Cliff Inscriptions at Huanglong Temple

Cliff Inscriptions at Huanglong Temple

The Cliff Inscriptions at Huanglong Temple are a cultural relic protection unit of Jiangxi Province.

Two kilometers before entering Huanglong Temple, on the roadside beside the Xia Ma Shi (Dismounting Stone), a massive rock comes into view with the three striking characters “Huang Long Shan” (Yellow Dragon Mountain) inscribed on it. The majestic, dignified, and elegant calligraphy of “Huang Long Shan” is said to have been written by Huang Tingjian. In regular script, the characters are carved in intaglio from right to left on the stone, each with a diameter of 85 centimeters. Between the character “Huang” and the two characters “Long Shan,” there is a crack in the rock.

The bold and graceful characters “Ling Yuan” (Spiritual Spring), written in running script and carved in intaglio, are found on a large triangular rock on the left side of the bridgehead of Lingyuan Bridge in front of Huanglong Temple. The character “Ling” is on the left, with its lower part partially buried in soil, while “Yuan” is on the right and slightly smaller than “Ling.”

In his later years, Huang Tingjian traveled from Baling through Pingjiang and Linxiang into Tongcheng. It rained every day until he reached Huanglong to pay homage to the Zen Master Qing. Later, when the weather cleared, he met a fellow Zen practitioner named Dai Dao and composed a long verse presented to Dao Chun, which included the words “Ling Yuan.”

Stepping onto Lingyuan Bridge and beholding the characters “Ling Yuan,” Huang Tingjian was moved to tears, lost in deep thought, and composed a poem: “Ten days of rain on mountain paths soak my robe, before Mufu Peak I face the setting glow. Wild waters swell the fields with their own tide, yet sunshine calls the rain doves home to bide. At Spiritual Spring the great one—, Twin Pagodas’ teacher, Buddha’s artful guide. With hoary hair and aged face I come again, Tell me, dear friend, are you the same as then?” The Valley Elder’s poem expressed reverence and admiration for his dharma mentor, Patriarch Zuxin, and his ancestral master Huinan, while also vividly conveying his nostalgia for the late Lingyuan Weiqing.

In his early years, Huang Tingjian had visited this place for sightseeing and Taoist studies. Now, after enduring many hardships and returning with white hair and an aged face, his revisit was truly a blend of past and present, neither wholly former nor entirely current, yet both. The poem carries a sense of the relentless passage of time and the changing world, as well as a steadfast pursuit of ideals and personal integrity. This work deepens the essence of life and infuses Buddhist philosophy with a practical, positive spirit. This is where the poet’s profound and ingenious artistry shines.

After Lü Dongbin was defeated in a magical duel with Chan Master Chaohui and became his disciple, the fame of Huanglong Temple grew rapidly, extending its influence far and wide, earning it the esteemed title of “Dharma Cave.” On a massive rock at the mouth of the Triple Gate on the left side of the temple, the two characters “Fa Ku” (Dharma Cave), handwritten by Huang Tingjian, remain intact to this day. Each character has a diameter of about 80 centimeters.

Fa Ku (Dharma Cave): A Buddhist term. After the Buddha’s nirvana, his disciple Mahakasyapa gathered the Tripitaka scriptures in a large cave at the Kalanda Bamboo Grove, known as the “Cave of the Elders,” and later the term “Fa Ku” came to refer to a Buddhist temple.

About one kilometer to the right front of Huanglong Mountain’s Huanglong Temple, and 500 meters before the Shangtianti (Ascent to Heaven Stairs), characters “San Guan” (Three Passes) are carved on a rock. Each character is about one square foot in size, with powerful brushstrokes and clear chisel marks. It is recorded that these were written by Huang Tingjian during the Song Dynasty and carved by people of Huanglong Temple at that time. Even after a thousand years, they still “penetrate the rock,” remaining vivid and legible.

Approximately 500 meters uphill on the right side of Huanglong Temple, the three characters “Cui Yun Dong” (Jade Cloud Cave) are carved on a cliff. Along the water channel carved along the monks’ and laypeople’s pools, about 5 meters uphill on the right side of the steep cliff is a cliff inscription: “Zhang Yanji, Huang Shubo, Shu’ao, and Mao came to pay homage to Elder Qing. At that time, there were five hundred people in the hall. Built in the Jiayin year of the Jianyan era, second month, day of Jiazi.”

Nearby is the inscription “Han Ju arrived riding swiftly to visit,” referring to Han Ju, then magistrate of Fenyi County, Hongzhou (now Xiushui, Jiangxi) and a member of the Jiangxi Poetry School, who is said to have arrived in haste by carriage to visit.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Jiangxi Province