Neijiang Bore Temple

Neijiang Bore Temple

Neijiang Bore Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

Bore Temple is located in Songbai Village, Sanxi Township, Dongxing District, Neijiang City, Sichuan Province. The temple was first built during the Tang Dynasty and is hailed as a “scenic gem of central Sichuan,” for once housing one of only three copies of the *Prajna Sutra* in the entire country. Historically, Bore Temple was grand in scale and solemnly serene, originally consisting of seven halls and four corridors, with over a hundred monks in residence. Later, due to wars and historical reasons, the temple suffered severe damage.

Songbai Fort · Bore Temple is renowned as one of the sacred sites of eastern Sichuan. It was initiated during the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty by jinshi degree holders Zhang Deyuan, Guo Zhaolin, and Li Shiyu, among others, and falls under the jurisdiction of Bore Village, Gaoqiao Town. The fort’s walls stretch over ten li and three fen—slightly longer than the nine li and three fen of Neijiang County’s city walls at the time. The fort is famed for its seven mountains, seven weirs, and eight scenic spots. The fort walls and structures still retain visible ruins, where natural scenery blends seamlessly with religious culture. Bore Temple is situated on the northeastern side of Songbai Fort. It was initially built during the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty, expanded during the Song Dynasty’s Xianchun era, renovated in the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, and finally achieved its majestic scale of seven main halls and two side halls by the Qing Dynasty. The current scripture depository has been partially restored into the Mahavira Hall, and the surrounding areas of the temple feature numerous stone carvings. Among them, Shimen Temple currently houses 69 statues, the tallest being a nearly 4-meter-high statue of Sakyamuni, standing on a lotus pedestal, with plump, graceful lines and a vivid image. There are also more than 30 other statues about 1.5 meters tall, all missing their heads, leaving only rows of broken stone stumps and countless local legends, giving rise to the curious “Case of the Headless Bodhisattvas.” Lingzhi Rock juts out to form a natural stone shelter nearly half a li in length. On the “Buddha Ear Rock,” 62 statues are carved into the cliff face and remain well-preserved. Most were created during the Tang Dynasty, with some reaching heights of 6.5 meters and others just a few inches tall.

At the top center of the main gate are three large characters “Bore Temple” written by Yan Jiyuan, a nationally renowned calligrapher. The couplet on both sides is written in clerical script by calligrapher Li Guoqing. Upon entering the temple, the first hall is the Heavenly King Hall, where the benevolent and smiling Maitreya Bodhisattva welcomes all beings. On the back wall is the solemn and awe-inspiring Vajra-holding Skanda (Weituo) Bodhisattva. The Mahavira Hall was reconstructed from the original scripture depository, featuring simple tile roofing with a treasure pinnacle, red-painted pillars, and black-painted front doors. At the center stands the resplendent statue of Sakyamuni Buddha; behind it are the Three Saints of the West—Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva; on either side are the Eighteen Arhats, whose expressions are natural and lifelike. To the east of the temple is the magnificent Guanyin Hall, housing the statue of the compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva; to the west is the Patriarch Hall, which features statues of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the monk Ji Gong, and the Patriarch Zhangxue. Outside the temple, Lingzhi Cliff has been renovated to reveal the original statues and carvings. In the center of the courtyard, a lotus pond, rockery, and flower stands have been built, creating an environment within the temple that includes mountains, water, and greenery. Flowers bloom year-round, filling the air with fragrance and enhancing the freshness of the temple grounds. The Bore Temple of the past is now history, but the present-day temple is radiating new vitality. With its long-standing Buddhist cultural heritage, unique natural terrain, mountain-fort scenery, pleasant natural landscape, distinctive classical architecture, and exquisitely crafted artificial landscapes, it attracts devotees from all directions. Truly, it is a wonderful destination for sightseeing and a sacred site for spiritual practice, cultivation, and benefiting sentient beings.

The Mahavira Hall was reconstructed from the original scripture depository, featuring simple tile roofing with a treasure pinnacle, red-painted pillars, and black-painted front doors. At the center stands the resplendent statue of Sakyamuni Buddha; behind it are the Three Saints of the West—Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva; on either side are the Eighteen Arhats, whose expressions are natural and lifelike.

To the east of the temple is the magnificent Guanyin Hall, housing the statue of the compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva; to the west is the Patriarch Hall, which features statues of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, the monk Ji Gong, and the Patriarch Zhangxue.

Outside the temple, Lingzhi Cliff has been renovated to reveal the original statues and carvings.

Protected area: For the Shimen Cliff carvings, centered around the large standing Buddha (Sakyamuni), extend 30 meters east, west, and south, and 40 meters north; for the Lingzhi Cliff carvings, centered around the cluster of carvings, extend 60 meters east, 50 meters south, 50 meters west, and 20 meters north; for Bore Temple, extend 20 meters beyond the current perimeter wall; for the city gates, extend 150 meters beyond the area occupied by each of the four existing city gates.

Construction control zone: The Bore Temple mountain fort (i.e., Songbai Fort), as well as the base of the cliffs and walls, extend 200 meters outward.