Ruins of Longxing Temple

Ruins of Longxing Temple

The ruins of Longxing Temple are a Sichuan Provincial-level cultural heritage protection unit.

The ruins of Longxing Temple are located in Group 5, Huangba Community, Linqiong Town, Qionglai County, Chengdu. The ruins of the Tang Dynasty–era Longxing Temple in Qionglai, which had briefly emerged as an "iceberg tip" following a flood in the 1940s, have finally been clearly revealed to the world. A joint archaeological team composed of the Chengdu Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, the Sichuan University Museum, the Qionglai Cultural Relics Management Office, and other entities spent eight months completing the phased archaeological excavation of the Longxing Temple ruins, restoring its historical outline.

In 1947, the Xijiang River in Qionglai experienced a sudden flood, causing the riverbank soil layers to erode and peel away, revealing several Tang Dynasty stone Buddhist statues. Upon hearing the news, archaeological experts such as Cheng Enyuan from the Sichuan University Museum (formerly the West China Museum) visited the site multiple times to collect the artifacts and conducted clean-up work in the riverside area where the statues were unearthed. Over 170 fragments including steles, sutra pillars, and Buddha statues were excavated and collected along the Xijiang River. The name “Longxing Temple” frequently appeared in the excavated inscriptions, prompting researchers to refer to the sculptures as the “Longxing Temple Statues.” However, since the first statues were uncovered due to flooding without any stratigraphic context, the exact location of Longxing Temple could not be determined, leaving a regrettable gap in academic research.

Historical records state that in 705 AD, Empress Wu Zetian returned power to Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, who was then the crown prince. He ordered the construction of one “Zhongxing Temple” and “Zhongxing Taoist Temple” in every prefecture across the empire, symbolizing the revival of the Tang Dynasty. In 707 AD, after the death of Wu Zetian and the formal ascension of Emperor Zhongzong, to avoid using the emperor’s name (“Zhongxing”), all such temples and Taoist temples were renamed “Longxing Temple” and “Longxing Taoist Temple.” Due to their relatively “high status,” Longxing Temples across the country were among the most popular religious sites of the time, often housing many rare treasures.

The excavation of the Longxing Temple ruins has provided tangible historical materials on the layout of Buddhist temples during the Tang and Song dynasties, possessing high research and preservation value. It was designated as a seventh batch provincial-level cultural heritage protection unit in 2007.

Protected Area: bounded by extending 15 meters outward from each of the three Tang and Song architectural foundation sites.

Construction Control Zone: extends 50 meters outward from the boundary of the protected area.