Jiangjin Shuangfeng Temple

Jiangjin Shuangfeng Temple

Jiangjin Shuangfeng Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Chongqing Municipality.

Shuangfeng Temple is located in Shuangfeng Village, about 15 kilometers south of Zhongshan Town. Originally named Jingde Temple, it was later renamed after the twin peaks of Chaqi Mountain behind it. According to inscriptions within the temple, it once ran a school called “Shuyuantou” in Taihechang and owned extensive temple lands across dozens of miles around the temple. At its peak, it housed as many as five hundred warrior monks alone. Since ancient times, there has been a saying, “Above is Shuangfeng (Temple), below is Zhuyang (Temple).” It is one of the few well-preserved, multi-courtyard Zen temples in the surrounding regions, including Xishui in Guizhou, Hejiang in Sichuan, Jiangjin and Qijiang in Chongqing.

According to Qing Dynasty stone inscriptions that still exist today, the temple was built around the end of the Tang Dynasty. It underwent renovations during the Ming Dynasty and the Kangxi and Daoguang eras of the Qing Dynasty, but the exact period of its initial construction has not been scientifically verified and remains unknown.

The surviving ancient architecture covers an area of approximately 6,500 square meters, with over a hundred rooms, including about 90 rooms inhabited by residents and about 3,500 square meters of temple buildings. The main structures are made of earth, wood, and post-and-lintel framing, topped with small green tiles. The temple consists of four halls: the first hall is the Maitreya Hall, the second is the Chuanzhu Hall, the third is the Mahavira Hall, and the fourth is the Patriarch Hall. Each hall enshrines exquisitely carved stone statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas with distinct expressions and remarkable craftsmanship.

The main hall features an earth-and-wood structure with a flush-gable roof and arched, upturned firewalls. The beam framework uses five pillars: the front section employs a hooked vault with struts, the middle uses two arch beams supported by camel hump braces, and the rear has five crossbeams and four pillars, none of which reach the ground but are instead placed on the backs of toad-shaped ridges.

There are over 30 stone column bases of various sizes in the temple, some carved with patterns of figures, animals, flowers, and plants—all uniquely shaped, lifelike, and exquisitely crafted. In front of the temple lies a grand pathway of massive stone slabs, stretching 500 steps all the way to the upper reaches of the Sunxi River. These stone slabs are 1.2 meters long, 0.7–0.8 meters wide, and 0.2 meters thick. Legend has it that in the past, anyone who wished to become a monk at the temple had to be able to carry one such large stone slab and lay one step of the stone staircase before being ordained. Next to the temple lies a large, well-preserved ancient tomb complex consisting of five former abbot tombs and 155 Ming Dynasty monk tombs.

Shuangfeng Temple includes the temple complex, auxiliary courtyards, three stone steles, and six tombs.

Scenic Area Address: Shuangfeng Village, 15 kilometers south of Zhongshan Town, Jiangjin District, Chongqing

Transportation: Take a bus from Chongqing to Jiangjin, then transfer to a bus headed for Zhongshan Town at the Jiangjin Bus Terminal. From Zhongshan Town, take a minibus to Shuangfeng Village.

Zhongshan Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Jiangjin City. Around 1949, it was known as Sanhe Township; in 1958, it became a commune; in 1980, it was renamed Zhongshan Commune; in 1984, it was established as Zhongshan Township; and in 1993, it was upgraded to a town. Located in the southern part of the city, it is 48 kilometers from the municipal government. Covering an area of 56 square kilometers with a population of 18,000, it has road access. The town administers 13 village committees: Xinpu, Xujia, Youjia, Yan Kou, Tonglin, Changle, Shatian, Shengtian, Zhengba, Niuyan, Chuandong, Longxiang, and Yur*R, as well as one neighborhood committee: Sanhe. Local industries include hydropower, food processing, and woodworking. Agricultural products mainly consist of rice, silkworm cocoons, and live pigs. Forest resources... More details about Zhongshan Town++

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Chongqing Cultural Relic Protection Units