Dongzhen Ancient Taoist Temple

Dongzhen Ancient Taoist Temple

The Zhonggu Rock Dongzhen Ancient Taoist Temple boasts a long history of over 1,300 years and enjoys great prestige in Lingnan Taoism. It has been visited by literati and artists throughout the dynasties, including Su Dongpo, who left behind many precious cliff inscriptions here. It is the earliest religious and cultural tourist destination in Nanxiong. The temple is located on Cuiping Mountain at the southern foot of Meiling in Nanxiong City, Guangdong Province. Inside Cuiping Mountain lies a natural limestone cave. Within the cave hangs a stalactite resembling a hanging bell that rings like a bell when struck with a stone, hence called the Bell Rock; there is also a massive stalactite shaped like a war drum, which sounds like a drum when hit, thus known as the Drum Rock. Together, these two formations are called Zhonggu Rock. In the early 3rd century, during the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Taoist scholar and alchemist Ge Hong resided in Cuiping Mountain, collecting herbs and refining elixirs while devoting himself to Taoist practice. He would chant scriptures while striking the bell and drum inside the rock, and local villagers referred to it as the Taoist’s Cave. Later, Ge Hong moved south to Luofu Mountain, but other Taoists continued to live in seclusion here.

During the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, Taoists established the Dongzhen Ancient Taoist Temple on Cuiping Mountain. Initially, it occupied the entire mountain and featured structures such as the mountain gate archway, the main gate of the temple, the Hall of the Supreme Old Lord, the Hall of the Jade Emperor, the Hall of Chunyang, and the Hall of the Three Pure Ones. In the sixth year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1573), Li Shouren, the eighth-generation disciple of the Quanzhen Longmen Sect, was appointed to preside over the temple. He “restored the Zhonggu and Dressing Rocks and advocated the construction of the Wanfu Ling Cave and the Kongtong Pavilion.”

In modern times, the Dongzhen Ancient Taoist Temple gradually declined and fell into disuse. During the Cultural Revolution, its historical relics were damaged and the Taoists left the temple. After the Cultural Revolution, the government implemented religious policies, welcomed back Taoist Zhu Chongzuo to resume leadership of the temple, and carried out renovations to restore the site. In 1990, Taoist Yu Xinchang took charge of the Dongzhen Ancient Taoist Temple.

The temple’s mountain gate is tall and majestic, with the four large characters “Dongzhen Ancient Taoist Temple” written above the lintel. On either side hang a pair of couplets—the upper line reads “High on Zhonggu Rock, where mountain mist parts to reveal the Purple Mansion,” and the lower line reads “In ancient Zhuxi Lane, where monkeys and birds in the hills listen to the Yellow Court Scripture.” After entering the gate, there is a “Chunyang Hall” in the back enshrining the statue of Lü Dongbin. Madam Pan Jingqing, the wife of Mr. Zhang Mengzhi, Sun Yat-sen’s adjutant, visited here and personally inscribed: “The cave opens for the gathering of immortals; the great path comes forth.” On both sides inside the temple are monk rooms used for chanting scriptures and residence.

Today, the Dongzhen Ancient Taoist Temple is a famous historic site in Nanxiong.

Source: Official Tourism Website of Nanxiong