Erfo Temple

　　Erfo Temple is situated on Jiufeng Mountain, 30 kilometers east of Hechuan City in Chongqing. Originally named Jiufeng Chan Temple, it covers an area of 5,181 square meters. According to inscriptions in the temple, Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty sent envoys to pray at the temple in the second year of Guangming (881 AD), indicating that the temple existed and was of considerable scale during the late Tang Dynasty. The current structures were rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty.

　　The ancient Erfo Temple was first built in the Tang Dynasty and flourished in the Song Dynasty. It consists of upper and lower halls. The upper hall is located atop Jiufeng Mountain, covering an area of 5,181 square meters, and is divided into three levels with a grand and imposing presence, exuding a strong religious atmosphere. Along the central axis are, in sequence, the Mountain Gate, Jade Emperor Hall, Mahavira Hall (the main Buddha Hall), and Guanyin Hall. On the sides are auxiliary buildings such as the community granary and meditation rooms, arranged in a courtyard layout. Particularly notable is the Mahavira Hall, where the original three main Buddha statues in the center of the hall, each five meters tall and covered in gold-plated clay, were vivid and radiant with a divine glow. The eighteen arhats on both sides, also made of painted clay, displayed a dazzling array of colors and distinct, lifelike expressions, inspiring both awe and wonder. Unfortunately, many cultural relics in the temple were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. The only remaining features are the four stone pillars in the Mahavira Hall, each about thirteen meters tall and carved from single massive stones, standing tall and spectacular — a unique architectural marvel through the ages. The stone carvings on the mountain gate’s decorative archway are exquisitely hollowed out, representing a rare historical and cultural treasure.

　　The lower hall of Erfo Temple is located within Jiufeng Mountain and consists of a two-story building with a base, constructed along the mountainside. Its cliffside rock carvings and clustered sculptures represent the concentrated expression of the humanistic landscape of Laifeng Ancient Town, embodying the profound artistic essence of Erfo Zen Buddhist culture. They reflect the cultural and artistic achievements of the ancient laboring people during the Tang and Song Dynasties. The tallest statue in the lower hall of Erfo Temple is the Sakyamuni Buddha, which stands 12.5 meters high and is carved directly into the rock face, earning it the title of "the Second Buddha of Shu." The sixteen arhat stone carvings in the temple are considered the originators of the evolution from the 18 Arhats to the 500 Arhats. The depiction of the Sixth Patriarch of Zen Buddhism is the only group family portrait sculpture among all stone carvings nationwide. The Southern Song Dynasty stone carvings of Erfo Temple are representative works of the third peak of China’s stone carving art. With a total of 42 niches and more than 1,700 statues, it is the largest and rarest gathering of Buddhist Zen sculptures in China, as well as one of the country’s largest Zen Buddhist practice sites. The renowned scholar Mr. Ding Mingyi likened the Laifeng cliff carvings to “a pearl buried underground”; Dr. Hope N. Heinrich, an American art history professor, called them “a treasure trove of stone carving art”; and Mr. Duan Wenjie, director of the Dunhuang Research Academy and a famous stone carving expert, inscribed: “The Laifeng cliff sculptures are the essence of Song Dynasty stone carving art,” and “The Laifeng arhat sculptures are treasures of stone carving art.”

　　The upper hall of Erfo Temple follows the Zen Buddhist “Seven Halls of a Monastery” layout, with the main structures aligned along the central axis in sequence: the archway-style Mountain Gate, Jade Emperor Hall, Mahavira Hall, and Guanyin Hall. On both sides are auxiliary halls serving as meditation rooms, dining halls, monks’ quarters, the incense kitchen, and the administrative office, forming a closed courtyard complex. The entire architectural complex emphasizes both symmetrical harmony and a dynamic layout, while also pursuing individual character and unique charm in design.