Linjiang Temple

　　Linjiang Temple is situated on the west bank of the Jialing River, approximately 1 kilometer west of the county town. Its name comes from its proximity to the Linjiang Ferry. In the first year of the Guangde era of the Tang Dynasty (763), Du Fu (also known as Du Shao-ling) saw off guests at this ferry and composed the poem “Farewell to Guests at Cangxi as Their Boat Heads Back to Lang.” To commemorate the poet’s visit, the locals built a pavilion here and inscribed the three characters “Fang Chuan Tai” (Boat Launching Platform) to the east of the pavilion. The Southern Song Dynasty poet Lu You traveled north to Nanzheng and visited this pavilion, leaving behind the line “I most remember Cangxi County, where I bid farewell to guests in a green pavilion.” During the Ming Dynasty, a cave was carved into the stone cliff to the left of the pavilion to enshrine Buddha. In the Chenghua era (1465–1487) of the Ming Dynasty, Wu Zhi, the educational commissioner of Sichuan, wrote in his seven-character regulated poem “Moored Boat at Cangxi”: “Residents live in thatched cottages by the hillside, and ancient temples nestle on rocks as beds.” In the 26th year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1771), when Magistrate Yu Dahai was constructing the city wall, he quarried stones here and also oversaw the temple’s construction.

　　In the 28th year of the Daoguang era (1818), Magistrate Ze Kuan completed the construction of the Ciyun Pavilion and the stone halls on both sides. In the 10th year of the Tongzhi era (1871), Magistrate Cai Maokang expanded it again, adding one cave on each side of the Ciyun Pavilion, skillfully constructing a stone corridor, and placing dozens of clay and stone statues of deities. Wooden pavilions, terraces, verandas, and trees were arranged around it, encircled by stone railings and walls, making it most grand in scale. Entering through the mountain gate and ascending the stone steps along the railing to the right leads to the Eight Immortals Cave. The lowest level at the center of the temple is the stone-carved Weituo Hall, which is 1.6 meters wide and 2.5 meters high. The stone plaque above the door bears the calligraphy “Jialing First Tower” written by the calligrapher Song Hao. Inside the hall stands a solemn stone-carved statue of Weituo facing forward. On the left and right stone walls outside the Weituo Hall, Magistrate Cai Maokang inscribed the four large characters “Shen Xian Dong Fu” (Abode of Immortals), each character measuring 1.5 meters in diameter. Originally, there was an ancient theater stage opposite the hall, and the courtyard between the hall and the stage was planted with exotic flowers and plants. The stage was surrounded by stone railings, beyond which ancient trees towered. At the western end of the temple is the “Bo Guang Zhu Ying Xuan” (Ripple & Bamboo Shade Pavilion), simple and elegant. Lush green bamboos grow in front of the pavilion, and the river flows gently beneath it. On moonlit nights, with a breeze blowing and swaying bamboo shadows, the shimmering water creates one of the eight scenic views around Cangxi County — the “Linjiang Night Moon.” Climbing dozens of steps upward to the right of the Ripple & Bamboo Shade Pavilion, you enter the “Bie You Dong Tian” (Another World) stone archway, and further up is the “Da Guan Ting” (Grand View Pavilion). The plaque reads “Jiang Shan Yi Lan” (A Panoramic View of Rivers and Mountains). The pavilion has two levels. From its top, one can take in distant mountains, nearby waters, city walls, fields, and houses. Descending the pavilion and turning eastward leads to the central structure of the entire temple — the Lingguan Hall. Exiting the garden gate and walking eastward along the stone corridor leads to the West Zen Hall and the Three Officials Hall.

　　The Three Officials Hall houses statues of deities, and within the stone crevices of the hall, a small stream trickles year-round without drying up. Going east from the Three Officials Hall leads directly to the central “Ciyun Pavilion,” which enshrines a seated statue of Guanyin. The hall connects to the East Zen Hall, which serves as a teahouse for visitors. Further east are living quarters and a kitchen area. Linjiang Temple is a famous scenic spot in Cangxi. The Farewell Pavilion, due to its age, has been damaged, and the Grand View Pavilion was destroyed by a landslide. In 1984, Zhao Puchu, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, wrote a couplet for Linjiang Temple: “With cane in hand and wind in face, the Poet Sage once leaned on the railing to see guests off; with weapons in hand resisting Japan, the Red Army crossed here on their Long March.” In April 1984, the People’s Government of Cangxi County designated it as a county-level cultural relics protection unit.