Wuling Mountain, Chongqing

　　Introduction     The scenic spots of Wuling Mountain Scenic Area can be divided into two major parts: the core scenic area and the peripheral area. The core scenic area mainly consists of Xiangshan Temple, Zhenwu Temple, and the Wuling Dangerous Peaks Stone Forest Cluster Sculptures. The peripheral scenic area extends eastward along National Highway 319 to two landscape zones: Lianghui Dam and Meiziguan. Xiangshan Temple is located at the foot of the main peak of Wuling, on the east side of the old route of National Highway 319. Originally, it served as a place for pilgrims to bathe, meditate, and rest on their way to worship on the mountain, hence the name Xiangshan Temple, also known as Jieguan Hall. During the Qing Dynasty, it also functioned as a post station on the stone pagoda-paved path of Yidao, covering an area of 1,067.3 square meters, with a built-up area of 554 square meters. It is a wooden-framed, rectangular quadrangle courtyard structure. Climbing up the steps via Fuxing Bridge leads you to the temple gate of Xiangshan Temple. Guarding the gate are the two deities Heng and Ha, housed within a 7-pillar, 3-bay wooden-frame structure of the post-and-lintel style. At the center of the roof ridge sits a porcelain inlay with the Chinese character for “longevity” (寿), positioned prominently atop the gate, exuding an ancient charm. Upon entering the first courtyard, on the left side of the hall there is a Buddhist stupa, which, according to legend, was used to enshrine the founding ancestors of both Xiangshan Temple and Zhenwu Temple, with incense burning day and night. To the right is the kitchen, and next to the temple gate are the pigsty and rice mill. Moving further in to the second-level courtyard, at the center stands a three-legged bronze cauldron, cast in iron, with a top diameter of 1.5 chi (approximately 0.5 meters) and a height of about 1.7 meters, used by worshippers to burn incense. On the left is the storeroom, on the right is the guest reception room, and further ahead lies the main hall, consisting of five large rooms that house statues of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the Twelve Wisdom Kings, and the Twenty-Four Celestial Guardians. In front of the temple gate, there are remnants of a stone stele that was damaged by fire in the 18th year of the Daoguang reign during the Qing Dynasty (1838 AD) and subsequently repaired in the 21st year (1841 AD). Although the inscriptions have faded, their meaning can still be discerned. The temple was burned down again in the 32nd year of the Republic of China (1943 AD) and rebuilt in the 35th year (1946 AD). Next to the temple gate, there is also a Qing Dynasty stele recording the dismissal of Yang Chengrong, a military officer of the Qian-Peng Camp in Guizhou, as well as a newly erected county-level cultural relic protection unit marker for Xiangshan Temple. Thanks to the thriving incense offerings throughout the dynasties, many notable scholars and literati have left behind precious calligraphy, paintings, and couplets here, forming a valuable cultural heritage for future generations. A striking couplet at the temple gate reminds visitors of the virtues of chanting scriptures, meditating, and seeking immortals in the mountains: “The land nurtures a forested path to enlightenment; Visitors tread where immortal traces once lay.”

　　 Chongqing’s Xiushan County