Yunwu Temple

Yunwu Temple

Yunwu Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Yunwu Temple, originally named Yunwu Temple (Cloud and Mist Temple), was built in the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty on the western end of Yunwu Mountain at an altitude of 1,508 meters. It earned its name due to the year-round cloud and mist shrouding the high, densely forested mountain. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, three temples were established downhill from Yunwu Temple as foothill temples serving as ascending approach points—namely, Upper Temple, Middle Temple, and Lower Temple—forming an integrated complex of four temples on one mountain. Later, the foothill temples were destroyed, leaving only ruins behind. In front of the Upper Temple, there still stands a 12-meter-tall, 2-meter-diameter podocarpus tree planted by Master Liokong himself during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty. Its gnarled branches are vigorous, casting broad shade. During the Republican era, the eminent monk Master Nenghai once practiced meditation here and translated Tibetan scriptures.

In 1943, based on Buddhist philosophy, Master Nenghai changed the original “Yunwu Temple” to “Yunwu Temple” (Temple of Cloud Enlightenment), and the name was personally inscribed by Zhao Puchu, Chairman of the Buddhist Association of China, and embedded above the temple’s mountain gate. A stupa housing the relics of Master Nenghai has been constructed beside the temple. Notably, the architectural style of the temple halls and the designs of its Buddha statues incorporate features of both Tibetan esoteric Buddhism and Han Chinese Mahayana traditions, lending the site unique aesthetic value and artistic significance. The site has also added new structures including the Thousand-Hand Guanyin Hall, the Abbott's Hall, and the Welcome Hall. A 1,300-meter-long, 208-meter-high aerial cableway spans the mountain, and the 108 stone steps at the mountain gate resonate with solemn chimes. Yunwu Temple has become one of the most renowned Buddhist temples in Bashu (Sichuan and Chongqing region).