North Chan Temple

North Chan Temple

North Chan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

North Chan Temple, located on Beishan Mountain by the Huangshui River in the northern part of Xining City at an altitude of over 2,400 meters, is commonly known as "Beishan Temple" and also called Yongxing Temple. Because the mountain cliffs are layered and appear from a distance like earthen terraces with pavilions standing tall, it is also called Tuliushan (Earthen Tower Mountain), hence the temple is also referred to as Tuliuguan (Earthen Tower Temple). Originally a Buddhist temple, it is one of the earliest religious buildings in Qinghai, initially constructed during the reign of Emperor Ming of the Northern Wei Dynasty (106 AD), making it over 1,900 years old. Later, due to the prevalence of Taoism, it became a Taoist temple. The entire complex sits against Beishan Mountain and is essentially built along a natural red sandstone fault in the mountainside from west to east. It perches atop perilous cliffs and hangs above deep valleys, with hanging pavilions and ingeniously structured buildings arranged in a picturesque disorder, forming a spectacular sight. It is said that the "Misty Rain over Beishan" is one of the "Eight Scenic Spots of Xining."

Highlights:

Lingguan Hall

At the foot of the mountain, the first thing you see is Lingguan Hall. Built during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, it was destroyed by war and rebuilt in 1915. Originally, there was a mountain gate, with wing rooms on both the east and west sides, and a horizontal plaque in the middle inscribed with the three large characters “Lingguan Hall.” In the second year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1910), various sectors of Xining funded a complete renovation of the hall.

Inside the hall, the guardian deity Wang Lingguan is enshrined. Wang Lingguan has a red face, three eyes, and holds a golden whip. He is the Taoist guardian and mountain deity, similar to Skanda in Buddhism. Some texts say he is the commander of the 500 Lingguan of Mount Wudang, known as Huaguang Marshal, also called Wuxian Lingguan. By the Song Dynasty, another figure appeared — the “Railway Fire King Lingguan.” According to the *New In Search of the Supernatural*, Wang Lingguan’s original name was Wang Shan, a man from the time of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty.

Queen Mother Hall

Behind Lingguan Hall is the Queen Mother Hall. It is the main hall of the entire Tuliuguan complex and the primary venue for regular religious activities. The hall caught fire in 2007, and what you see now is the rebuilt version from 2008. It is said that the main activity area of the Queen Mother of the West is in Qinghai, and this place is considered a sacred site where she has appeared, so she is the main deity worshipped here. North Chan Temple is now one of the centers of Taoist activity in Qinghai Province, attracting numerous Chinese people from home and abroad for sightseeing every year, and occasionally hosting solemn religious worship ceremonies. In recent years, on the evening of Chongyang Festival, the temple is decorated with lanterns, drawing tens of thousands of visitors, creating a particularly lively atmosphere.

The Queen Mother Hall has two levels: the lower level enshrines the Queen Mother, while the upper level venerates the highest deities of Taoism — the Three Pure Ones: Yuqing Yuanshi Tianzun, Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, and Taiqing Daode Tianzun.

Chenghuang Hall

To the west of the Queen Mother Hall is the God of Wealth Hall, and to the east is the Chenghuang Hall. The God of Wealth Hall enshrines the three major deities of wealth: Bi Gan, Guan Yu, and Zhao Gongming. The Chenghuang Hall enshrines the local city god, Deng Xun, who was the Western Qing Protector General during the Eastern Han Dynasty. According to records, Deng Xun was born in 40 AD and died in 92 AD. His courtesy name was Pingshu, and he was the son of Deng Yu, a founding general of the Eastern Han. As Protector General, Deng Xun won the hearts of the Qiang people and was deeply loved. When the Qiang people “heard of his death, they all wailed, some even cut themselves with knives, or stabbed their dogs, horses, cattle, and sheep, saying: ‘Since Magistrate Deng has died, we shall die as well.’”

Open-air Vajras

Further up from the Queen Mother Hall is a steep flight of steps. Climbing the stairs leads you to the base of the “Nine Caves and Eighteen Halls” of Tuliushan.

In the middle of Tuliushan, there are two open-air Vajra statues — one on the east and one connected to it on the west. Both are over 30 meters tall. These two Vajras were originally protrusions on the mountain cliffs, but over time, water erosion and wind weathering shaped them into unique landform features. During the Wei, Jin, and Southern Dynasties, devoted followers carved them into two large Buddha statues based on their natural shapes, calling them “Open-air Vajras,” also known as Heavenly Deities or Heavenly Kings. Locals call them Shanfo (Flash Buddhas), meaning they seem to have flashed out from the mountain. The western one has been eroded by wind and partially collapsed beyond recognition, but the eastern one remains intact. From a distance, the Buddha’s head, torso, lower body, and facial features are clearly visible, majestic and rugged, exhibiting the artistic style of the Tang Dynasty — a perfect blend of natural and human landscapes. To the west of the Flash Buddha, halls and pavilions are built along the mountainside in well-spaced arrangements, from left to right in sequence: the Dining Hall, Jade Emperor Pavilion, Rear Chenghuang, Doumu Hall, Kuixing Pavilion (Tuliuguan), Western Three Saints Hall, and Guan Yu Hall.

Ningshou Tower

At the summit of Tuliushan stands Ningshou Tower, a hexagonal five-story tower with upturned eaves. It is solid inside and built from blue bricks. One story says it was built in 1386 (the 19th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty) by the founding hero and Longxing Marquis of Xining, Geng Bingwen, while another claims it was built during the Qing Dynasty. It is said that when misty rain envelops the mountain and the peaks are hidden in fog, the halls, caves, towers, and temples appear and disappear in the clouds, just like the ancient verse describes: “Beishan’s blurred trees fade from view, the misty rain enters the painting each dawn,” “So many towers and terraces veiled by clouds and trees, a natural painting like Mi Village,” hence the origin of the name “Misty Rain over Beishan.” From the mountaintop, you can gaze at the majesty of the surrounding peaks and overlook the full view of Xining City.

Descending from Tuliushan, passing through the Three Teachings Hall, Yingxian Bridge, and Baihua Pavilion, you will reach the Wansheng Hall. Also called the Five Mothers Hall, it enshrines the Queen Mother, Earth Mother, Doumu, Lishan 0, and Guanyin 0. To the left of the Wansheng Hall is the Xuannü Palace, dedicated to Jiutian Xuannü, Eye Light Goddess, and Child-Giving Goddess. On the east and west sides of Xuannü Palace are, respectively, Huixian Pavilion and Juexian Pavilion. Passing through the archway of Xuannü Palace and crossing the irrigation channel at the foot of the mountain, you leave the Taoist monastery and return to the secular world.

Nine Caves and Eighteen Halls

Embedded in the steep mountainside halfway up the cliff, these caves adhere tightly to the rock face and are quite spectacular. The most eye-catching are the ancient caves, which vary in structure—some are simple, others have inner chambers. The caves house statues of deities, Buddhas, and Taoist immortals, all uniquely shaped. The caves are connected by plank walkways.