LanChi Temple

LanChi Temple

LanChi Temple is a national key cultural relics protection unit.

LanChi Temple, also known as Lan Pool Temple or South Pool Temple, is situated in Yuchi Bay, Nanchi Village, Tashan Town, Santai County. It is 8 kilometers from the Mianyan Highway, 10 kilometers from Tashan Town, and 30 kilometers from Santai County. The great poet of the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Du Fu, once visited the site and wrote poems including “Inscription on the Wall of the Meditation Chamber of the Xuanwu Master.” The site preserves an ancient architectural complex comprising the Worship Hall, Daiyue Hall, and the east and west upper and lower side chambers, with a total construction area of over 1,800 square meters and covering an area of 8,991.85 square meters.

In 1993, Tashan Town’s LanChi Temple was designated a county-level cultural heritage site by the Santai County People’s Government; in October 1999, it was proclaimed a city-level cultural heritage site by the Mianyang Municipal People’s Government; and in 2006, it was listed as a provincial-level cultural heritage site by the Sichuan Provincial People’s Government.

The layout of LanChi Temple is fairly intact, with relatively clear functional zoning. The roof ridge ornaments retain the folk style of northwestern Sichuan, showcasing strong local characteristics. The building’s beams and brackets preserve the wooden framework of the early Ming and Qing periods, with inscriptions from the Qing Dynasty found on the beams. It provides solid physical evidence for studying Ming and Qing temples not just in Mianyang but throughout Sichuan, and holds high value for cultural relics research.

The Han bricks, Tang Dynasty steles, Song Dynasty cliff inscriptions at the “Fairy Cave,” plaques inscribed and gifted by officials such as Chai Heshan, the governor of Tongchuan during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, along with features like the Naihe Bridge (Bridge of No Return) and Wangxiang Platform (Platform to Gaze Homeward), and the naturally and culturally significant landscapes represented by the "Stone Forest," all possess considerable historical and artistic value.

Culturally, LanChi Temple holds a reputation comparable to that of Chongqing's Fengdu Ghost City. It is often poetically referred to as “Zizhou Fengdu.” Its temple fair, characterized by the Zhongyuan Festival held annually from the first to the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, boasts a long history and enduring popularity.

The LanChi Temple Fair is a folk cultural event that integrates religious worship, entertainment, performances, and trade. Throughout the year, eight major fair periods are celebrated. During the fairs, professional performance troupes—both local and from other regions—are invited to stage programs such as Sichuan opera, song and dance, and lion dances, where traditional folk culture blends seamlessly with modern forms. Vendors gather, while tourists and worshippers flock in droves, creating a bustling and lively atmosphere.

On October 7, 2019, LanChi Temple was included in the eighth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Protected Area: To the north: 50 meters from the exterior of the Guanyin Hall to the back cliff of Yulong Mountain; to the south: 40 meters from the Shanmen (Mountain Gate) to the outside of the Bagua Pavilion; to the east: 11 meters from the left of the Shanmen at Wugui Mountain; to the west: 29 meters from the right of the Shanmen to Miaozi Bay.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 20 meters outward to the east, south, and west of the protected area, with the northern boundary remaining the same as the protected area.

Nanchi Village: Nanchi Village…… More details about Nanchi Village++

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units