Shaoguan Zhaoyin Temple

Shaoguan Zhaoyin Temple

Shaoguan Zhaoyin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Qujiang Maba Lion Rock, consisting of Lion Head Mountain and Lion Tail Mountain, is the site where the skull of the "Maba Man," dating back 129,000 years, was unearthed. It is the birthplace of the "Shixia Culture" and also one of the cradles of the Chinese nation. Over a thousand years ago, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, after receiving the Dharma mind-seal from the Fifth Patriarch Hongren, went to Nanhua Temple and once meditated in seclusion here. According to the *Caoxi Chronicles*: “Ten li west of the temple stands a towering boulder, dozens of zhang high, with a cave inside where the venerable Huineng once practiced in seclusion…” Later, to commemorate the Sixth Patriarch Huineng, a Buddhist temple was built at the entrance of the cave where he meditated behind Lion Rock and named Zhaoyin Temple. A statue of the Sixth Patriarch was enshrined inside, and over the years incense offerings continued unabated, gradually making it one of the ancient Twenty-Four Scenic Spots known as “Lion Rock Zhaoyin.”

Until the end of the Republic of China era, monks and lay practitioners residing in the temple gradually left, and the buildings and Buddha statues fell into disrepair. In the early years after liberation, an outsider claiming to be a lay practitioner lived in the temple cave and took care of the dilapidated Buddha statues. After this person died, the entire temple was abandoned.

In 1984, when the Qujiang County Party Committee and County Government were planning the Lion Rock tourist area, the restoration of Zhaoyin Temple was included in the plans. In 1986, special funds were allocated to rebuild the temple and recast the statue of the Sixth Patriarch. The main cave of Zhaoyin Temple was planned to house halls, with eighteen arhats sculpted along the cave walls. The lower cave was designated as the Guanyin Hall, and the cave beneath that as the “Eighteen Levels of Hell.” To date, stone steps up the mountain, the main hall, and the statue of the Sixth Patriarch have been constructed, covering a construction area of over 100 square meters. Additionally, plans include building a scripture depository, guest hall, side rooms, storage rooms, and kitchen, with a construction area of 480 square meters on approximately two mu of land.

The opening of Zhaoyin Temple will further promote the development of the Lion Rock tourist area.