Longfeng Nunnery

Longfeng Nunnery

Longfeng Nunnery is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Hunan Province.

Longfeng Nunnery is located to the south of Huaxiangpo Mountain Ridge in Zhangjiajie Forest Park. There is a section of the compact Longfeng Ancient Path, flanked by towering stone walls and lush green trees. Longfeng Nunnery is situated to the south of Huaxiangpo Mountain Ridge in Xiangzhixi, Zhonghu Township, Wulingyuan District, Zhangjiajie. Here, two mountains stand opposite each other, “with steep stone cliffs that take on the form of a coiled dragon, and emerald forests that resemble a fairy phoenix descending.” The stone peak to the right, towering a hundred meters high, strikingly resembles a phoenix—its head raised and neck stretched toward the sky, wings slightly spread as if ready to take flight. Across the valley, the peak opposite takes the shape of a dragon’s head, its visage lifted toward the azure heavens, together with the Phoenix Rock forming a scene of a dragon soaring and a phoenix flying. This matches the description of a “sacred land of true bliss where the phoenix mountain meets the dragon spring,” leading to the construction of the Longfeng Nunnery temple beside the ridge.

Longfeng Nunnery was built during the Longqing era of the Ming Dynasty and was named for its terrain resembling a dragon and a phoenix. The nunnery faces south and originally had two courtyards and three halls. Although it underwent multiple renovations during the Ming and Qing dynasties, some halls eventually collapsed or became dilapidated, and the statues of deities were damaged. Only the front hall, the left and right Dragon Gates, the left and right Phoenix Gates, and the Huaxianglu Stone Pagoda remain. Longfeng Nunnery is one of the more intact ancient architectural complexes in the scenic area, featuring distinctive Tujia sacrificial elements. It holds significant historical and architectural value, and was listed as a provincial-level cultural heritage site in Hunan Province in 2011.

(Jingxi Zouma)

Further Reading:

· Ninth Batch of Provincial-Level Cultural Heritage Sites in Hunan Province