Zihua Nunnery

　　The “Zihua Nunnery” is built atop Fairy Peak, resembling a celestial pavilion. The first thing that catches your eye is the mountain gate, which stands 5 meters tall and 6 meters wide, entirely constructed from quarried stone. It covers an area of approximately 35 square meters. The two arched gates are symmetrically designed, with carvings of two lions competing for a ball above the arches. At the center of the arcs is an engraving of the Taiji diagram along with two trigrams. Above these is a stone plaque inscribed with the characters “Purple Cloud Peak” in regular script, and further up is a stone carving of two dragons playing with a pearl. The roof ridges are adorned with fish-tail finials, and at the ridge’s center rests a “Buddha” seal. Beside the gate is a well that never dries up year-round. Passing through the mountain gate leads you to the Zihua Nunnery itself, which consists of three small halls. The first hall has a brick-and-wood structure. Following thirty-seven stone steps brings you to the second hall, where there is a stone platform with a lifelike carved stone dragon pillar. Three more steps up is the third hall, also built from quarried stone. The stone pillars in front of the hall are supported by drum-shaped pedestals. Inside the hall is enshrined a statue of the Goddess of the Nine Heavens. The three halls complement each other, making the architecture extremely pleasing to the eye. Moreover, the surrounding area is lush with trees and covered with wintersweet flowers, adding to the nunnery's breathtaking beauty. In 1951 and 1965, the halls suffered severe damage on two occasions, with all three halls collapsing while only the mountain gate remained intact. In 1996, local residents donated funds and materials to rebuild the structures at the mountaintop: a 4–5 meter-high protective wall was built using quarried stones to enlarge the foundation area, reinforced concrete structures were used to withstand mountain winds, twelve pillars formed a surrounding corridor for visitors to enjoy the view, and yellow glazed hip-and-gable roofs were added to convey the solemnity of the temple, making it even more magnificent than in the past. On clear days, the temple can be seen from dozens of miles around.

　　According to Erxiu, the abbess of the nunnery, during the 1995 renovation of Zihua Nunnery, when the well was converted into a draw well, a Tang Dynasty stele was excavated from the bottom of the well. Measuring about 1.5 square feet, the inscription roughly states: In the second year of the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, an old man saw nine women bathing in the pond at Youcaotang. When he hurriedly called over other men to look, the nine women transformed into cranes and flew to this peak. People thus named it Fairy Peak and built a thatched hut on the summit. Unfortunately, this stele was smashed by ignorant villagers and used as material for concrete. However, existing nunnery steles also confirm this legend: “Since the Tang Dynasty, nine fairies transformed into cranes and soared here, casting auspicious light upon the peak. During the Qianlong reign, it was documented that the founding ancestor Ruiming built the halls in the Shunzhi year of Guisi (1653), consisting of three levels.” The Shiguang 29th year of Qianlong (1764) mountain gate Buddha stele records: “It is said that Fairy Mountain, a renowned site through the ages, is admired by all and regarded as the foremost scenic spot of Fengle.” The Tongzhi-era Annals of Anhua County state: “Every year, many devout worshippers, wealthy young masters, and tourists visit the mountain to offer incense, making it a famous local destination for Double Ninth Festival climbs.” From these accounts, one can glimpse the history of Zihua Nunnery. To protect this historic site, the Lianyuan City Government listed it as a county-level protected heritage site in 1989, designating a 20-meter radius around it as a protected zone.