Chaotian Temple

Chaotian Temple

Chaotian Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Yongding District.

【Chaotian Temple】

It was built on Chaotian Mountain within the Zhangjiajie scenic area. “The mountain is named Chaotian, meaning to look up to heaven and earth.” Chaotian Mountain stands at an elevation of 1,227.3 meters and features extremely steep terrain. The original site of the temple was located on a nearby mountain, not far from its current location, where it endured several calamities over time and was nearly reduced to ruins. During the Kangxi era, a monk named Xingzuo came to Chaotian Temple to engage in ascetic practice and relocated the temple to its current site, thus restoring the temple to its former appearance. In the Qianlong era, local villagers from the Li family discovered a bronze statue of the God Zhenwu while plowing their fields and enshrined it in the temple. From then on, the temple’s reputation spread far and wide, and incense offerings flourished. Afterward, through multiple renovations, the temple expanded to a scale of three courtyards and two halls, encompassing more than 20 rooms, covering a total area of over 1,900 square meters, becoming another renowned ancient temple in Wuling. Chaotian Temple stands out for its unique architectural artistry; the temple is surrounded by enclosing walls, and its doors, windows, pillars, and plaques feature rocky structures all adorned with carvings. The statues of deities are all richly colored and gilded. During the Republican era, Chaotian Temple was damaged by bandits, and today only some stone walls and the mountain gate remain. There are 17 large and small gateways and 42 stone inscriptions from various dynasties.