Shaolong Temple

Shaolong Temple

Local chronicles record that 4,700 years ago, the ancestor of the Chinese nation, the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan, practiced Taoism and alchemy on this mountain. When the elixir was completed, a celestial cloud appeared that was neither red nor purple, prompting the Yellow Emperor to name the mountain “Jinyun,” from which Jinyun Mountain derives its name. The “Collected Biographies of Immortals Through the Ages” in the “Orthodox Daoist Canon of the Ming Dynasty” also records: “The Yellow Emperor went there to refine stones in the Jinyun Hall and to make elixirs in the earth. When a non-red, non-purple cloud appeared, it was called Jinyun,

hence the name Jinyun Mountain.” Shaolong Temple on Jinyun Mountain was the place where the Yellow Emperor practiced alchemy and cultivation, and it is renowned for the Taoist alchemy, martial arts, medical techniques, and health preservation methods passed down from the Yellow Emperor to the present day.

Shaolong Temple was first built in the 31st year of the Chenghua era during the Ming Dynasty (1485), and has experienced several rises and declines throughout history.

In 1998, it was rebuilt under the leadership of Taoist Master Li Yi and his disciples, and is now the largest Zhengyi sect Taoist temple in southwestern China, as well as a long-established Taoist site known for health cultivation.

Shaolong Temple is nestled in the secluded valley of Jinyun Mountain, a famous health retreat over 1,050 meters above sea level. The temple faces east and covers an area of over 70 acres, with a total construction area of 5,000 square meters. It includes three main halls and six major shrines: the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, the Jade Emperor Hall, the Hall of the Divine Official, the Hall of the Primal Stars, the Goddess of Mercy Hall, and the God of Wealth Hall. It is a district-level cultural relic protection unit. Jinyun Mountain, along with Qingcheng Mountain and Emei Mountain in Sichuan, is known as one of the “Three Great Religious Mountains of Shu.” Since the time of the Yellow Emperor’s alchemy, Jinyun Mountain has always been a gathering place for culture and spirituality. Founders of Taoism such as Zhang Daoling, the Celestial Master, Chen Tuan, and Zhang Sanfeng all cultivated here. They created the “Four Wonders of Jinyun”—Taoist feasts, Taoist tea, Taoist wine, and Taoist methods—which forged the cultural style of health cultivation and spiritual practice on Jinyun Mountain.

Shaolong Temple was first built in the 31st year of the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty (1485), and has a history of over 500 years. Speaking of the origin of the name “Shaolong” (Continuing the Dragon), one must mention the Jielong Bridge (Bridge Connecting the Dragon). About a stone’s throw north of Shaolong Temple lies a deep ravine, on whose cliff are ancient stone carvings of the three characters “Jielong Qiao” (接龙桥). Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor built the bridge here to ensure the Ba people lived and worked in peace and prosperity, and to continue the dragon vein of Ba Mountain.

In 1485, lightning struck and broke the bridge, triggering a mountain flood and shaking the dragon veins of Ba Mountain. A celestial being was said to have moved a temple to the bridgehead to suppress it, naming it “Shaolong,” meaning to continue the dragon vein. Thus, the temple was named “Shaolong.” During the War of Resistance against Japan, the then-abbot, Venerable Longshu, resolutely donated all the temple’s assets to the International Red Cross to save war orphans and establish schools, and the site was turned into the “Beiquan Orphanage.” The orphanage was headed by Ms. Zhou Zhilian, one of China’s four great educators, and housed over a thousand war-displaced children. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the temple properties were severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution. On March 13, 1998, with the approval of the Beibei District Government, the foundation-laying ceremony for the restoration of Shaolong Temple was held. Construction officially began that August, took half a year, and the temple was completed and opened to the public on February 12, 1999. The rebuilt Shaolong Temple is located at the forest entrance of Jinyun Mountain, facing east and covering more than 70 acres, with three main halls and eight shrines. Its architecture is surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one, with a clear spring on the left flowing into a jade-green pool, and a wide open space to the east resembling a mountain gate standing open. Nestled among the mountains and waters, the temple resembles a grand armchair crafted by nature, embodying the Taoist ideal of being flanked by the Azure Dragon on the left and the White Tiger on the right, with auspicious clouds above and shimmering waters below—a true immortal realm.

The temple grounds are shaded by ancient trees such as ginkgo, osmanthus, and camphor, along with rare plants including acacia, monk fruit, and Alsophila. An ancient couplet from the original temple reads: “The mountain is like emerald, the water like ink-blue; the clouds float in the blue sky, the moon hangs in the pines,” demonstrating its enchanting natural scenery.

Reconstruction began in March 1998, and the temple officially opened to the public in February 1999. The temple is surrounded by mountains on three sides and water on one, with a clear spring on the left flowing into a reflecting pool, and a wide open area to the east like an open mountain gate—resembling a grand armchair framed by mountains and waters. The temple houses ancient pines, ginkgos, camphor trees, and osmanthus trees, along with clusters of nanmu bamboo, kuma bamboo, and flower bamboo, as well as rare plants like acacia and Alsophila. The rebuilt temple covers over 30 acres, and more than 8 million yuan has been invested to construct main structures including the Hall of the Divine Officials, the Jade Emperor Hall, the God of Wealth Hall, the Hall of the Primal Stars, the Goddess of Mercy Hall, the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, the mountain gate archway, the tea corridor, and the incense room. These fully showcase Taoist cultural elements—Taoist feasts, Taoist tea, Taoist exercises, and Taoist methods.

In 2000, Min Zhitang, President of the Chinese Taoist Association, visited the temple and offered important guidance on the development of Taoist discipline here.

“The temple has been renewed; one looks up to see towering halls enveloped in incense smoke. The scenery has improved even more; one takes in the lush pine forests and vibrant medicinal herbs.” The rebuilt Shaolong Temple is now radiating youthful vitality. It is not only an important religious site in Chongqing but also a major cultural attraction in the city.