Xiangguang Temple

Xiangguang Temple

Xiangguang Temple is located on Jianfeng Ridge along the northern bank of the Xiang River in Lubutou, Dong’an County. Legend has it that the temple got its name from a tall eaglewood tree growing on the edge of a cliff. It is the site of “Fragrant Pool and Green Water,” one of Wang Fuzhi’s “Ten Scenic Spots of Xiaoxiang,” and now serves as a Zen virtue culture base for Dong’an County. It is also the headquarters of the Dong’an County Buddhist Association.

The temple was built in the 48th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1783) and consists of three main halls and four wing rooms on each side. It features a brick-and-wood structure with glazed tile roofing. The front hall is dedicated to Guan Shengdi Jun (Lord Guan), housing gold-lacquered statues of Guan Yu, Guan Ping, and Zhou Cang, along with a large iron bell with a diameter of 1.5 meters in front of the statues. The middle hall is the Mahavira Hall, which contains three large ancient Buddha statues and a large iron cauldron for burning incense paper. On both sides are the 18 Arhats and the 24 Devas. The rear hall is the Guanyin Hall, which features a stone pagoda built in the 8th year of the Tongzhi reign (1869), known as the Flying Pigeon Pagoda. This seven-story, six-sided pagoda stands 12 meters tall with a base diameter of 4 meters. The wing rooms house meditation seats and scripture chanting halls, along with statues of the Maitreya Bodhisattva and the Monkey King. In front of the temple, on the riverside cliff, there is a stone-carved statue of Guanyin, carved in the 15th year of the Daoguang reign (1835), exuding a serene expression. On the rock face behind the temple are engraved the four large characters “Wo Xin Fei Shi” (My Heart Is Not Stone), each two square feet in size, with bold and powerful strokes that remain clearly visible to this day.