Housuo Ancient Forest Temple

Housuo Ancient Forest Temple

Housuo Ancient Forest Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Housuo Ancient Forest Temple

This Ming Dynasty ancient architectural site in Wudang, originally named Ancestral Master Temple, has a history of about 400 years and is one of the more well-preserved Buddhist temples. On November 26, 1997, it was listed as a cultural relic protection unit of Guiyang City. The temple is situated on the southern side of the Wudang Dam. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was under the jurisdiction of the Wudang (now Wudang) Changsuo office. It was first built during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1573–1620), and was maintained multiple times by the people of Wudang during the Qing Dynasty. During the Anti-Japanese War, it served as a temporary campus for Guiyang Middle School. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, it was preserved as a grain storage facility.

The Ancient Forest Temple is a courtyard-style complex nestled against the mountain and near the water. It backs onto Xiangdong Mountain (elevation 1,247 meters) of the Mazongling Mountain Range and faces the scenic Yuliang River. The temple consists of two courtyards comprising the Main Hall, Theater Stage, Guanyin Hall, Zhenwu Hall, and Guest Hall, covering a total area of over 1,900 square meters with a construction area of 830 square meters. It preserves traditional Chinese culture in architecture, painting, sculpture, and calligraphy.

The front courtyard consists of the Main Hall, Theater Stage, and wing rooms. The Main Hall faces west and is five bays wide, with a construction area of 341 square meters, making it currently the largest Mahavira Hall in the province. Inside the hall are newly crafted statues of the Tathagata Buddha and the Eighteen Arhats, each with distinct expressions. The plaque was inscribed by Zhao Puchu, former president of the Buddhist Association of China. Opposite the Main Hall is the Theater Stage, which is three bays wide with a mixed-style hip-and-gable roof covered in green tiles. The area between the Main Hall and the Theater Stage is flanked by wing rooms to the north and south, forming a quadrangle monastery layout. To the south of the Main Hall is the Zhenwu Hall, which houses a statue of the Taoist deity Zhenwu. The rear courtyard includes the Guanyin Hall, Thousand-Armed Guanyin Hall, Guide Treasure Hall, and Lock-Opening Hall, with guest rooms on both sides. The Guanyin Hall faces west and is three bays wide with a single-eave gable-and-hip roof covered in green tiles. The Thousand-Armed Guanyin Hall also faces west, is three bays wide, and features a mixed-style hanging gable roof with green tiles. The Guide Treasure Hall and Lock-Opening Hall are located opposite the latter two Guanyin Halls.

The layout and deities enshrined in each hall of the Ancient Forest Temple follow Buddhist temple conventions. In front of the Mahavira Hall stands a three-tiered iron tower used for incense offerings. There have been eight generations of abbots with formal Dharma names, with the eighth-generation abbot being Dao Yi, appointed by Hongfu Temple of Qianling Mountain. Originally, the Ancestral Master Temple enjoyed great popularity, especially during the annual temple fair on the third day of the third lunar month and Guanyin’s birthday, when folk opera troupes performed and vendors gathered around the temple.

On February 4, 1939, after Japanese aircraft bombed downtown Guiyang, Guiyang Middle School evacuated to Wudang Town to continue classes, with over 500 students, including the first intake of 100 female students. The Ancestral Master Temple served as the high school department, while the Wudang Fort and First Fort ancestral halls were used for the junior high school department. The underground Party branch of Guiyang Middle School carried out anti-Japanese salvation propaganda activities at Wudang Dam, using various artistic forms such as plays, singing, paintings, and slogans to promote resistance against Japan and inspire patriotic fervor among the masses. On May 4, 1940, a commemorative meeting was held in the back courtyard of the Ancestral Master Temple under the name of the Student Self-Government Association, calling on students to uphold the glorious tradition of “May Fourth.”

The natural environment surrounding the Ancient Forest Temple is beautiful, featuring many scenic spots: the provincial cultural relic protection units of the Ming Dynasty architecture Lai Xian Pavilion and Xuan Tian Palace, as well as the Character-Respect Tower, Wudang Bridge, ancient tombs, and the Ming-Qing Wudang Old Street. In modern times, there is the Cuihua Garden commemorating geologist Li Siguang. Natural attractions include the Yudong Gorge and Lover’s Valley municipal scenic areas, embodying the phrase inscribed on the Ming Dynasty ancient tombstone cluster: “A land of outstanding people and spiritual energy.”