Xifeng Temple

　　Xifeng Temple was first built during the reign of Emperor Shenzong of the Northern Song Dynasty. For nearly a thousand years, it enjoyed great prosperity in incense offerings and exerted influence across various counties in southern Anhui, earning the reputation of being the “Little Jiuhua.” During the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty, Xifeng Temple was destroyed in the flames of the Taiping Rebellion. In the 32nd year of the Republic of China (1943), local devotees raised funds to rebuild the temple, but it was no longer as grand as before. In 1964, the renowned monk Shi Congwen from Hunan came alone to the then-dilapidated Xifeng Temple. He cleared land for farming, raised bees for honey, revived the incense offerings, and revitalized Buddhist practices. After the reform and opening-up, with increasingly enlightened religious policies, the number of visitors to Xifeng Temple grew steadily, making it a well-known attraction by Taihu Lake. In 1992, Monk Shi Congwen passed away. After his body was sealed in a jar for four years, it remained uncorrupted, sitting upright like a bell. Local devotees spontaneously donated money to gild his relics and enshrine them in a dedicated hall. In 1997, Li Jixue, the director of the Provincial Religious Affairs Bureau, visited Xifeng Temple and highly praised the dignified and upright posture of Monk Shi Congwen’s relics, calling it a miracle that such well-preserved remains could form in the humid environment by Taihu Lake. Since then, Xifeng Temple has gained widespread fame, attracting numerous visitors and pilgrims.

　　 The Party Committee and government of Wushi Town have vigorously implemented a tourism-driven development strategy, taking the lead in issuing a township-level “Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Tourism.” They proposed focusing on the development of heritage exploration tours, Buddhist culture mystery tours, and town-village leisure tours. A CCTV production crew spent an entire day filming, comprehensively showcasing the historical evolution of Xifeng Temple, the legendary life of Monk Shi Congwen, scientific explorations into the formation of his relics, as well as the beautiful scenery and profound historical and cultural heritage of Taihu Lake. Once completed, this feature-length documentary will be broadcast on major national media platforms, playing a significant role in promoting Huangshan District and Taihu Lake, while also advancing the expansion and development of the thousand-year-old Xifeng Temple. According to local villagers, the nunnery in Dawushi Village has a history of over 200 years. In earlier times, the nunnery enjoyed a thriving incense offering culture.

　　 According to Uncle Wang, a villager over 80 years old, “I heard that the abbess of the nunnery was afraid that the young nuns would steal the incense donations, so she hid all the money. Later, when the abbess passed away, no one knew where she had hidden it.”

　　 Huangshan District’s Taiping-Wushi Town is a western town in Huangshan District, Huangshan City, situated between Mount Huang and Mount Jiuhua. It lies at the heart of Chengping Lake National Wetland Park. The town features a combination of farmland, mountainous areas, and reservoir regions, encompassing 20,000 hectares of non-forested mountain land, 650 hectares of farmland, and 660 hectares of tea plantations. It is a key grain-producing town, forestry town, reservoir resettlement town, and revolutionary base area in Huangshan District. The area is abundant in timber, bamboo, tea, high-quality rice, freshwater fish and shrimp, as well as local specialties such as bamboo shoots, fiddlehead ferns, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and winter melon seeds. Wushi boasts uniquely beautiful landscapes and rich cultural heritage, earning accolades such as the “Little Jiuhua by Taihu Lake” and the “Poetic Realm of Han-Tang Antiquity.” The town enjoys a forest coverage rate of over 90%, with air and water quality consistently meeting national first-class standards. It has been honored with titles such as “National Top 100 Afforestation Township” and “Huangshan Organic Tea Hometown.”