Laojun Cave Taoist Temple

Laojun Cave Taoist Temple

Laojun Cave Taoist Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Chongqing Municipality.

Laojun Cave Taoist Temple is located on Laojun Mountain near Huangjueya in Nan’an District, Chongqing, and is an important Taoist temple in the city. For centuries, on the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month as well as during the Qingming Festival, pilgrims flock to the mountain while tourists enjoy spring outings. The temple is often enveloped in incense, and the mountain paths are bustling with visitors. Originally built during the Han and Three Kingdoms periods, it was formally established in the late Sui and early Tang Dynasties, spanning over 1,300 years. It was originally a Buddhist temple called “Guanghua Temple.” In the ninth year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1581), in reverence for Laozi, the founder of Taoism, it was exchanged with Tushan Temple (a temple dedicated to Yu the Great) and converted into a Taoist temple named “Taiji Palace” (commonly known as “Laojun Cave”), which at one time became a center for the Celestial Masters Taoism.

The entire temple complex of Laojun Cave is built along the mountain, with cliff carvings forming various images. The main structures are arranged in the shape of the Chinese character “Xuan” (玄), spiraling upward along the mountainside. The temple grounds cover an area of over 300 acres and house more than 30 statues. Key structures include the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, Hall of the Divine Official, Hall of Zhang Sanfeng, Hall of the Jade Emperor, Hall of Zhenwu, Hall of Lüzu, Hall of Qiu Zu, Hall of Guanyin, as well as dining halls, reception rooms, scripture halls, stages, opera towers, scripture depositories, and alchemy rooms. Among its cultural relics and historic sites, Laojun Cave, Sanfeng Cave, Chunyang Cave, Stone Monkey Cave, Three Saints Cave, and Ran Deng Cave are the most distinctive.

The Ci Hang Hall of the temple features an inscribed tablet reading “Zhenwu Preaches the Dao,” and in front of the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, there is a stone carving reading “Jade Dragon Holds the Sage.” The rock carvings depict images such as Laozi riding a green ox, King Wen of Zhou appointing his ministers, Jie Zi seeking virtuous advisors, and celestial bodies. Many inscriptions by scholars and poets adorn the cliffs, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship. The Laojun Cave Taoist Temple contains numerous cliff carvings depicting Buddhist and Taoist stories, among which the Nine Dragons Stele and Eight Trials Cliff are the most artistically valuable. There are also multiple cliff inscriptions.