Laiyuan Dentisi Temple

Laiyuan Dentisi Temple

Laiyuan Dentisi Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Dentisi Temple is located in the Wufeng Mountain of Hulugou Valley within the Xianguyu Scenic Area. The temple was originally built during the Tang Dynasty and renovated in the 18th year of the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing reign. The Ming Dynasty renovation stele remains well-preserved. Historically known as Little South Temple, it is collectively referred to as the South Temple along with the Greater South Temple in the valley. This temple enjoys considerable incense offerings and once housed over seventy monks in practice. Today, there are still more than ten monks, making it a legitimate site for Buddhist activities.

This temple is a branch of Mount Wutai and is recorded in the archives of Mount Wutai. At the top of the Middle Finger Peak in Wufeng Mountain, there used to be a massive bell weighing one ton. Because people didn't know how such a heavy bell was transported up there, it was called the "Flying Bell." In 1958, this bell was smashed and melted down in the furnaces during the mass steel-smelting campaign by a group of strong men. The entrance to Hulugou Valley is extremely narrow, allowing only one person to pass through at a time. Ancient cliff-path holes remain on the cliffs, and a walkway has now been built. At the cliff edge, there is a waterfall that hangs down, which requires climbing stairs to reach. It was historically known as the "Stairway Waterfall" and is one of the ancient twelve scenic spots of Laiyuan.

Although called a “temple,” Dentisi is in essence a place where Buddhism and Taoism coexist, and it is one of the famous spiritual sites in Laiyuan. Historically, both Buddhist and Taoist practices here were quite prominent. The Ming Dynasty stele in front of the temple describes the environment of Dentisi and the details of its Ming-era renovation. The current Dentisi Temple features both Buddhist and Taoist elements, with major and minor deities all present, reflecting a rather eclectic mix that mirrors the complexity of folk beliefs. Ordinary people often can’t distinguish between the many Buddhas and deities in Buddhism and Taoism, or what their respective roles are. They tend to worship together those they know and find useful for convenience. After all, both Buddhas and deities aim to save and guide the people—so they probably don’t mind too much.

The central Mahavira Hall enshrines Sakyamuni Buddha, with his two principal disciples, Ananda and Kassapa, seated in front. On either side are the attendants, namely Bodhisattva Manjushri and Bodhisattva Samantabhadra, collectively known as the “Three Venerables of Shakyamuni.” Flanking them are the two great guardians: Skanda and Guan Yu (known in Buddhism as the God of the Monastery).

The east-side side hall enshrines the True Martial Emperor, also known as the Northern Xuanwu Emperor in Taoism. Xuanwu represents the shape of the turtle and snake, which is the form of the northern celestial stars. Worship of the True Martial Emperor became popular during the Ming Dynasty because he was believed to have helped Zhu Di become emperor. The golden boy and jade girl on either side are Zhou Gong and Taohua Nü.

The west-side side hall enshrines the Dragon Kings—there are five in total. The one in the center is the Drought Dragon King, while the other four, from east to west, are: the Dragon King of the East Sea, and the Dragon Kings of the South, North, and West Seas. Originally, the Four Sea Dragon Kings acted independently, competing for territory and offerings, undermining each other and causing chaos. They would withhold rain when it was needed and send it when it wasn’t, leading to great suffering among the people. Later, the Jade Emperor sent the Drought Dragon King (the one who withholds rain) to coordinate among the Four Sea Dragon Kings—to communicate orders, manage resources, and bring about basic order. However, some Dragon Kings still lacked a strong sense of responsibility, resulting in uneven distribution of drought and flood. Some also played petty tricks or stirred up trouble between the Thunder God, Wind Goddess, and other dragons—causing random thunder, winds, and hail to disrupt others.

On the southern hillside is the statue of Guanyin. Guanyin vowed to rescue all beings from suffering before turning to face north. That’s why most Guanyin statues face south while seated, effectively looking north.

On the northern hillside is the Hall of the Three Pure Ones. The Three Pure Ones are the three supreme deities in Taoism: Yuqing Yuan Shi Tianzun (Jade Clarity Primordial Heavenly Venerable), Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun (Upper Clarity Numinous Treasure Heavenly Venerable), and Taiqing Daode Tianzun (Great Clarity Moral Virtue Heavenly Venerable). The Three Pure Ones symbolize the fundamental Dao that nurtures heaven and earth.