Rao Ping Yunfeng Temple

Rao Ping Yunfeng Temple

Rao Ping Yunfeng Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

In the northern part of Gaocheng Village, Suocheng Town, Rao Ping County, on the border of southern Guangdong, there stands a towering peak called “Yunfeng Temple.” Midway up the mountain lies an ancient temple, named after the peak as “Yunfeng Temple.” The area features lofty mountains and uniquely shaped rocks, presenting a grand and spectacular sight. Gazing at the main peak behind the temple from afar, one can see several massive rocks coincidentally clustered at the summit, resembling a tightly closed lotus bud reaching towards the sky—an extraordinary, naturally formed wonder of the world.

Rao Ping Yunfeng Temple

Yunfeng Temple was first built in the late Song Dynasty. It went through several cycles of prosperity and decline. By the time of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty, when the Regional Education Commissioner of Liangguang carried out the policy of “abolishing illicit temples and promoting community schools,” the temple was razed to the ground, leaving only broken walls. In the sixth year of the Chongzhen reign (1633), the temple was rebuilt, with its new site located to the west of the old one. The stone plaque inscribed with the temple name “Yunfeng Temple” above the mountain gate was preserved from the original structure, as it had been unearthed underground along with a wooden carved Buddha statue during the clearance of the old site. Since its reconstruction in the Ming Dynasty, hundreds of years passed until after the liberation, leaving the temple with only broken walls. In 1984, Mr. Chen Xihé, residing in Singapore, initiated a fundraising effort involving over seventy donors. With the strong support of devout believers and monastic elders, and under the leadership of nun Shi Guangcai, the temple underwent arduous reconstruction. The Great Buddha’s Hall, the mountain gate, and the side halls were rebuilt, and statues of the Buddhas were restored in gold. The temple now consists of two main structures: a front and a back hall, featuring two reception rooms, four chambers, a central courtyard, east and west corridors, and a kitchen. To the east of the temple lies a stone house, where it is said that Li Jizhai (the ancestor of Ming Dynasty official Chen Tianzi) and Cao Zong (an assistant instructor at the Imperial College during the Ming Dynasty) once studied. Towering mountains and the newly rebuilt temple evoke awe. The stone plaque above the mountain gate, inscribed with “Yunfeng Temple,” is the original ancient relic. Stepping through the gate, one encounters the laughing Maitreya Buddha, instantly relieving worldly worries. On the back wall is the statue of Skanda. Ascending the steps past the courtyard, one reaches the railing of the main hall. On the west side, there is a stone-carved couplet: “The bright moon shines between the pines; the clear spring flows over the stones.” At the center of the main hall is the “Great Buddha’s Hall,” adorned with a large black-lacquered wooden plaque with gold lettering. On both sides hang poetic couplets (refer to the “Couplet Collection” section). The hall enshrines statues of Sakyamuni, Ānanda, and Mahākāśyapa, as well as Bodhidharma and the Guardian Deity of the Monastery. In front of the hall is the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva. All statues have been restored in gold, filling the space with radiant splendor. Coupled with the lingering incense, the sound of wooden fish and scriptures, visitors feel as though they are in a celestial paradise detached from the mortal world.

Rao Ping Yunfeng Temple

Attractions of Yunfeng Temple include: Kuixing Pavilion, Chenhe Cave, Drum Rock, Lady Fortress, Lighting Hill, Heart-Holding Rock, Thunder-Striking Turtle, Armory Cave, Bell and Drum Mountain, Monkey Head Rock, and Lotus Stone.

Rao Ping Yunfeng Temple

Rao Ping Yunfeng Temple

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