Shuangliu Temple

Shuangliu Temple

Shuangliu Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Shuangliu Temple in Sanrao Town, the ancient county seat of Raoping County, is the foremost of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Raoping” and a renowned temple in eastern Guangdong. It was established before the Song Dynasty (960–1279), and its reconstruction was approved on October 23, 1996. Construction officially began in August 1999, and the Mahavira Hall was completed in 2001. This thousand-year-old temple will be even more magnificent and splendid upon its restoration.

The temple is located at the northern foot of Hemen Mountain (also known as “Pagoda Mountain”) in the southern suburbs of the ancient town. It got its name because the Shangrao Stream and the Xintang Stream converge in front of the temple. Shuangliu Temple was built before the Song Dynasty and has a long history. According to historical records such as the Qing Dynasty’s *Hanjiang Chronicles* and the *Raoping County Annals*, Wang Shipeng (styled Meixi), the top scholar of the Song Dynasty and an academician of the Dragon Diagram Pavilion, visited Chaozhou during his tenure as prefect of Quanzhou. There, he toured Shuangliu Temple with Qiu Junyu, who had previously served as prefect of Meizhou. Impressed by the beautiful surrounding landscape and the strategic terrain, Wang prophesied that “this place will surely flourish in distant times,” and inscribed the famous words: “In times of severe drought, this place yields half a harvest; in times of chaos, this place remains untroubled.” The original temple building was 10 meters wide and 25.4 meters deep. Its front gate tower was majestic, inscribed with the words “Shuangliu Temple.”

In the 13th year of the Ming Chenghua era (1477 AD), this area was developed as the site of a new county seat and named “Raoping” (meaning “prosperous and peaceful”), in accordance with the inscription on the Meixi stele. Historical records indicate that the original Sanliu Temple (later known as Shuangliu Temple) was built along the mountain slope and divided into three sections. Its main structures included the mountain gate, front hall, rear hall, and left and right meditation rooms. The stone plaque above the mountain gate bore the three large characters “Shuangliu Temple,” flanked by the couplet: “Twin streams drift like jade ribbons; flowing waters mirror the compassionate boat.” The temple also had osmanthus trees planted in the Song Dynasty and camellias planted in the Ming Dynasty, giving rise to another couplet: “Song-era osmanthus serves the Buddha on the altar; Ming-era camellias offer their fragrance to Bodhi.” Later, due to wars and natural disasters, the temple fell into disrepair, though its historic relics remained. Surrounded by mountains and water, the area boasts beautiful scenery. The Wenming Ancient Pagoda stands majestically atop the peak of Hemen Mountain (now called Pagoda Mountain). The mountain is covered with lush forests and crisscrossed with winding paths, and features attractions such as “Nine-Turn Immortal Trail,” “Immortal Stone Cliff,” and “First Mountain,” where ancient stone inscriptions by calligraphers remain, all vigorous and powerful. In this era of peace and prosperity, with harmonious governance and flourishing Buddhist activities, since 1995, overseas Chinese, devotees from all directions, and the people of Raoping have eagerly anticipated the restoration of the ancient Shuangliu Temple to share in its spiritual blessings. The government responded to public opinion by approving the reconstruction and designating Pagoda Mountain as a tourist scenic area. Reconstruction work commenced on October 26 of the same year. With the support of visionary individuals and devotees, the first phase — including infrastructure development and temporary facilities — was successfully completed. On the first day of the eighth lunar month in 1996, a grand “Welcoming the Buddha” ceremony and the “Foundation-Laying” ceremony for Shuangliu Temple were held. In August 1999, construction of the Mahavira Hall officially began, and by 2002, the grand and magnificent hall was completed.

The reconstructed Shuangliu Temple is grand in scale and majestic in presence. Built against the mountain across four terraced levels, the project has a total investment of 15 million yuan and covers an area of 80 acres, including 40 acres for the main buildings. A famous temple nestled in a renowned town complements one another beautifully. The temple is built against the mountain, backed by the pagoda and facing the twin streams, exuding tranquility and serenity. The Buddhist halls, pavilions, precious trees, renowned flowers, and cliff inscriptions all contribute to its distinctive style. The verse “Twin streams drift like jade ribbons; flowing waters mirror the compassionate boat” has attracted countless pilgrims and tourists from home and abroad for centuries to worship and admire the mountain and water scenery.

Source: Chaozhou Government Website

Sanrao Town: Once the seat of Raoping County, Sanrao Town is located in the central-northern part of Raoping and has long been a key trade hub between Fujian and Guangdong provinces, as well as a vital transportation junction between Meizhou and Chaozhou cities. It is a famous ancient town in eastern Guangdong. The town covers a total area of 84.5 square kilometers and has a population of over 50,000. Sanrao Town is rich in water resources, with an average annual rainfall of 1,800 mm. It has the medium-sized Shengli Reservoir upstream and the Tangxi Reservoir downstream, offering great potential for hydroelectric development. The town has 17,300 mu of arable land and 73,000 mu of mountainous land, making it an ideal location for developing high-yield, high-quality, and high-efficiency agriculture. Currently, the town is implementing a project to convert 10,000 mu of land... More details about Sanrao Town++