Mianning Lingshan Temple

Mianning Lingshan Temple

Mianning Lingshan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Mianning Lingshan Temple is located 8 km from Mianning County, 67 km from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, and 80 km from Xichang, the capital of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. It is a provincial-level nature reserve and part of the key integrated Yihai–Lingshan Scenic Area developed by Liangshan Prefecture. Lingshan Temple is the most renowned temple in the region and, together with the famous Xichang Satellite Launch Center, is situated in Mianning County. Located 20 km east of the county town in the deep mountains on the western foothills of Xiaoxiangling, the temple gets its name from the towering mountain behind it—Lingshan, meaning “Spirit Mountain.”

The tall mountain is called Lingshan, hence the name Lingshan Temple.

Centered around Lingshan Temple, the Mianning Lingshan scenic area spans a planned protected area of 40 square kilometers. The temple was first built during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era and is now the largest religious temple complex in Mianning County. Its main structure, the Mahavira Hall, is spacious and grand, with a solemn layout. The central shrine of the front hall houses Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked by the Eighteen Arhats, while the rear hall enshrines a wooden statue of Yang Xuexin, the founding monk of Lingshan Temple, also known as Master Wuzhen. Opposite the great Buddha sits a statue of the guardian deity Weituo. It is said that while Weituo statues elsewhere are standing, the one here is seated—because Lingshan Temple is so serene that there's no need for Weituo to stand guard. At the front center of the temple is a newly built glazed-tile mountain gate. Centered around the main hall courtyard, the surrounding halls, corridors, and rooms connect seamlessly in all directions, forming an integrated ancient architectural complex. Outside the temple gate stand six towering, robust ancient pine trees, some as thick as three or four people embracing them, with tree ages of at least 200 years—they are the most iconic feature of Lingshan Temple.

Behind Lingshan Temple lies a beautiful natural park. Ancient towering trees grow there. There is also a locally famous yet still lesser-known place—Liansanhai (Three Connected Lakes). On one mountain quietly lie three lakes. It is said that the mountain also grows lingzhi mushrooms, has trickling springs, and remnants of caves left by predecessors. The lakes are home to fish that allegedly can climb trees. The lakes are quite deep, and locals have yet to conduct thorough surveys, but based merely on

accounts from some elderly residents.

Lingshan Temple was first built during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong era and is now the largest religious temple complex in Mianning County. Its main structure, the Mahavira Hall, is spacious and grand, with a solemn layout. The central shrine of the front hall houses Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked by the Eighteen Arhats, while the rear hall enshrines a wooden statue of Yang Xuexin, the founding monk of Lingshan Temple, also known as Master Wuzhen. Opposite the great Buddha sits a statue of the guardian deity Weituo. It is said that while Weituo statues elsewhere are standing, the one here is seated—because Lingshan Temple is so serene that there's no need for Weituo to stand guard. At the front center of the temple is a newly built glazed-tile mountain gate. Centered around the main hall courtyard, the surrounding halls, corridors, and rooms connect seamlessly in all directions, forming an integrated ancient architectural complex.

Historical records about Lingshan Temple can be found in local chronicles and inscribed stone tablets. The founding monk, Yang, was born Yang Xuexin, with the dharma name Wuzhen and the Buddhist title Pudu. He was a native of Longyang County, Changde Prefecture, Hunan Province. In the 47th year of the Qianlong reign (1782), he traveled to Mianning. Hearing that Dengtai Mountain was where the ancient Buddha Dipankara had practiced, he “took up his staff to visit, ascending to the summit, where indeed the sacred traces remained, and the former site was clearly visible.” Monk Yang then settled by Qinglong Pool, living in a thatched hut by the water. While continuing his practice, he began preparations to build the temple, gathering around 100 disciples from Mianning at the time. Lingshan Temple was completed around the 59th year of Qianlong’s reign (1794). The then-county magistrate Xin Dacheng inscribed the name “Xiling” (Western Spirit) for the temple, though it is more commonly known as Lingshan Temple among the people. The temple enjoyed flourishing incense offerings.

Monk Yang spent 22 years in Mianning, including nine years in the temple after its completion. He passed away peacefully in February of the 9th year of the Jiaqing reign (1804), sitting in meditation. Seven days later, when his disciples opened the shrine, they found his face radiant and lifelike. They placed his body in the Buddha hall for permanent veneration. His body had completely dried and did not decay. About 1 km to the right of the temple, in a rocky ravine, lies a naturally formed octagonal stone pedestal with a flat top. Legend says this is the meditation stone where Monk Yang “entered nirvana while seated.”

The Memorial Stupa of Monk Changhai is located in the hillside forest dozens of meters behind the main hall of Lingshan Temple. The stupa is inlaid with bluestone slabs and stands over 2 m tall. It was built in the 6th year of the Xianfeng reign (1856) during the Qing Dynasty, and is the stupa of Monk Changhai Da, the 32nd-generation master of the Caodong School.

The Meditation Site of Monk Gao is located west of the Mahavira Hall of Lingshan Temple. Crossing the Qinglong River valley and ascending a forested slope, one finds the ruins of an old temple. Behind the ruins are a roughly 10-square-meter cave and a large slate well. Legend says this is where Monk Gao, who came to Lingshan to practice with Monk Yang, built his temple. From here, one can overlook the Lingshan Temple complex.

The Tibetan Stone Carvings at Huotan Fort are located at Huotan Fort in Bafu Village, Ningyuan Township, at the northwest end of Suzhou Dam. A large prism-shaped stone, about 1 m tall and over 1 m long, features Tibetan Buddhist Gelug sect teachings titled “Six-Syllable Mantra” on the right, and on the left, a figure offering treasures for blessings. It is estimated to have been carved in the late Ming or early Qing Dynasty.

The Bon Religion Stone Stele is located in Dayakou Village, Chengxiang Town. The stele is made of granite, about 1 m tall, 0.4 m wide, and 0.15 m thick. Slightly weathered, its text and images remain clearly legible. The upper part of the stele features cloud-scroll patterns, the lower part a bas-relief of a lion, and the middle bears three lines of Tibetan script (transliterated from Sanskrit), written in an ancient and neat style. The first line contains the “Eight Syllable Mantra” of the Bon religion in Tibet.

Black Sea (also called Mo Sea) is located at the headwaters of the Zhenggou branch of the Lingshan River, at an altitude of about 3,500 m, and is shaped like a gourd. The northern and southern peaks of the lake—Liansanhai—

are capped with year-round snow. Sparse spruces cling to the cliffs, and rhododendrons grow in thickets. The eastern slope gently extends, with silver-glazed glaciers from the Xue Mountain ridge stretching into the woods. On the western side, where the water flows out, short rhododendron clusters dot the grassy banks, interspersed with rugged rocks. The lake appears black from afar but is crystal-clear and pristine up close.

Golden Sea (also called Red Sea) is composed of red igneous rock, giving the lake a reddish appearance from a distance—hence its name. Located on the eastern foothills of the main peak of Lingshan, at the source of the southern branch of the Lingshan River, Jianxigou, it sits at an altitude of about 4,000 m and is kidney-shaped, formed by two connected lakes, each covering about a hundred acres. Snow-capped peaks encircle the lake, resembling city battlements. Wisps of light cloud drift by, casting golden hues above and below, blending sky and water into one.

Liansanhai (Three Connected Lakes) is located on the western side of the watershed in the midsection of the Western Mountains where Lingshan Temple resides. It consists of three well-preserved glacial cirque landforms from the Quaternary period, forming three glacial lakes, each encircled by independent peaks. The three lakes of Liansanhai vary in shape, with crystal-clear waters reflecting the sky and clouds, creating breathtaking scenery. One of the lakes features a glacier extending toward the center, splitting the lake surface in two, resembling a Taiji diagram—an especially remarkable sight.

Gaoyang Subdistrict: In 2019, Chengxiang Town, Huiping Township, and Haha Township were abolished, and Gaoyang Subdistrict was established. Its administrative area includes the former Chengxiang Town, former Huiping Township, and the villages of Ashile and Caoxel under the former Haha Township. The Gaoyang Subdistrict Office is located at No. 35 Jiefang Road. … Gaoyang Subdistrict detailed information++

Mianning Lingshan Tourist Scenic Area