Kangwang Temple

Kangwang Temple

Kangwang Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Kangwang Temple Kangwang Temple is located in Kangwang Valley of Mount Lu, forty li west of Xingzi County. According to the Records of Mount Lu, “Kangwang was Xiong Yi, the son of King Huai of Chu. When the Qin dynasty conquered the six states, the king took refuge in this valley to escape the chaos. The Qin general Wang Jian pursued him relentlessly, but suddenly a fierce storm of wind, thunder, and rain struck, preventing Wang Jian and his troops from advancing, allowing the king to escape. He then went into seclusion in the valley and never came out, hence the valley was named Kangwang Valley.” During the Datong era of the Liang Dynasty, the Taoist priest Zhang Zuanshen secluded himself in Kangwang Valley to study the teachings of Laozi, using elixirs and talismans to cure people’s ailments. Emperor Wu of Liang, in recognition of his spiritual attainment, bestowed upon it the name “Kangwang Temple.”

Backed by steep cliffs and overlooking a clear stream that mirrors the surroundings, Kangwang Temple is surrounded by towering ancient trees, making it an ideal place for Taoist practice and alchemy. In the Xining era of the Song Dynasty, it was also granted the name “Jingde Temple.” It was later destroyed during warfare in the Jianyan era but was relocated and rebuilt to the west of Bailong Bay, where it flourished with incense offerings. Beside the temple stands a thousand-year-old Pearl Cypress tree. Legend has it that the tree was once burned by bandits and withered, but was revived after a mysterious person placed an alchemical pill into a crack in the trunk. The Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian scholar Zhu Xi and Taoist theorist Bai Yuchan both visited the site and composed poems describing its magnificent architecture and breathtakingly beautiful scenery.