and stone balls. To the left was a Taoist monastery, and to the right was a branch office of the Zhenhui Observatory. In front of the mountain gate, there used to be a treasury, the Lingshan Shenghui Archway, and a stele pavilion. To the left of the mountain gate stood the Wenchang Pavilion, beneath which was the Imperial Edict Pavilion. In front of the pavilion was the Wan’an Bridge, ahead of which was the Guanyin Pavilion, and behind the main hall grew ancient camphor trees. The temple was covered with towering ancient trees and grand architecture. From the Ming Dynasty to the present, it has been through several cycles of prosperity and decline.

The annual temple fair of Shiren Hall is held from the first to the tenth day of the ninth lunar month, with the third, sixth, and ninth days being the peak periods.

Cloaked in cloud-like garments and misty skirts, a smiling beauty lies peacefully for a thousand years. The seventy-two peaks of Lingshan Mountain cluster together in elegant array, long revered as the thirty-third blessed land of Taoism. Hidden streams murmur softly, ancient trees rise majestically, and Taoist temples and ancient monasteries stand tucked among the foliage. Legend has it that Ge Hong once refined elixirs and ascended to immortality here, yet the most renowned site, Shiren Hall, does not enshrine the Immortal Ge, but rather the True Lord Li.

Shiren Hall is situated at the foot of Shiren Peak in Lingshan Mountain. The annual temple fair runs from the first to the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, during which the influx of visitors is unending. Pilgrims from Shangrao, Yushan, Guangfeng, Hengfeng, Dexing, Leping, and other areas flock here continuously to burn incense, pray, worship Buddha, and draw divination sticks. Merchants, street performers, fortune-tellers, and beggars from all walks of life also gather in great numbers. On auspicious dates such as the third, sixth, and ninth days of the lunar month, the scene becomes even more spectacular and grand. Admiring the natural beauty of Shiren Peak and the nearby Nantang Peak, as well as browsing the diverse array of goods and curiosities, is certainly one of the great joys of attending the temple fair. Yet the devout expressions of worshippers and the serene wisps of incense smoke rising above the temple indicate that it is the True Lord Li who is the true draw for visitors. During the Spring Festival, bridge lanterns from areas such as Gaonan Peak, Huatan Mountain, Zhengfang, Shiren, and Linhu all come to Shiren Hall for the "Lantern Gathering" to pray for good fortune in the coming year.

Before Shiren Peak was dynamited during the Cultural Revolution, there was a solitary stone atop the peak shaped like an elderly man sitting upright, hands resting on his knees, with a neck, shoulders, and torso—but no head. There is a legend about this stone figure: A malicious dragon spirit hidden in Lingshan Mountain intended to turn Jiangxi into a sea. The “Stone Immortal Master,” dispatched by the Supreme Old Lord Laozi, descended to earth disguised as a woodcutter to subdue it. Later, enchanted by the beauty of Lingshan, he chose to settle here. He often played chess with the True Lord Li, but usually lost due to his inferior skill. Over time, resentment built up. One day, he said to the True Lord Li, “Let us play three matches to decide the winner. If I lose, I’ll cut off my head; if you lose, the people living below this peak will suffer three years of drought and flood.” The True Lord Li knew that the Stone Immortal possessed a “Cloud and Rain Hat” that could control the weather—allowing him to wreak havoc would bring disastrous consequences. The Stone Immortal was no match for the True Lord Li, who defeated him with his sword, beheading him. The next day, the Stone Immortal asked for another match and lost again. On the third day, he challenged the True Lord Li once more. Day after day, every time his head was cut off, it grew back. The True Lord Li grew worried, realizing that if this continued, the Stone Immortal might eventually bring disaster upon the people. Guanyin, who learned of this, transformed into a little bird and flew past to offer guidance: “Scald his neck with cold water, then cut him with winter grass!” The Stone Immortal’s head was cut off and never grew back again, transforming into a headless stone figure. His head rolled northwest down the peak, staining the grass and bushes red with blood. To this day, every late autumn, the long grass turns a dark shade of red, giving rise to the saying, “Of Lingshan’s eight sides, seven hold treasure—only one, the long grass, holds none.” In memory of this, people built a Guanyin Pavilion next to Shiren Hall, and thus the hall came to be known by its current name. (It was previously called “General Li’s Temple.”)