Xizhu Nunnery

Xizhu Nunnery

Xizhu Nunnery

Xizhu Nunnery is located halfway up a mountain two and a half kilometers west of Yongfu Office in Youwang Town. It is said to be one of the Five Temples and Eight Monasteries built during the Ming Dynasty by Emperor Jianwen when he sought refuge in western Yunnan. The nunnery was constructed to worship the deities of Buddhism from the Western Heavenly Region (India). The structure follows the contour of the mountain, facing east.

According to surviving inscriptions within the nunnery and painted beams in the main hall, it has undergone multiple renovations during the Qing Dynasty under the reigns of Emperors Qianlong and Xianfeng. The nunnery covers a construction area of over 2,000 square meters, with thirty-one permanent rooms arranged in a four-courtyard, three-section layout. The main structure, the Guanyin Hall, features a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof and was built in the fifth year of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1855 AD). The original central gate of the hall once had six carved lattice doors depicting scenes from "Journey to the West," which were stolen in 1987. The remaining ancient structures include the main hall, the Wen Tower, side halls, auxiliary halls, side chambers, and the mountain gate, all constructed using a combination of raised-beam and through-tenon architectural techniques.

After 1988, local enthusiasts such as Yang Fengxian led the restoration efforts, and the nunnery has since been managed by nuns including Duan Guangyuan.

The nunnery is the largest and best-preserved ancient architectural complex in the county to date.