Dragon-Taming Temple

Dragon-Taming Temple

The Dragon-Taming Temple is located within the Lidui Park, overlooking a deep pool. Legend has it that Li Bing subdued a water demon here while taming the floods.

The temple currently consists of three main halls. In the center of the front hall stands a stone statue of Li Bing carved during the Eastern Han Dynasty (168 AD),

standing 2.9 meters tall and weighing about 4 tons. Inscriptions are engraved on the inner sides of the robe. The hall also houses a stone statue of a dike worker from the Eastern Han Dynasty and relics from Princesses Jinzhen and Yuzhen of the Tang Dynasty who practiced Taoism in Mount Qingcheng—the Flying Dragon Tripod. The rear hall contains a film screening room showing color films titled “Dujiangyan” in both Chinese and English versions, which vividly introduce the scale and scientific principles of the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. The hall also displays a model of the irrigation system and a photo exhibition of visits by domestic and international dignitaries. Behind the hall is the Guanlan Pavilion, situated at the highest point of Lidui, offering an excellent view of Dujiangyan.

The Dragon-Taming Temple was originally built during the Jin Dynasty as the "Fanxian Hall" to commemorate a hermit from Mount Qingcheng.

Because legend says Li Bing subdued the water demon lurking beneath Lidui, the site was converted into a temple dedicated to Li Bing in the early Northern Song Dynasty and renamed “Dragon-Taming Temple.”

The Dragon-Taming Temple is also known as Laowang Temple, Ligong Ci, or Ligong Temple. The name stems from the legend of Li Bing subduing the water demon, making it a temple commemorating Li Bing.

In the fifth year of the Tongzhi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1866 AD), Sichuan Governor Chong Shi remarked: “Even the sage Yu did not let his father be eclipsed. How much more so for someone as virtuous as the Duke, who rendered great service to Shu—his achievements required no reliance on his son. Now, to forget one’s roots and honor only the son while overshadowing the father would be a confusion of reverence.” He then commissioned Zhong Junlong, the governor of Chengdu-Mianyang-Longquan-Maozhou, to build a specialized shrine for the King of Universal Protection on the original foundation of the mountain gate of the Dragon-Taming Temple, enshrining Erlang in the rear hall. This arrangement is the exact opposite of that in the Two Kings Temple, where Erlang is in the front hall and Li Bing and his wife in the rear. Hence, the Dragon-Taming Temple is also called Laowang Temple.

The Dragon-Taming Temple is built atop Lidui, surrounded by cliffs on three sides and connected to the spacious dam via a 42-step wide staircase (approximately 10.5 meters). This enhances the temple's majestic and solemn presence. The main structures are aligned along a central axis, arranged as follows: “Facing the river gateway to the east, the spiritual foundation is positioned to the left; overlooking the treasure cave to the west, the immortal pavilion stands to the right. The central hall hosts the Supreme Lord’s shrine, and the central altar is built for worship.” Originally, the temple had two halls; during the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, the Li Bing Hall was added, bringing the total to three main halls. In 1959, during renovation, the Jade Emperor Hall and Xiyu Tower were merged and rebuilt using reinforced concrete and brick-wood frames. The single-story rear hall with a basement was reconstructed in 1973, and other structures such as the riverside pavilion in front of the temple were added. In recent years, gardens like the Flower Pavilion have been created to offer visitors views of the “Lidui Locking the Gorge” scenery. From the Guanlan Pavilion behind the temple, visitors can gaze over the ancient Dujiangyan Dam, the Xiling Snow Mountain, and the scenic beauty of Mount Qingcheng. Looking down, the surging river rushes straight into the Bottle-Neck Gorge—a truly spectacular sight.

The temple houses numerous cultural relics. The central Eastern Han Dynasty stone statue of Li Bing (pictured right), unearthed in 1974 during the relocation of the Suspension Bridge when excavation began for Pier No. 3, is carved from grey-white sandstone. It stands 290 cm tall, 96 cm wide across the shoulders, and 46 cm thick, with a square base 18 cm long at the bottom. The statue wears a ceremonial crown and a long robe, with hands resting on the chest and a gentle smile on the face. Each sleeve and the robe’s front bear a shallowly engraved inscription. The middle line reads: “The Late Shu Prefecture’s Lord Li, Styled Bing”; the left side: “On the 25th day of the intercalary month of the first year of the Jian Ning era, the 25th day, the Water Control Officer Yin Long”; the right: “Yin Long’s subordinate Chen Tai crafted the Three Divine Stone Figures to tame the waters for eternity.” On August 18, 1975, the statue was placed on a pedestal and erected in the main hall of the Dragon-Taming Temple.

The stone statue of a dike worker, erected on the right side of the main hall, was discovered on January 18, 1975, during excavation for dike protection at the outer sluice of Dujiangyan. The figure wears a flowing robe with wide sleeves and holds a spade, standing 1.85 meters tall with shoulders 0.7 meters wide. The spade itself is 0.28 meters high, 0.25 meters wide, and the handle is 1.34 meters long. The head of the statue has been eroded away, and the back is heavily weathered. It may be one of the “Three Divine Stone Figures” mentioned in the Li Bing statue inscription. On August 18, 1975, it was erected on the right side of the main hall.

The Flying Dragon Iron Tripod in the main hall was once the possession of Princess Yuzhen, daughter of Emperor Ruizong of the Tang Dynasty. Weighing approximately 1,000 jin (500 kg), the tripod is adorned with eight flying dragons, cloud patterns, and floral designs, making it a rare masterpiece of ancient casting. It was moved into the temple for display in October 1978.

Time Needed

10–30 minutes

Transportation

Within walking distance in the Dujiangyan Scenic Area

Ticket

Included in the Dujiangyan Scenic Area ticket (90 RMB)

Opening Hours

Winter (Dec 1 – Mar 1):

8:00 AM – 5:30 PM

Summer (Mar 2 – Nov 30):

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Location

Northern end of Lidui, Dujiangyan Scenic Area, Dujiangyan City, Sichuan Province