Yongzhou Gaoshan Temple

Yongzhou Gaoshan Temple

Yongzhou Gaoshan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Gaoshan Temple

Located on East Mountain within the urban area of Lingling District, it was originally built in the mid-Tang Dynasty and was named "Fahua Temple." During his exile in Yongzhou, the Tang Dynasty literary figure Liu Zongyuan once stayed at this temple. From the Tang to the Yuan Dynasty, the temple’s name changed multiple times, and it was renamed to its current title in the early Ming Hongwu era. The temple was destroyed by fire in the early Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty. The current buildings were reconstructed in the sixth year of the Xianfeng reign (1856). The Gaoshan Temple complex has two main sections. Statues of the “Four Heavenly Kings” are placed on either side… In the center is a statue of Amitabha Buddha, and behind the main hall is a statue of Skanda. The rear section houses the Mahavira Hall, which is a brick-and-timber structure with a gable-and-hip roof style. The hall contains a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked by eighteen vividly crafted and expressive arhats. To the lower right is the Guanyin Pavilion, and to the upper right is the abbot’s quarters; the lower left accommodates the monks’ living quarters, while the upper left is a Buddha hall dedicated to Fan Chunren. At its peak, the temple housed over 200 monks. In the evenings, the sounding of drums and bells could be heard throughout the city, historically referred to as the “Evening Bell of the Mountain Temple” or “Evening Bell of Fahua Temple,” and it was one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Yongzhou.