Qingmeng Temple

Qingmeng Temple

Qingmeng Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Qingmeng Temple

Qingmeng Temple (Sixth Batch of National Protected Sites)

Era: Yuan to Qing Dynasties

Address: East of Tielu Village, 12.5 km northeast of Gaoping City

According to the Qing-era "Gaoping County Annals": "Jin Jizhizhen, also known as Dongmingzi, traveled to the Five Sacred Mountains during the Huangtong era. Upon returning, he told his relatives, 'Life is but a dream,' and thus donated his residence to establish a temple named Qingmeng." The temple was thus named. It was first built in the sixth year of the Jingding era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1211), and the existing structures are mainly from the Yuan and Ming Dynasties.

The temple faces south and has a two-courtyard layout. Existing structures include: the Mountain Gate, Hall of the Three Officials, Hall of the King of Hell, Hall of the Three Pure Ones, Jade Emperor Tower, along with side rooms, bell and drum towers, and wing halls on both sides. The Hall of the Three Pure Ones is the main building of the temple, dating back to the Yuan Dynasty. It features a width of three bays, a depth of six rafters, a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, glazed tile edging, and decorative roof ridge ornaments. The front eaves have bracket sets with single kneelers; the interior structure consists of overlapping brackets supporting beams and columns from the Yuan and early Ming periods. The hall’s murals depict Taoist stories and are rendered in the form of color paintings on plaster walls.

Inside the temple, there is one founding stele erected in the second year of the Zhongtong era of the Yuan Dynasty (1261), and two renovation steles from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units