Yancong Temple

Yancong Temple

Yancong Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

Yancong Temple is located on the mountainside of Shaoping Mountain in the southern part of the city, facing the county town across the river. The 1945 *Cangxi County Annals* record: "Yancong Temple is the oldest of its kind, and has been celebrated as a scenic site through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties."

A poem by Northern Song poet Wen Tong titled *Ascending Shaoping Mountain to Visit Yancong Temple* includes the line: "Layered cliffs cradle the woods, where a temple lies hidden in lush green." During the Zhengtong era of the Ming Dynasty (1435–1449), Liu Bing, an official stationed in Cangxi, wrote in his poem *Visiting Yancong Temple*: "High pavilions face the mountain, shrouded in misty clouds; winding railings by the steps are framed by verdant grass." In the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, Liu Heng, who once served as Tongzhi (vice prefect) of Changde Prefecture in Hunan Province, wrote in *Proposal for Rebuilding the Ancient Path to Yancong Temple*: "To the south of the riverside town lies an ancient monastery, long renowned as a sacred place, with bright mountains, clear waters, and lush forests... Lately, ravaged by fire and trampled by grazing cattle, its form is not only bare and stripped but even the golden corded path to enlightenment has collapsed and crumbled, making it difficult for visitors to even tread..." This text confirms that before the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty, the ancient Yancong Temple had already suffered great calamities.

The existing Yancong Temple is a wooden quadrangle structure, consisting of three main hall rooms, one west-side wing room of the front hall, and a courtyard area of 66.06 square meters. The main beam of the main hall bears the inscription "Da Qing Guangxu..." (Great Qing Guangxu era). The temple houses clay sculptures of the Three Saints of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, as well as statues of the Thousand-Armed Guanyin and the Eighteen Arhats. Ancient cypresses densely surround the temple, their shade covering the paths, creating a serene and secluded atmosphere that captivates visitors. In April 1983, the People's Government of Cangxi County designated it as a county-level cultural relic protection unit, and in July 2012, the People's Government of Sichuan Province listed it as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit.

Protected Area: Centered on the main hall, extending 30 meters eastward and westward, and 14.35 meters southward and northward.

Construction Control Zone: The protected area extends 50 meters eastward, westward, and southward, while the northern boundary remains the same as the protected area.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units