The Stone Memorial Archway of Lingyan Temple on Mount Emei

The Stone Memorial Archway of Lingyan Temple on Mount Emei

The Stone Memorial Archway of Lingyan Temple on Mount Emei is a cultural relic protection unit of Sichuan Province.

At the foot of Mount Emei, not far from the cliff of Sacrificial Leap, within the campus of Gaoqiao Town Middle School, stands a bluestone memorial archway about 7 meters high. Weathered by wind and rain, its surface is covered with visible moss. The front is inscribed with four elegant characters: “敕赐禅林” (“Imperially Bestowed Chan Monastery”), accompanied by the inscription “Written by An Pan, an imperial censor, in the second month of the Year of Yinmao, Jiajing reign,” while the back reads “祗园觉路” (“Path to Enlightenment in the Pure Land”). Patterns such as qilin, white deer, blue lions, auspicious clouds, lotus flowers, and orchid grasses can still be faintly discerned. Experts note that this is one of the few surviving stone archways from the Ming Dynasty in China, with craftsmanship and historical value comparable to those at the Ming Tombs in Beijing.

Legend has it that within the mystical Mount Emei lies the forgotten ruins of an ancient temple known as the ancient Lingyan Temple, once hailed as the “Greatest Temple in Western Shu.” Ancient tales say that Lingyan Temple once had 48 halls and a thousand monks, with stories of people riding horses to offer incense or patrol at night—testaments to its former glory.

According to the Records of Mount Emei, from the Tang to the Ming Dynasties, Buddhism on Mount Emei flourished enormously. Despite some setbacks, Lingyan Temple also developed “in a spiral,” and in the 16th year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty (1503 AD), the monk Benyin renovated the temple. It was completed in the second month of the sixth year of the Zhengde reign (1511 AD), boasting 48 halls and a thousand monks, with tales of horseback incense offerings and night patrols, making it a nationally renowned temple famous both in China and abroad, and earning the title “Greatest Temple in Western Shu.” Because the Red Lotus Stream flowed around the temple grounds, it was commonly known as the Red Lotus Temple.

A local legend tells that during the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, Lingyan Temple housed a thousand monks. These monks, who practiced martial arts year-round, were all highly skilled. News of the growing martial prowess of Mount Emei’s monks reached Emperor Kangxi. He then visited Mount Emei personally to investigate, but ended up trapped inside Lingyan Temple. After escaping, Kangxi ordered troops to besiege the temple and set it on fire. As a result, all the thousand-plus monks perished, with only a very few managing to escape, and the thousand-year-old temple was completely destroyed.

Another explanation: In the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, the descendants of the Ming imperial family and generals hid within the Red Lotus Temple, using it as a base to train troops and carry out activities for “Overthrowing the Qing and Restoring the Ming.” Eventually, during a suppression campaign, the monks and the temple were burned down by Qing troops. It is said the fire raged for seven days and nights without ceasing. Due to the passage of time, the truth has been buried by history.

Protected area: 10 meters beyond the outer edge of the archway.

Construction control zone: 30 meters beyond the protected area.

Today, the ancient Lingyan Temple, a thousand-year-old shrine, no longer exists. The only remaining structure—the rare Ming Dynasty stone archway in China—stands as the sole witness to history.