Xuanmiao Temple in Anyue

Xuanmiao Temple in Anyue

Xuanmiao Temple in Anyue is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Xuanmiao Temple is located at the foot of Baiyang Mountain in Yuanda Town, Anyue County, Ziyang City, Sichuan Province. It is 20 kilometers from Anyue County and 5 kilometers from Yuanda Town. Established during the Tang Dynasty, it is a scenic tourist area that combines agricultural ecological landscapes with cultural heritage preservation.

Xuanmiao Temple is a renowned site for Taoist statue carvings in China. The cliff sculptures are distributed around a mushroom-shaped flat-topped massive rock, measuring approximately 10 meters in length from front to back, 6 meters from left to right, and about 5 meters in height, with a flat top. The surrounding vertical cliffs have been carved into niches and grottoes, totaling 79 caves of various sizes, housing 1,293 stone carvings, all exquisitely crafted during the Tang Dynasty. Major works include Laozi and Shakyamuni sitting together, immortals, the Twelve Earthly Generals, Vajra Dharma Protectors, the Nine-Headed Bird, Guanyin, and Shiti, among others.

The Xuanmiao Temple cliff carvings, mainly featuring Taoist sculptures, are grand in scale and rich in content. Both the Taoist and Buddhist statues are vivid, graceful, and intricately arranged, displaying remarkable harmony. Among the 79 caves, 12 feature combined Buddhist and Taoist sculptures. Some have Laozi, the Taoist deity, in the center, flanked by standing Buddhist statues of Buddhas and bodhisattvas; others show Shakyamuni and Laozi seated in the center, with Buddhist bodhisattvas on the left and Taoist golden immortals on the right. These provide concrete evidence of the historical interplay, mutual influence, and integration between Buddhism and Taoism, serving as representative artifacts reflecting the syncretism between the two religions after the Jin Dynasty. The carvings on the cave walls—including pavilions, towers, platforms, brackets, ritual instruments, musical instruments, and robes—are invaluable historical artifacts for studying the history of Taoism and ancient architecture. Notably, numerous Taoist Vajra Dharma Protector statues (Figure 1), nearly life-sized and depicted with dynamic poses such as crouching and twisting, are rendered with striking realism and imposing presence. The celestial maidens and musicians are also exquisitely carved, graceful and lifelike, making them precious materials for researching ancient Chinese sculptural art.

There are four surviving Tang Dynasty steles at Xuanmiao Temple. One is the "Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra," inscribed in the 18th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (730 AD) by Li Xuan, a local resident. Another Tang stele, measuring 2.4 meters in height and 1.27 meters in width, is titled “Inauguration Stele of the Imperially Established Sacred Mountain, the Splendid Xuanmiao Temple.” The first part of its inscription describes the origins and teachings of Taoism, while the latter recounts the carving process from the 6th year of the Kaiyuan era (718 AD) to the completion on the second day of the eighth month in the seventh year of the Tianbao era (August 2, 748 AD). There are also four dated inscriptions and five historical inscriptions left by visitors throughout the dynasties.

The layout of the statues at Xuanmiao Temple is uniquely ingenious, breaking free from the constraints of conventional religious sculpture formats. Given the unique environment of a single standalone massive boulder, the artisans made full use of the available space, skillfully and harmoniously carving various deities and animals—including dragons, lions, blue oxen, and mythical birds—into the rock face. This creates a pleasing visual experience while demonstrating the wisdom and superior craftsmanship of the ancient artisans. Its immense scale, rich content, and great historical depth are rare nationwide, shining as a brilliant gem within China’s ancient artistic treasury.

Prefecture/City: Ziyang City

Address: Yuanda Town, Anyue County

Business Hours: 8:00 – 19:30

Tourism Complaint Hotline: 028–24520973 Fax: 028–24536626

Postal Code: 642350

Yuanda Town: Located northwest of the county seat, 10 kilometers from the county center, it borders Laifeng Township, Chengxi Township, Yueyang Town, and Longxi Township of Lezhi. The town covers an area of 46.97 square kilometers, with cultivated land totaling 1,495 hectares at year-end, including 615 hectares of paddy fields. It administers 17 administrative villages, 175 villager groups, 1 independent residential group, with a total of 8,878 households, a population of 23,085, including 964 non-agricultural residents.

[Natural Environment and Resources] The area features typical mid-level hilly terrain, higher in the north and lower in the south, with elevations ranging from 350 to 510 meters. The climate is mild with distinct seasons. Full details on Yuanda Town++