Xiangcheng Five Sacred Mountains Temple

Xiangcheng Five Sacred Mountains Temple

Xiangcheng Five Sacred Mountains Temple is a national AA-level tourist attraction and a cultural tourism destination.

Xiangcheng Five Sacred Mountains Temple is located in Dingying Township, Xiangcheng County, and is a municipal-level cultural heritage site.

Legend has it that in ancient times, Baininggang was a flat plain. One night, for unknown reasons, a deep chasm split the earth, and many spirit-infused, malevolent cracked rocks emerged, disturbing the locals' peace and sleep. To subdue the strange rocks and eliminate the evil, an immortal deliberately borrowed a hundred plowing oxen from the village at the foot of the hill to move a mountain ridge to fill the chasm and suppress the demons, thus restoring peace to the region. The story of the immortal borrowing a hundred oxen to move a mountain spread far and wide, and the hill was henceforth named "Bainiu Hill" (Hundred Oxen Hill).

During the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, political instability and widespread suffering plagued the land, and the hill became a haunt for bandits who robbed and killed, causing roads to be deserted and villages to fall into chaos. Commander Du Baining was ordered to lead troops to suppress the outlaws here. In his honor, Bainiu Hill was renamed Baining Hill.

The Five Sacred Mountains Temple was first built during the Han Dynasty, took shape in the Jin Dynasty, and underwent renovations through successive dynasties, experiencing periods of prosperity and decline. At its peak, it comprised over 100 halls of varying sizes, forming an expansive temple complex with majestic architecture, red walls, green tiles, and resplendent golden rooftops. Towering pines and cypresses and lush flowers and trees shaded the grounds. The temple enshrined all heavenly, earthly, marine deities, as well as the sun, moon, and universal spirits, earning it the title “The Divine Imperial Capital of Central China” and making it a renowned Taoist site in the Central Plains. Ye Bingnan of the Qing Dynasty composed a poem titled “Spring Tour of the Five Sacred Mountains”:

In the sunny spring month on Baining Ridge, bustling crowds busy burning paper.

Leading the crowd, Zhang Ting comes to worship the mist; bringing friends, Wei Wu enters the imperial hall.

The hundred divine halls wind around in circles; every hall of the Five Sacred Mountains is splendid and auspicious.

May the people of the world awaken to the true path, and may calamities never arise again.

Due to wars and historical reasons, all structures in the temple were destroyed. After 1988, reconstruction began gradually on the original site, resulting in 25 newly built halls and 170 temple rooms, covering a construction area of 22,700 square meters. The halls are arranged in an orderly and majestic fashion. The main gate is inscribed with “Five Sacred Mountains Temple,” and there is a side gate on the west side inscribed with “Baininggang.” The living quarters of the Taoist priests within the courtyard are refined and elegant, surrounded by blooming flowers and trees. Stone carvings by famous figures such as Wang Xizhi, Huang Tingjian, and Zheng Banqiao add cultural and historical depth to the temple.