Yunmen Temple

Yunmen Temple

Yunmen Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Yunmen Temple: Located in the eastern part of Shaoshan, it is 20 kilometers from Mianchi County and 79 kilometers from Sanmenxia City. The Republican-era *Mianchi County Annals* recorded: “The pagoda is on Shaoshi Mountain. It is said that Elder Lei (note: this refers to an elder surnamed Lei, not the deity who controls wind, thunder, rain, and lightning) once stayed in the temple—when parts of it collapsed, they could be compared in wonder to the Eight Trigrams Stone Formation.” Also according to the Qianlong-era *Mianchi County Annals*: “During the Tang Dynasty, a man surnamed Lei from the county was fond of Buddhism. He took monastic vows at Yunmen Temple, built over a hundred stone pagodas, and later attained nirvana on Aoshan Mountain. Before his passing, he told the gathering, ‘After I die, I will become the Dragon King and bring rain.’ At the time, the region of Heluo suffered a great drought. The local people reported this to Prince Lü of Lu, who prayed at the tomb. Sure enough, abundant rain fell continuously, soaking the land thoroughly. An imperial decree was issued to build a temple in his honor, posthumously granting him the title of Duke Lei, the Radiant Savior. The Republican-era county annals also state: ‘The Temple of Duke Lei is located north of the county seat. It was built by imperial decree of Prince Lü of the Tang Dynasty. It has 98 rooms and steles recording renovations from the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, as well as three ancient cypresses.’ Although the historical records contain mythological elements, climbing to the main peak of Shaoshi Mountain and looking westward, one can indeed see a forest of stone pagodas standing atop the rugged peaks, seemingly built by human hands, forming one of the scenic highlights of the Shaoshi Mountain area. In 2005, reconstruction of Yunmen Temple began, with investments exceeding ten million yuan. After ten years, by the end of 2015, three main halls, two side halls, a bell tower, and a drum tower had all been completed. On May 1, 2015, the abbot of Shaolin Temple was invited to preside over the consecration ceremony at Yunmen Temple on Shaoshi Mountain.