Jinhua Mountain Taoist Temple

Jinhua Mountain Taoist Temple

Jinhua Mountain Taoist Temple

Ming Dynasty

Location: Jinhua Mountain, Jinhua Town, Shehong County, Suining City, Sichuan Province

Ancient Architecture

Introduction

The Jinhua Mountain Taoist Temple is located on Jinhua Mountain, a noted scenic site in central Sichuan, within the tourism planning area of the millennia-old town of Jinhua. The mountain’s summit stands at an elevation of 381.7 meters, with a total area of 126,487.3 square meters. This temple was initially built during the Tianjian era of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties, boasting a history of over 1,500 years. It was renovated in the 16th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1677). The temple faces south and is situated against the north; in the Han Dynasty, the area was known as Yandunling. In the second year of the Ningkang era of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (374 AD), Chen Xun came to the mountain to study Taoism and built a thatched hut as a hermitage. During the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty (502–519 AD), the Jinhua Mountain Taoist Temple was constructed. After the early Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Jiuhua Temple. In the second year of the Zhiping era of the Song Dynasty (1066 AD), it was granted the title Yujing Temple. Since the late Qing Dynasty, the name “Jinhua Mountain” has been used regardless of the temple's title, and continues to this day. The temple buildings have been expanded and renovated through successive dynasties, gradually increasing in scale. The current structures mainly date from the Ming and Qing dynasties, most of which were built during the Qianlong and Guangxu eras of the Qing Dynasty. There are thirty-eight individual and complex buildings within the temple grounds. With carved beams and painted rafters, upturned eaves, splendid colors, and majestic appearance, the structures follow the mountain’s contours and ascend step by step. The front mountain buildings include, in sequence: the Front Mountain Gate Archway, Feihong Bridge, Lower Mountain Gate, Front Mountain Stone Stairs, Main Mountain Gate, Stone Pillars, Lingzu Hall, Five Plague Hall, Heavenly Master Hall, Impermanence Hall, Ten Kings Hall, Wenchang Hall, Chenghuang Hall, Dongyue Hall, Chinese Zodiac Hall, Guanyin Hall, Kitchen God Hall, Medicine King Hall, Guest Hall, Living Quarters, Dining Hall, Leisure Corridor, Ancestral Master Hall, Three Pure Ones Hall, Wealth God Hall, Loyalty and Righteousness Hall, Tea Room, Jade Emperor Tower, Guesthouse, Chunyang Hall, Laojun Hall, and Yufeng Tomb, among others. It is one of the four major Taoist temples in Sichuan Province. Throughout the ages, famous poets and calligraphers have left poems and inscriptions here.

Jinhua Town: Located on the northern edge of the central Sichuan hilly region and along the middle and western banks of the Fu River, Jinhua Town in Shehong County borders Santai County to the west. It covers an area of 99.7 square kilometers, with a total population of 60,462.

Predominantly characterized by low hills, Jinhua Town also features some flatland areas. The highest elevation is 674.4 meters (Tianbao Fort at Longdongping), and the Fu River runs through the town. The area enjoys a subtropical humid climate, with an average annual temperature of 20°C, annual precipitation of about 950 millimeters, and approximately 250 frost-free days per year.

Population Data

(Data from the Fifth National Population Census)

Total Population: 58,316

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