Xianyun Temple

Xianyun Temple

Xianyun Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Xianyun Temple: Situated in Group 3, Tuanshan Village, on the mountainside of Fenghuang Mountain, approximately two kilometers from the town. It was first built on Fenghuang Mountain during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty, and in the first year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, Monk Liaowu moved it to its present location at the foot of the mountain. This ancient three-hall temple is built with a composite structure of brick, stone, and wood. It is large in scale, majestic, and was constructed by workers from Yongchuan. The temple consists of upper, middle, and lower halls, with a central courtyard, side wing rooms, and surrounding stone walls. The front hall features clay sculptures of dragons coiled around pillars, their claws outstretched and expressions fierce. The four walls of the open courtyard are adorned with watercolor paintings of flowers, plants, and figures, all strikingly lifelike. On the left side stands an ancient stele from the Ming Dynasty, while on the right are the “Prohibition” stele, bearing the county magistrate’s handwritten decree banning the slaughter of plowing oxen, and the “Precept” stele concerning a monk who violated monastic rules. Both steles still exist today and are recognized as municipal-level intangible cultural heritage. During the Qing and Republican periods, the temple housed dozens of monks, who managed water sources for monks, oversaw temple properties, and went out to beg for alms to support the temple. By the later Republican period, only two monks remained. Behind the temple are numerous ancient graves and monastic ruins, which are relics from the Ming and Qing dynasties. The temple was bustling with frequent temple fairs during Qingming, including both large and small gatherings, especially the annual Buddha’s Birthday Fair on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, which attracted worshippers from all over. On the 30th and 1st days of each lunar month, as well as the 14th and 15th, bells were rung and drums beaten, their sounds echoing throughout the town; the drum frame still remains. In 1951, during land reform, the side wing rooms and the front main hall were distributed to farmers, and all the statues were either destroyed or stolen after the Cultural Revolution.

Xiantan Town: Xiantan Town is located in the eastern part of Hejiang County, Sichuan Province. The town government is situated in Xiantan Town, about 58 kilometers from the county seat. To the east, it borders Jiangjin District, and to the southwest, it neighbors a national scenic area.

Location, Area, and Historical Development

Xiantan Town administers 11 administrative villages, 1 community neighborhood committee, and 101 villager groups, covering a total area of 101 square kilometers. It has 21,733 mu of arable land and 67,864 mu of forest land. In 1951, Xiantan Township was divided into four smaller townships: Xiantan, Minjian, Minjue, and Minquan. In 1956, it was reorganized back into a township government... Detailed information about Xiantan Town++