Luojiang Temple

Luojiang Temple

Located in Dingjiaping, Guanba, Minxiao Town, Jiangkou County, Luojiang Temple faces east and sits to the west at an altitude of over 1,000 meters. Built during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, it has a history of more than 500 years. The establishment of a temple here is said to be inspired by an extraordinary story that moved the emperor of the time, who bestowed upon it the name “Luojiang Temple.” Luojiang Temple enjoys a vast following and serves as a key waystation on the southeastern route of Mount Fanjing, catering to pilgrims from Hunan, Tongren, Yuping, Sansui, Zhenyuan, and Cengong who come to worship at the ancient Maitreya Buddha site of Mount Fanjing. It is one of the most important waystations at the foot of Mount Fanjing.

Dingjiaping boasts fertile land. The mountain ranges here originate from Mount Fanjing, undulating continuously with majestic peaks clustered together, converging and gathering at this spot like two dragons vying for a treasure. The facing mountain is guarded by Tiger Mountain, while two perennial streams encircle the area like jade belts. Towering ancient trees and blooming flowers throughout the seasons create breathtaking views from the elevated position—rolling hills and layered peaks form a magnificent, ever-changing landscape. Before the temple was built, a revered monk named Changzong remarked upon seeing the terrain, “This place can become a sacred Buddhist site that blesses the region; it must not be enjoyed by commoners alone.” Word of his words spread, stirring the local gentry and residents’ eagerness for blessings. They eagerly invited Master Changzong to oversee the temple’s construction. People from all directions contributed funds, and two young widows of the Yang clan—Madams Luo and Jiang—who were known for their chastity and had substantial family wealth, donated the most. They offered dozens of acres of their mountain forest land, demarcated as “east to Shuangchaha River, south to the gully, west to Daliangfeng’ao, and north to Dakengchi’ao,” and drew up a deed stating: “The Yang clan, young and old, shall forever protect the temple. All forests and fields within these boundaries belong to the temple in perpetuity. The Yang descendants shall never raise objections; should there be any, may they forever be denied incense offerings.” With the strong support and donations from Madams Luo and Jiang and the local community, the temple’s construction began. After completion, Master Changzong petitioned the imperial court. Upon reading the petition, the emperor, moved by the virtuous deeds of the two chaste widows, bestowed the name “Luojiang Temple” upon it as an honor. Thus, the origin of the temple’s name has been celebrated and renowned ever since.

The original temple structure included a main hall—a wooden building with five pillars and four crossbeams, spanning seven bays in total—flanked by side rooms, two on each side. Opposite the main hall, across a courtyard, stood another wooden building with five pillars, two crossbeams, and seven bays, with the central bay serving as the temple gate. The entire layout formed a traditional three-sided courtyard covering 1,200 m². The main hall enshrined statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, Dipankara Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Sun and Moon Gods, and the Thunder God. Directly opposite the main hall, the courtyard building housed the Skanda Bodhisattva, while outside was an ancestral tablet of the Yang clan. At the temple gate were statues of the Door Gods and the Earth God. One side of the temple housed a meditation room, while the other displayed the Jade Emperor and his divine family, including the Eighteen Arhats and the Twenty-Four Celestial Guardians. The hall was equipped with complete ritual instruments such as bells, drums, and chimes. Two stone inscriptions were also present—one recording the temple’s founding preface and the other listing the names and donation amounts of benefactors (this stone stele is now preserved at Mount Fanjing).

After the temple was completed under Master Changzong’s leadership, it opened its doors widely, recruiting disciples and planting bamboo, trees, and flowers to beautify the surroundings. Extensive pilgrimage paths were also constructed to facilitate visitors. As a result, pilgrims came in droves, bringing the elderly and children, beating drums, waving flags, setting off firecrackers, and thronging the area as bustling as a city. The sounds of people, Buddhist chants, and temple bells created a lively and extraordinary atmosphere. The incense offerings flourished immensely. Due to the overwhelming number of pilgrims, lodging became insufficient, so an additional three-section wooden house with five pillars, four crossbeams, and seven bays was built to accommodate visitors. At the time, it was one of the most renowned and wealthiest temples in the Mount Fanjing area. By the time the temple’s legacy passed to the generation of the White Crane Immortal, it housed over 48 resident lay households (those who served the temple through labor), who were provided food from the temple’s stores. Labor was pooled to cultivate fields, develop scenic areas, and greatly expand the temple’s assets. The surrounding forests, bamboo, and flowers flourished year-round, and the monastery exuded solemn grandeur.

Blending the essence of Buddhist, Confucian, and Taoist cultures, Luojiang Temple evolved into a major Buddhist institution at the foot of Mount Fanjing. By the time of the White Crane Immortal, the temple housed over 60 resident monks. Management was strict and roles clearly divided—from senior monks and abbots to stewards, supervisors, and disciples, all followed a structured lineage. Inscriptions record names such as Jizong, Guangzong, Wenzong, Zhenzong, Fazong, Mingzong, Hengzong, Chanzong, Tangzong, Chengzong, Jingzong, Xuzong, Wuzong, Miss Hou, Puming, the White Crane Immortal, Benkai Monk, Renda Auntie, Yang Suzhen, Yang Zhenchan, He Chunlin… Monks, nuns, and lay followers spanned dozens of generations. In the sixth year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, a devastating fire accidentally broke out due to overcrowding, reducing the entire temple complex to ashes.

In the eighth year of the Guangxu reign, Abbot Jingzong distributed 360 donation booklets to solicit contributions for rebuilding the temple. A year later, the booklets were filled with donors’ names, and sufficient funds and grain were collected. On the 15th day of the eighth lunar month in the ninth year of Guangxu (1883), reconstruction commenced. The new upper hall featured seven bays with seven pillars and eight crossbeams, the lower hall had seven bays with five pillars and six crossbeams, and both sides had side rooms with three bays each of five pillars and two crossbeams. Additional three-section courtyards with five bays of five pillars and four crossbeams were built on either side, totaling 141 pillars. This new temple was larger than its predecessor. The rebuilt temple stood until the liberation period. After liberation, the temple properties underwent reforms—the buildings were dismantled for other uses, the statues were destroyed, and only a single plaque inscribed with “Western Sage,” written by a former magistrate of Jiangkou County in an unspecified year, remains.

In 1992, with the renewed implementation of the Party’s policies on ethnic and religious affairs, local residents voluntarily donated money, labor, and resources to restore a three-bay wooden structure with five pillars and four crossbeams on the original site. It included two dormitories and two kitchens. The main hall enshrined Sakyamuni Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Earth Mother Bodhisattva, Medicine Buddha, the Thunder God, and the ancestral tablets of the Yang family. Outside the gate were statues of the Door God and the Earth God. At the time, over 80 lay followers from the nearby Fanjing Mountain Guofu Temple gathered here. These devotees used the temple as a venue to gather during major auspicious days, chanting and studying Buddhism, expressing patriotism and religious devotion, abiding by laws, and taking inspiration from the virtuous chaste women Madams Luo and Jiang. They took pride in charitable giving and accumulating good karma, praying for favorable weather, abundant harvests, national peace, and prosperity.

In 1995, Abbot Shi Foming and dozens of lay followers—including Liu Wenxiu, Liu Jinxian, Dai Chuanzhi, Wang Hongxiang, Yuan Yinxiu, Shi Juju, Yan Menghua, Yang Bijiang, Yang Shengrong, Li Bixian, Liu Xiuying, and Li Xianmei—jointly petitioned relevant departments to rebuild Luojiang Temple, aiming to revive the once-imperially honored and widely renowned temple to boost Jiangkou County’s tourism, attract visitors, and revitalize the local economy. In August 2003, through the fundraising and restoration efforts of the devotees, a brand-new temple emerged.

Minxiao Town: Situated within the national-level Fanjing Mountain Nature Reserve, Minxiao Town lies 20 kilometers west of Jiangkou County. Covering an area of 268.3 square kilometers, it has 6,939 households and a total population of 27,007. The town includes 1757.54 acres of arable land, governs nine administrative villages and one community, and is traversed by Provincial Highways 303 and 305. The area is rich in mineral resources, primarily vanadium, nickel sulfide, graphite, copper, and gold, offering unique geographical advantages. With convenient transportation, advanced communication infrastructure, and an integrated urban-rural economy, coupled with recent small-town development efforts, Minxiao… [Minxiao Town detailed information++]