Baiyun Temple on Tianzhu Mountain

　　    Baiyun Temple is situated approximately 18 kilometers southwest of Ankang City and is named after the main peak that rises like a pillar into the clouds. The temple is home to over ten resident monks and welcomes more than 10,000 visitors per year, making it a key Buddhist site in Ankang. Historical records indicate it was established in the second year of the Linde era of the Tang Dynasty (664 AD). As one of the four great Buddhist monasteries in southern Shaanxi, Baiyun Temple is also listed as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Ankang.

　　    The temple complex consists of three courtyards, four pagodas, one incense burner, five halls, nine caves, and three courtyards. Ascending 12 levels of steps leads to a stone stele marking the Hall of the True Martial Patriarch. This stele is considered a fine example of Qing Dynasty regular script calligraphy. The Buddha statues in the uppermost three courtyards are all exquisite Ming Dynasty stone carvings. Behind the temple lies a Lotus Pond, while a Square Pond is located at the front. Legend has it that the water level in the Heavenly Pond reflects that of the Han River. On the northern cliffs of the mountain, there are nine naturally formed caves that are interconnected. The Transformation Furnace was built during the Ming Dynasty, and the four stupa towers each stand over two zhang tall (approximately 6.6 meters), housing the relics of monks from the Song to Qing dynasties. In its heyday, Baiyun Temple had hundreds of pavilions, towers, main halls, and side rooms. The grounds were lush with pine and cypress trees, fragrant with winter plum blossoms. The main hall featured exquisitely carved beams and painted rafters, resplendent in gold and grandeur, with a thousand Buddha statues and thriving incense offerings. Today, Baiyun Temple retains over 60 halls and side rooms.

　　    The peaks of Tianzhu Mountain are uniquely shaped and the scenery is enchanting. Climbing the mountain at dawn to watch the sunrise and sea of clouds feels otherworldly; as the sun sets, wisps of smoke and mist sway atop Tianzhu Peak and drift through the temple halls, creating a mystical, fairy-tale-like atmosphere. Looking down from the mountain, the machinery at Huoshiyan Power Station roars day and night, while layers of buildings glimmer red under the sunlight. Such breathtaking views attract thousands of visitors who come here to escape the heat and enjoy the scenery. Tianzhu Mountain is also renowned for its religious significance through the ages and has been designated as a key cultural relic protection unit of Shaanxi Province.

　　    Since its establishment, Baiyun Temple on Tianzhu Mountain has undergone renovations in every dynasty, especially during the Qing Dynasty. The temple currently houses over thirty stone steles, all documenting donations by devotees for reconstruction, among which the “Baiyun Mountain Temple Public Monastic Precepts and Regulations Stele” is particularly significant and is commonly referred to as the “Ten Precepts of Tianzhu Mountain.” The term “precepts,” in Sanskrit “Vinaya,” first appeared in China in the third year of the Jian’an era of the Eastern Han Dynasty (170 AD) when An Shigao compiled the “Yijue Lun.” Later came the “Bhikshu Prohibitory Precepts.” During the Jiaping era of the Three Kingdoms’ Cao Wei period, the monks Dharmakāla and Dharmatrāta translated the “Four-Part Vinaya” and the “Sanghāti Śīlācitta Chart,” marking the beginning of monastic discipline for Chinese monks. There are various categories of precepts, such as the “Five Precepts,” “Ten Precepts,” and “Two Hundred Fifty Precepts.” The precepts of Tianzhu Mountain were independently established by the Ankang Buddhist community and carry strong local characteristics.

　　    Since the early 1950s, Baiyun Temple on Tianzhu Mountain has been successively led by abbots including Likong, Guangsheng, Guxun, Zhaoxing, and Guanci. During Guxun’s tenure, numerous economic trees were planted on the mountain. The temple currently has over 50 structures, including the front hall, middle hall, upper hall, and side rooms. In the spring and summer of 1984, Bhikkhuni Dunliang oversaw the renovation of the temple and invited lay practitioner Ma Bailing from Fufeng to create new statues. In addition to the original Western Trinity and four stone statues of Guanyin in the middle hall, seven new clay statues were added: Vajrapani, Kṣitigarbha, Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, Samantabhadra, Guanyin, and Śākyamuni.

　　    On the eastern slope and in the mountain hollows of the temple grounds, there are four stupas, the highest number known to be preserved in Ankang to date. One of the stupas on the eastern hill stands five stories tall, with a third-story relief carving of Śākyamuni that remains largely intact.