The Huayan Nunnery of the Ming Fourteenth Mausoleum

　　On the ancient Yinping Road, there is another mysterious site—the Laomiaozi (Old Temple), located 15 li south of Qingxi Town in the Zhamugou Valley. This is the former site of the Huayan Nunnery, originally built during the Yuan Dynasty, expanded in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and having endured destruction and over 600 years of history. It is said to have been the hidden retreat of Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty. The ruins of the Huayan Nunnery are situated on a hill within Lotus Mountain, deep in the Zhamugou Valley, resembling an imperial mausoleum. On the western side of the valley, there are city walls constructed from massive stones. A path about 2 li long along the wall winds up the mountain, leading directly to the temple site at the summit. The northern slope is gentler, with a relatively flat area of about 3,000 square meters at the base. From the temple site, looking north, the Yinping Mountains and Mapan Mountains are fully visible, while 21 peaks on the southeast and west sides gradually encircle the area like lotus petals. The Huayan Nunnery seems to be situated atop a blooming lotus pedestal—a breathtaking sight.

　　This ancient nunnery in the deep mountains, through 600 years of changing times, has endured many hardships, experiencing periods of prosperity and decline. Although the temple buildings are gone, the incense offerings continue, and relics remain. Four stone steles and one fragmentary stele have been discovered, all erected during the Qing Dynasty, along with one stone Buddha statue (the carving date is unknown). The “Guangfo Stele” (Stele of the Vast Buddha) was erected in the first month of the lunar year Yimao, the eighth year of the Kangxi reign in the Qing Dynasty (1709). This stele is well-preserved, standing 1.7 meters tall, 0.90 meters wide, and 0.08 meters thick.

　　The inscribed text on the stele is 1.56 meters high.

　　It features the “Inscription Preface for the Erection of the Huayan Nunnery Stele,” which states, “…founded during the Yuan Dynasty and later serving as the hidden retreat of Emperor Jianwen of the early Ming Dynasty…”. The “Huayan Nunnery Reconstruction Stele” is also well-preserved. It was erected on the eighth day of the fourth month in the lunar year Yihai, the fifty-eighth year of the Kangxi reign (1719). The stele stands 1.70 meters tall, 0.92 meters wide, and 0.05 meters thick, with the inscribed text measuring 1.44 meters in height. It contains the “Record of the Reconstruction of the Huayan Nunnery,” stating, “…There are two accounts regarding the establishment of the Huayan Nunnery: one says it began when Emperor Jianwen went into hiding, the other says that the monk Yufeng initiated its founding in the sixth year of the Xuande reign. These are the prevailing theories…”. The fragmentary stele is 0.20 meters long and 0.08 meters wide, bearing the inscription “the fifth year of the Kangxi reign.” There are two tombstones: one from the 16th year of the Dao Guang reign in the Qing Dynasty (1836), marking the grave of Monk Yuanxing; and another from the Bing Shen year of the Daoguang reign (1836), for a Bhikkhu monk. The stone Buddha statue is seated, 0.70 meters tall, 0.40 meters wide, and 0.2 meters thick, with a head 0.20 meters high. It resembles a Buddha statue, likely of the Tathagata, with a colorful plaster finish. Its facial expression is kind, and the flesh-tone coloring extends to the hands, which are crossed and held at the abdomen, also in flesh tone. The robes are golden yellow, and the figure is seated in a lotus position. At the back is a cavity containing a Qing Dynasty almanac (a thread-bound book). (According to Monk Luo, who guarded the temple, there was also a map inside, which was taken by Xiao Yutang of the former Qingxi Police Station.) To the west behind the nunnery site is a stone pagoda, tilted toward the west. The pagoda is 2.30 meters tall, with a base that is 1.30 meters long and wide. It consists of nine tiers, alternating between square stones and round drum stones, bonded with the same mortar used in the Ming-era Qingxi city walls. It has a four-square, five-round structure—the squares being larger than the rounds—with a conical top, devoid of patterns or inscriptions. Excavated earth around the pagoda base indicates it may have been partially buried.

　　West of the nunnery site, there are three longevity ponds, each about 10 square meters in size, containing orchid-like aquatic plants. Regardless of drought or freezing conditions, the ponds remain full year-round. One of the ponds has a spring that shoots water in a lotus-like shape. To the west of the nunnery, a section of collapsed city wall, about 800 meters long, descends along the hillside. It is built from massive stones, 1–2 meters in diameter, with the wall being about 4 meters wide.

　　The wall varies in height from 1–3 meters above the ground and is double-layered and hollow. Legend says people could walk inside. According to Monk Luo, this passage might connect to a “Fairy Cave” located about 50 meters in front of the nunnery. This cave is about 0.5 meters wide and 50 meters deep. County records state that the Huayan Nunnery was surrounded by walls about 5 li long during the Ming Dynasty. Nestled against the mountain and near the water, it comprised a grand Buddhist nunnery with a mountain gate, three main halls, and side halls. The descriptions in the “Guangfo Stele Inscription” and the “Record of the Reconstruction of the Huayan Nunnery” about Emperor Jianwen arriving here in the sixth year of the Xuande reign align perfectly with the account in Volume 17 of the "Ming History: Chronicles of Events" (“The Abdication of Emperor Jianwen”), which states that in the sixth year of the Xuande reign, the emperor traveled from Yan’an to Xi’an and then entered Shu. This also matches the narratives in the “Ming History: Biography of Zheng He,” “Ming History: Biography of Yao Guangxiao,” and “Ming History: Biography of Hu Ying” regarding Emperor Jianwen’s escape. Moreover, at the time of liberation, a golden wooden plaque with a dragon border, inscribed with “Long Live the Great Ming Emperor Jianwen, Long Live, Long Live, Long Live,” was preserved before the main hall Buddha. All this confirms that Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty indeed took refuge in the Huayan Nunnery of Qingxi in the sixth year of the Xuande reign.

　　The Zhamugou Valley is deep and serene, and the Huayan Nunnery is ancient and mysterious. That’s because the nunnery holds many unresolved secrets—just the fact that Emperor Jianwen once hid here raises questions. Why build such solid yet hollow stone walls? Does the “Fairy Cave” truly connect to the stone walls? Could this passage have been a secret escape route for the emperor in emergencies? What is the meaning of the stone pagoda—is it symbolic of “the round heaven and square earth” or “the supremacy of the nine-five”? Could it be the “Ming Fourteenth Mausoleum,” the tomb of Emperor Jianwen? In 1997, a small temple was rebuilt with donations from local residents, and its incense offerings have flourished since. Let us wait and see as the mysterious veil of the Huayan Nunnery is slowly lifted.