Zhongsi Temple in Banqiao, Zunyi
Zhongsi Temple in Banqiao, Zunyi is a Guizhou Provincial-level Cultural Relics Protection Unit.
Originally named "Yunlong Nunnery," Zhongsi Temple is located in Tanjiawan Group, Zhongsi Village, Banqiao Town, Huichuan District, Zunyi City. It was once a Guizhou Provincial-level Cultural Relics Protection Unit but has now been destroyed. A stone stele from the 12th year of the Daoguang reign (1832) in the temple reads: "Yong Sanjia Yunlong Nunnery was built during the Ming Dynasty." An ancient poem inscribed on the right side of the stone railing in the front and middle halls states: "Do not say its scale is grand and magnificent; it was first established in the Ming Dynasty and later expanded and republished. This place offers a peaceful retreat, where one can converse under the moonlight as if playing a gentle zither." The Zunyi Prefecture Annals record that Yunlong Nunnery was located eighty li north of the city on Yong'an Mountain, also known as Zhongsi. Zhongsi Yunlong Nunnery was built in the late Ming Dynasty and completed in the early Qing Dynasty. After the liberation, it was used as a school, township government, commune, hospital, etc., but was not properly protected. Starting in 1978, government offices moved out one after another, leaving the temple uninhabited. In 1976, a pottery factory was constructed, which further contributed to the damage of the temple. Now, only ruins remain.
Further Reading:
· First Batch of Guizhou Provincial-level Cultural Relics Protection Units
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