Simian Mountain Chaoyuan Temple

Simian Mountain Chaoyuan Temple

Located halfway up Qixing Dian Dou on Chaqi Mountain, at an altitude of 1,382 meters in Simian Mountain Town, Jiangjin District, Chongqing, Chaoyuan Temple was built by Yang Fuan during the Jianlong era of the Northern Song Dynasty (960–963 AD), and underwent two major renovations during the Ming and Qing dynasties, resulting in this solemn and majestic ancient temple that still stands today. The site of Chaoyuan Temple features a layout symbolizing the "Seven Stars Pointing to the Dipper," formed by the surrounding seven small hills. This design was intended to observe the will of heaven and is remarkably ingenious. Like a brilliant pearl nestled deep within the mountains, it shines brightly in the vast wilderness. Its ancient and profound religious culture, together with its grand and exquisite ancient architecture, adds a rich and vibrant touch to the wonder and beauty of Simian Mountain.

In Taoism, the scripture hall is equivalent to the Mahavira Hall in Buddhism. Although Chaoyuan Temple’s scripture hall is similar to the main halls of other temples, it has its own unique features. The scripture hall was carved directly from a single massive rock, forming an inset-style chamber. The doorway is surrounded by many round reliefs, and on the right side of the door is inscribed the “Laojun Stele Inscription,” among other peculiar characters — for example, four characters for “ox” combined together. There are many such characters at Chaoyuan Temple, but most are no longer legible. Research suggests that these unusual characters were likely created by Taoists themselves. Their meanings are now unknown, but they undoubtedly contain the profound mysteries of Taoism and are part of the unique Taoist “Three Huang Scripts.” On the left side of the door, behind the “Scripture Hall Stele Inscription,” are the words “the 40th year of the Jiajing reign of the Great Ming, year of Xin You, an auspicious day for printing,” indicating the construction date of the scripture hall (as for why the scripture hall dates to the Ming Dynasty despite the temple’s Song origins, it is because Chaoyuan Temple was initially built in the Song Dynasty but continued to develop and expand over hundreds of years, making it over a thousand years old in total).

Directly above the scripture hall are the Taoist deities Taiqing, Yuqing, and Shangqing, known as the “Three Pure Ones.” Compared to most Taoist scripture halls across the country, this one has one major distinction: it enshrines both Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) and Confucius. A single temple bringing together the Three Teachings (Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism) is still astonishing, not just in China but around the world. Therefore, Chaoyuan Temple is renowned both nationally and internationally as a millennium-old temple that embodies the unity of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

The entire structure of Chaoyuan Temple is built from strip-shaped stones. The altar at the temple gate is carved from a single, unbroken piece of stone, with a turtle and snake carved in the center — the snake coiled around the turtle, which is quite unique. This is Xuanwu, one of the Four Divine Beasts (Qinglong, Zhuque, Baihu, and Xuanwu, also referred to as the Four Spirits or Four Sacred Beasts according to *Sanfu Huangtu · Weiyang Palace*), also known as Xuanming or the “God of the North,” titled “Zhi Ming Shen Jun,” residing in the Northern Palace (Heavenly Palace). Xuanwu is distinct from the other three sacred beasts because its worship gradually expanded over time, elevating it beyond the Four Symbols to the exalted status of “Emperor.” Zhuque became the Goddess of the Ninth Heaven, while Qinglong and Baihu only served as door guardians at mountain temples, specifically protecting the gates of Taoist temples (as recorded in *Yueyang Folklore*).

The reason Chaoyuan Temple places Xuanwu, one of the Four Sacred Beasts, at the entrance hall of the temple gate is rooted in Chinese mythology, where Xuanwu symbolizes detachment, tranquility, inward reflection (or reclusion), and health preservation. Looking around, Chaoyuan Temple is situated deep in the mountains, embodying the essence of “quiet”; Taoist practitioners emphasize serenity, non-action, detachment from worldly distractions, quiet meditation, and returning to nature — reflecting the ideals of detachment and inward focus; the reason Taoists embark on the path of cultivation is to seek eternal life, transcendence to immortality, and ascension to the ranks of the immortals — which reflects the health-preserving aspect of Xuanwu. Moreover, Xuanwu is the Emperor of the Four Spirits, enjoying even broader reverence. Therefore, it is only natural that Chaoyuan Temple places Xuanwu in such an important position.

Around the altar are reliefs and inscriptions, including one of a qilin (a mythical unicorn-like creature) treading on a sword, with a gourd hanging from the blade, walking on clouds. Both the sword and the gourd are symbols of Taoism, and this cloud-walking qilin represents the scene of Taoist priests ascending to the ranks of the immortals. The inscriptions around the relief are naturally formed, dignified in form, and exhibit powerful calligraphic strokes — possessing very high artistic value among stone carvings. On the left side of the altar is carved the phrase “Wudang Xinggong” (Wudang Traveling Palace). In ancient times, a traveling palace was a residence used by emperors during their tours across the country. Here, the term serves a similar function, as it was an important traveling palace of the Wudang Sect leader. Few Taoist temples across the country have earned the title “Xinggong,” which shows that Chaoyuan Temple held a remarkable status in Chinese Taoism at the time.