Chongqing Laojun Cave

Chongqing Laojun Cave

Laojun Cave is located on a mountain about 2 kilometers east of Shangxin Street in Nan’an District and is one of the scenic spots in the Nanshan Scenic Area. It was first built during the Tang Dynasty under the name Guanghua Temple, a Buddhist temple. In the ninth year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1581), to pay homage to Laozi, the founding figure of Taoism, it was swapped with Tushan Temple at Dayu Temple and turned into a Taoist temple named “Taiji Palace” (commonly known as “Laojun Cave”), which at one point even served as a center for the Celestial Masters Taoism.

It was destroyed during wars in the late Ming Dynasty but later rebuilt by Taoist priests. During the Daoguang, Tongzhi, and Guangxu reigns of the Qing Dynasty, it underwent several renovations and expansions. Laojun Cave currently consists of nine halls and eight caves. Its architectural layout makes full use of the natural terrain, with halls built along the mountain and statues carved directly into cliffs. The mountain gate faces south and is shaped like an eight-character archway, constructed from brick and stone directly on the cliff face. Above the lintel niche is painted a Taiji diagram, with a relief sculpture on each side: the left depicts “A White Crane Carrying Laozi,” while the right shows “A Green Ox Ascending into the Clouds.” Starting from the mountain gate, the structures are arranged in a spiral pattern resembling the “Xuan” character (玄), spreading out layer by layer along the cliffs and ascending upwards. There are a total of nine halls: the Hall of the Three Pure Ones, the Hall of Civil and Martial Deities, the Hall of Guanyin, the Hall of Lüzu, the Hall of Zhenwu, the Hall of Sanfeng, the Hall of Qiu Zu, the Hall of Doumu, and the Hall of the Jade Emperor. All are designed in traditional Chinese garden style, featuring upturned eaves and ornate ridges, making them highly picturesque. At the summit of the mountain, there is also a cliff carving depicting “Laozi Riding a Green Ox Through the Hangu Pass.” Inside the temple, there are cliff carvings illustrating stories from both Buddhism and Taoism, among which the Nine-Dragon Stele and the Eight Tribulations Rock reliefs are particularly precious. There are also numerous other cliff inscriptions.

In addition, on Laojun Slope near the Laojun Cave scenic area, remains of a Neolithic site have been discovered, and the unearthed stone tools serve as valuable historical evidence.