Rao Yi Temple

Rao Yi Temple

Rao Yi Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Twenty kilometers south of Shehong County lies Liushu Town, headquarters of the renowned Chinese liquor Tuopai Qujiu. Halfway up Nantong Mountain in the southern part of town, nestled amid verdant foliage, a cluster of ancient halls, pavilions, towers, and archways peeks out from the greenery—shifting in light between dawn and dusk, their crimson walls and jade-tiled roofs exuding timeless charm. This is Rao Yi Temple, a famous open temple and Zen sanctuary in central Sichuan.

Exiting Liushu Town and ascending several hundred stone steps from the foot of Nantong Mountain, you’ll find a six-meter-high, four-tiered bluestone character repository, alongside a dragon-patterned brick memorial archway. The archway is flanked by a couplet: “The other shore flows northward, adorned with white cranes and jade pearls, shimmering left and right; this mountain is the Western Pure Land, fringed with green embankments and elm willows, renewing day by day.” The west-side gate bears the bold characters “Dragon Coiled” and “Tiger Crouched,” inscribed in the vigorous hand of a Song Dynasty luminary. The patterns and ornaments on the archway are exquisitely crafted, especially the dragon motifs entwined in swirling clouds—fluid, dynamic, and arguably masterpieces. Sadly, these rare treasures were ultimately destroyed by vulgar hands.

Twenty meters up from the archway lies a stone-paved terrace, encircled by carved bluestone balustrades, with a banyan tree on each side casting cooling shade in summer. Behind the trees stands the main gate, where two ancient stone lions carved during the Qianlong era once flanked the entrance but have since been lost. On either side of the gate hang wooden plaques inscribed in running script with the characters “Zen Grove” and “Golden Chestnut Grove,” credited to the Ming Dynasty artist Dong Qichang for their serene and graceful brushwork. The gate’s soaring corners and intricate details showcase exquisite craftsmanship.

Entering through the main gate, there was once the Heavenly King Hall, adorned with a couplet on its wooden plaque: “Maitreya Buddha laughs at all beings—when will they find awakening? Shakyamuni pities the lost—when will his compassion cease?” Flanking the hall were elevated walkways, beyond which stood the bell and drum towers. A massive bell, roughly four meters tall and weighing over two tons, bore numerous inscriptions. In Rao Yi Temple’s heyday, its clear chimes resonated across the entire Liushu area.

Beyond the Heavenly King Hall lies a courtyard, behind which stands the temple’s principal structure—the Mahavira Hall. Inside are three colossal Buddha statues, flanked by solemn rows of the Eighteen Arhats. The hall’s walls feature large murals depicting lifelike figures reaching two meters in height, regrettably lost during the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution. Built in the ninth year of the Ming Yongle era, the hall spans 330 square meters, with beams eight meters high and a roof crest and ridge totaling two meters, bringing the total height to ten meters. It employs China’s traditional post-and-lintel bracketing system, where clever leverage principles interlock components seamlessly without a single iron nail, forming a cohesive whole. Beneath the eaves, 36 pairs of bracket arms (“sparrow mouths”) are adorned with triple layers of colorful cylindrical patterns. The roof ridge features hollow ceramic tile designs, centered with a glazed finial strung with beads, while two dragons coil around the ridge, their heads opposing the finial and tails soaring upward to form a colossal brush rest. Their bodies are inlaid with shards of blue-and-white porcelain bowls that glint in the sunlight. The entire roof structure, ancient yet elegantly designed, has endured wars, wind, and sun for five centuries unscathed, making it the sole surviving exquisite Ming Dynasty architectural masterpiece in Shehong County. To the right of the Mahavira Hall lies a fragmented stele chronicling the temple’s construction history and rise and fall.

Behind the Mahavira Hall stands the Jade Emperor Tower, built in the 26th year of the Ming Wanli era. Covering 200 square meters, the tower originally housed 68 murals, mostly inspired by *The Investiture of the Gods*—some were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, leaving 37 intact. The bracket arms throughout the tower are painted with vibrant floral patterns of remarkable beauty.

To the right of the Jade Emperor Hall is the Guanyin Hall, also spanning 200 square meters. At the center of its roof ridge stands a hollow seven-tiered ceramic tile archway, 180 centimeters tall, with four pottery figurines mounted atop the dragons—more intricately crafted than those in the Mahavira Hall. The hall’s front courtyard features two century-old osmanthus trees.

Rao Yi Temple boasts a long history. Historical records indicate that Nantong Mountain had temples in ancient times, repeatedly ravaged by war and leaving no verifiable traces. In the ninth year of the Ming Yongle era, local scholar Yang Congyi, who served as an official in the Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Works after passing the imperial exams, returned home and donated his salary to rebuild the temple and statues—marking the temple’s revival. Years later, his grandson Yang Tongsan followed his legacy, shaved his head to become a monk, and painstakingly expanded the temple. During the Qing Dynasty, with economic recovery and relative social stability, the temple flourished, its estates multiplying several times over. It was rebuilt during the Yongzheng to Qianlong eras and extensively renovated in the Guangxu period.

Over the centuries, Rao Yi Temple produced many eminent monks. Notable figures include Master Jiongzhu, who resided here during the Qing Jiaqing era; Master Guangxin, brother of the local Confucian scholar Liu Guangmo; Master Cailing, who delved deeply into Buddhist philosophy during the Guangxu era; and Master Daren, who earned a master’s degree in Buddhism and was active in the first half of the 20th century.

In the 1950s, amid political upheaval, Rao Yi Temple was denounced as feudal remnants. The Cultural Revolution dealt an even heavier blow, with countless precious buildings, steles, and murals destroyed, monks scattered, and the centuries-old temple’s splendor vanishing. Fortunately, history’s tide is irreversible—decades later, the temple reopened, and Buddhism’s light shone anew.

“Famed figures fade like fleeting clouds, yet ten thousand lotus blossoms ride the waves, refusing to drift east with the river; enlightened beings preach the Dharma, reviving barren lands with the refreshing breath of the west.” Today, ascending the ancient temple offers sweeping views of Liushu’s fields and historic ferry crossings, refreshing the spirit. The Fu River flows gently eastward like a silk ribbon, inspiring awe, transcendence, and boundless contemplation before the timeless landscape.

Protected Area: East to 10 meters beyond the temple gate’s drip line to the slope base; west to 50 meters beyond the Guanyin Hall’s rear eave drip line; south to 50 meters beyond the Arhat Hall; north to 50 meters beyond the mountain road.

Construction Control Zone: Eastward extension to 2 meters west of Dafu Road; westward to 3 meters beyond the hilltop; southward and northward extensions of 50 meters each.

Tuopai Town: In 2019, Qingdi Township was abolished, and its administrative area was merged into Tuopai Town. The Tuopai Town People’s Government is located at No. 714 Binjiang Road.

Liushu Town, commonly called “Liushu Tuo,” is located at the southern tip of Shehong County and is the birthplace of China’s famed liquor—Tuopai Qujiu. The Mianyu Expressway runs through the town, 18 kilometers from the county seat and 40 kilometers from Suining. Covering 73 square kilometers with 32,085 mu of arable land, the town has a population of over 70,000 and nearly 20,000 households. Major agricultural products include rice, cotton, oilseeds, wheat, sweet potatoes, corn, hogs, poultry eggs, fruits, and vegetables… More details on Tuopai Town++

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units