Xiangfeng Temple in Zhuolu

Xiangfeng Temple in Zhuolu

Xiangfeng Temple in Zhuolu is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located at the summit of Huangyang Mountain National Forest Park, Xiangfeng Temple is surrounded by open land and pine forests, with clouds and mist lingering year-round. In spring and summer, the grounds are covered in green grass, vibrant trees, and blooming flowers, alive with birdsong and the flutter of bees and butterflies. In autumn, the forest is painted in brilliant hues, and in winter, it’s blanketed in snow. From the main hall, one can take in the sweeping views of the mountain ranges. Below the hall are the chanting hall and monks' quarters, which are also wonderful spots, nestled among surrounding peaks like the heart of a lotus flower with seven petals.

Xiangfeng Temple in Zhuolu was once a thousand-year-old sacred site in northern China, though historical records beyond that are scarce. Yet its history is tangible—when you stand atop the misty mountain peak and gaze at the temple seemingly floating above the clouds, it feels as if you’ve traveled through time, experiencing a magical overlap of past and present. Here, history isn’t just about the past; the present encompasses both past and future...

In 1999, Ms. An, then over sixty years old, first visited the crumbling ruins of Xiangfeng Temple. From that moment on, her heart never left this place. Deeply attached to the temple, she resolved to rebuild it. Two months later, she arrived at Xiangfeng Temple with several fellow devotees...

To most people, the process of rebuilding Xiangfeng Temple seems unbelievable. The mountain is high and rarely visited—just one trip up or down takes four or five hours on foot. Even retrieving a single screw requires a trek of over ten miles down the mountain. Ms. An sometimes made multiple round trips in a single day. Amid the harsh natural conditions, other devotees gradually gave up and left, until only Ms. An remained. If the physical hardships were bearable, it’s unimaginable how she endured day after day in a makeshift hut on the windswept mountaintop, surrounded by wilderness and wildlife, living in a drafty shelter with leaks in every direction.

In 2001, Ms. An invested her life savings, and with the support of others, the Great Buddha’s Hall of Xiangfeng Temple was completed. In the same year, Ms. An officially took monastic vows and received the Dharma name Longqing. Venerable Longqing became the first abbess of the rebuilt Xiangfeng Temple. That same year, Ms. An’s sister also took monastic vows, receiving the Dharma name Longhua. Aside from practicing at Xiangfeng Temple, she traveled across northern China to preach the Dharma, gaining widespread recognition. The sisters’ decision to renounce a comfortable retirement life and become nuns became a widely celebrated story. Today, Xiangfeng Temple hosts monastics and lay practitioners from all over China who come to practice throughout the year.

In 2006, with the support of Mr. Jia, an entrepreneur from Hebei (who had received Dharma transmission to ordain under Master Jingkong), construction began on the Chanting Hall. It was completed and consecrated in June 2007.