Chongqing Luohan Temple

Chongqing Luohan Temple

Chongqing Luohan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Luohan Temple is situated on Minzu Road in Yuzhong District and is one of the key Buddhist temples in Han Chinese regions. The Chongqing Buddhist Association is based here. Established during the Zhiping era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1064–1067), it was originally called Zhiping Temple and was built around the Luohan Cave. *Records of Scenic Spots in Shu* states: “Zhiping Temple… has the Luohan and Xiantian caves, both ancient.” Inside the temple, the over 20-meter-long Ancient Buddha Rock features more than 400 cliff-carved Buddhist statues from the Song Dynasty, including the Reclining Buddha (commonly known as the “Sleeping Buddha”), Guanyin statues, and donor figures—all of which bear a strong resemblance to the stone carvings at Baoding Mountain in Dazu.

The Mahavira Hall of Luohan Temple houses many Buddhist art treasures, such as the Sixteen Arhats—statues representing the sixteen best disciples of Shakyamuni Buddha; Ming Dynasty bronze statues of the “Three Saints of the West”; a Burmese jade carving of the Buddha’s enlightenment; and a mural copied from Indian art depicting the “Shakyamuni Leaving the Palace to Renounce the World.” The scripture depository on the temple grounds stores a large collection of Buddhist scriptures, Sanskrit and Tibetan texts, as well as ancient books and calligraphy paintings, most of which are treasures from the Tang and Ming Dynasties. The Hall of Arhats contains 524 clay sculptures, all intricately crafted with lifelike expressions. Devotees often visit to count the arhats as a form of fortune-telling.

The history of Luohan Temple dates back to the Zhiping era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1064–1067) or even earlier. According to *Old Records of Scenic Spots in Shu*, “The temple bears a stone inscription reading ‘Western Mountain Buddha,’ alongside the name of its founding monk, Yu Yue. Monk Yu Yue was a monk during Emperor Zhiping’s reign in the Song Dynasty.” Master Yu Yue founded the temple and named it “Zhiping Temple” after the era name of Emperor Yingzong of Song, Zhao Shu. However, Qing Dynasty scholar Long Weilin wrote in *A Proposal to Restore the Scripture Depository*, “Encircled by ancient halls and a clear pond, the path winds through rocky crevices. Since the Tang Dynasty, grand halls have stood tall, surpassing worldly dust,” suggesting an alternative “Tang Dynasty origin.”

Which of these two accounts is true remains unknown. But that doesn’t matter—the important thing is that this ancient temple has endured a thousand years of storms and still thrives with incense and worshippers.

What Luohan Temple has lost is not just the story of its founding origins. Over the centuries, the temple has risen and fallen repeatedly, its fortunes waxing and waning. These historical episodes fade like the lingering echoes of chanting, leaving only scattered fragments for later generations to sigh over.

During the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty (1426–1435), a monk named Xi’an built monastic quarters, side rooms, and a lotus pond on the barren land of West Buddha Rock to host visitors. A sunflower planted behind the quarters was fragrant and elegant, earning Xi’an the nickname “Monk White Sunflower.” The Ancient Buddha Rock was constructed in the first year of the Jiajing era (1522).

In the fifth year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1666), Governor Li Guoying oversaw its restoration, and it was rebuilt again in the seventeenth year of the Qianlong era (1752).

In 1912, Monk Haiqing further expanded the Dharma Hall, Ordination Hall, Meditation Hall, Guest Hall, and Dining Hall, giving Luohan Temple greater scale.

The name “Luohan Temple” originated in the eleventh year of the Guangxu era (1885), when the then-abbot, Monk Longfa, modeled after the Arhat Hall of Baoguang Temple in Xindu, Sichuan, and built a hall of 500 Luohans within the temple. This greatly enhanced the temple’s reputation.

The rise and fall of the Arhat Hall reflect, to some extent, the temple’s own prosperity and decline. During the Anti-Japanese War, in July 1940, the temple was bombed by Japanese aircraft, reducing it to ashes with only the main gate and the Ancient Buddha Rock carvings remaining. Soon after, over twenty monks braved enemy fire to begin rebuilding the temple and the Arhat Hall amid the ruins. By 1947, under the leadership of Abbot Zongxian, the main hall, scripture depository, Arhat Hall, and the mountain gate archway were restored.

During the Cultural Revolution, Red Guards stormed into the Arhat Hall and smashed the 500 Luohans into pieces. Even the pedestals holding the statues were shattered. In that era, faith, Buddhism, sacredness, history, and dignity were all ruthlessly overturned amidst the fervor of youth—let alone 500 mere sculptures symbolizing spiritual meaning.

Just as the Red Guards were about to climb the stairs to destroy the Mahavira Hall, the stairs suddenly collapsed. Someone arrived in time to prevent an even more complete destruction. Today, when followers of the temple recount this folk tale, they prefer to believe it was the manifestation of the bodhisattvas.

On May 1, 1986, Luohan Temple witnessed another grand event in its thousand-year history. After two years of restoration, the Arhat Hall reopened. On the day of the consecration ceremony for the 500 Luohans, over 300 elders and devotees from various temples in Sichuan gathered under the leadership of Master Kuanlin, then-president of the Sichuan Buddhist Association and abbot of Chengdu Wenshu Monastery, to pray for the everlasting dharma and world peace.