Xilai Temple in Zunyi

Xilai Temple in Zunyi

Xilai Temple in Zunyi is a cultural tourism attraction.

The ancient Xilai Temple

Xilai Temple is located in Zunyi County, Guizhou Province, at Balicun Village, Longkeng Town, 30 kilometers along the provincial highway from Zunyi City to Yaxi. It lies between Zunyi City and the Zunyi county-level economic belt, enjoying prominent geographical development advantages and convenient transportation.

Xilai Temple was built between the 21st year (1682, Renxu) and the 27th year (1688, Wuchen) of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty and was originally known as "Songqiu Chan Yuan." In the early years of the Guangxu reign, Monk Benlong extensively renovated the temple, established rituals, and attracted over a hundred converts annually, with more than 30 monks residing there. The temple flourished continuously and had long been a gathering place for literati and refined scholars. However, due to damage caused by war, Xilai Temple has completely lost its former grandeur and splendor.

In 2005, the eminent monk Shi Wuzong took charge of Xilai Temple. The reconstruction of the temple began and took two years to complete. The new structure follows the architectural style of the original temple and Ming-Qing dynasty temples, built along the mountain terrain. Upon entering through the front gate, the temple is divided into left and right side halls and a main hall. At the center of the Guanyin Hall in the main hall sits the Ten-Direction Guanyin on a lotus pedestal, flanked by various bodhisattvas and deities. The design is rigorous, simple, majestic, aesthetically pleasing, and exquisitely charming. The site chosen for the reconstruction of Xilai Temple was once the former residence of the Yang family, hereditary Tusi rulers of ancient Bozhou, as well as the original location of Xilai Temple. The temple faces east and is backed by the lush Elephant Mountain, overlooking vast fields, farmlands, and waterways, offering a broad view famously known as the "Elephant Trunk Holding Water." Surrounded by rolling green mountains, the area forms a shape resembling a brush rack and an ingot—considered an auspicious feng shui site that gathers energy and wealth. With an atmosphere of prosperity and the tranquil charm of temple bells and evening drums, it has long been favored by cultural figures including the renowned southwestern Confucian scholars Mo Youzhi, Zheng Zhen, and the literatus Li Zhuan (also known as Baiyun Jushi), as well as imperial dignitaries such as Emperor Kangxi and the Tusi Yang family, and devout worshippers. Their visits have left behind many widely celebrated poems and interesting anecdotes. According to historical records, the "Northern Version of the Buddhist Canon" was once housed in Xilai Temple but was destroyed during wartime. By the early Guangxu reign, Monk Benlong carried out large-scale renovations of the temple and established an ordination platform, naming it "Songqiu Chan Yuan." The temple grounds were planted with over a thousand cypress trees, which were planted upside down with long branches drooping, creating beautiful scenery and attracting thriving incense offerings. Countless worshippers visited, leading people to call "Songqiu Chan Yuan" the "Little Western Heaven." Later, due to lack of management, the cypress trees were all cut down, most buildings became dilapidated and were demolished, leaving only three surviving cypress trees and the original temple site, now under key protection, symbolizing numerous acts of Buddhist merit and kindness.

Ten years after reconstruction, the Guanyin Hall of Xilai Temple in Balicun was completed on July 29, 2007, and the sacred statue of the Ten-Direction Guanyin in Xilai Temple was consecrated on the same day. The temple currently has two monks. The incense offerings at Xilai Temple have revived, attracting many tourists and Buddhist devotees. The former "Songqiu Chan Yuan" has come back to life, truly becoming the "Little Western Heaven."