Shuangfeng Chan Temple

Shuangfeng Chan Temple

Shuangfeng Chan Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Shuangfeng Chan Temple. Shuangfeng Mountain is located in Toutang Township, Wugang City, about 8 kilometers from the urban area. It got its name because its shape resembles “two phoenixes facing the rising sun.” The Hongjue Temple of Shuangfeng Chan Temple is nestled within its embrace. Hongjue Temple was first built in the late Song Dynasty. In the second year of the Shunzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1645 AD), Master Miaosui from Qushan, Yunnan, came to Wugang, chose to sit “on the wild grass and beg for alms with a bowl on a mat,” and used the donations he collected to rebuild Shuangfeng Temple.

According to records, in the second year of the Kangxi reign (1663 AD), with the assistance of Magistrate Wu Congqian, the temple was expanded to include structures such as the Mahavira Hall, Abbot’s Quarters, Scripture Recitation Tower, Bell Tower, and Sutra Depository, covering an area of 300 mu, with over 200 monks. Incense burned all day long, and the chanting of scriptures echoed continuously, making it as renowned as Shengli Temple as one of the two major Buddhist monastic complexes. Currently, the temple still retains one gate and two halls. The couplet on the gate reads: “Hong [the temple’s name] has for millennia graced this sacred mountain with a serene Buddhist abode; Jue [awakening] unites the wisdom of all directions, ascending together to bliss.” On the left slope of the temple grounds lies the stupa of Master Qushan, a stupiform stone pagoda consisting of three parts: the cloud-and-mountain stone cave base, the pedestal, the body, and the top, with a total height of 5.52 meters. Below the pedestal is an arched chamber with a stone door and rolled ceiling, serving as important physical material for the study of ancient architecture. Nearby the temple are the famous Eight Scenic Spots of Shuangfeng: Unique Peaks’ Double Beauty, Cloud-Watching Terrace, Cloudy Mountain Stone Cave, Moonlit Stone Gate, White-Robed Feast Rock, Dragon Pool Fountain, Forbidden Frog Pond Pavilion, and Silent Valley—making it a great destination for sightseeing.

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units of Hunan Province