Woyun Nunnery in Jiaocheng

Woyun Nunnery in Jiaocheng

Woyun Nunnery is located in Yezhu Gully on the western side of the central section of Xiyechuan, about 4 kilometers south of Yezhu Village. As the nunnery is situated on Longtang Mountain and features Longtang Cave as its main cave, it is commonly known as Longtang Temple. It is a site of the Caodong school of Buddhism.

The nunnery was first built in the early years of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty by Zhengcai, Zhenghang, and Zhengfen. In the late Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, the monk Jichuan came here during his travels. In the 13th year of the Chongzhen era (1640), the nunnery already had 73 monks, four large scripture cabinets containing hundreds of volumes of scriptures, and a full set of ritual items such as large tables and bronze bells used in the temple. Magistrate Xue Guozhu personally composed an inscription for the nunnery. During the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, the nunnery was presided over by Zhengfen. According to records, the mountain forest land belonging to the nunnery spread across Xiyechuan. It began to decline in the mid-Qing Dynasty.

Woyun Nunnery is built against Longtang Cliff. The walls of the nunnery beneath the cliff are constructed from neatly cut long stones stacked up to a height of more than 10 meters, presenting a majestic sight. The nunnery complex is divided into front and rear courtyards. The front courtyard buildings have been reduced to rubble, covering an area of about 400 square meters; the rear courtyard is over 70 meters long and about 30 meters at its widest, covering an area of approximately 2,000 square meters. On the west side of the second gate, there are four east-side rooms. Six brick-arched caves are built against the southern rock face. Further inside is the natural cave “Longtang Cave,” with a cave entrance 4 meters high, an interior height of 10 meters, a width of 30 meters, and a depth of over 20 meters. In the center of the cave, there are five remaining wooden seated statues: two larger ones over 1 meter tall, and three smaller ones about 0.8 meters tall. The painted colors have peeled off, making the facial features unclear. To the west of the courtyard is a pine forest, among the trees and shrubs there are three burial stupas: one erected in the 13th year of the Wanli era (1585) by donors from Jiexiu, while the other two stupas have collapsed and their inscriptions are lost. The front stupa is made of bricks and contains three coffins placed side by side, seemingly the tombs of the founders.

According to the inscription of the 13th year of the Chongzhen era: the nunnery had four generations during the Ming Dynasty: it was initiated by three people—Zhengcai, Zhenghang, and Zheng□; one disciple, Xuanyulu; ten grand-disciples—Zonghui, Zongtai, Zongming, Zongying, Zongyao, Zongzhao, Zongbi, Zongying, Zongliang, and Zongsou; and three great-grand-disciples—Guangcheng, Guangyin, and Guangzhi. In the fifth year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, only one branch of Zheng□ remained in the nunnery, along with one nephew Xuanyuwen, four grand-disciples—Zongzhao, Zongliang, Zongcheng, and Zongqi—and seven great-grand-disciples—Guangxi, Guangyuan, Guangyu, Guangyi, Guangxiu, Guangming, and Guangyin—as well as four great-great-grand-disciples—Xingfu, Xingwang, Xingshe, and Xingsheng.