Travel | When I trekked over mountains and rivers to the Cat Temple from the animated film

I've always wanted to visit the Cat Temple, not only because it was a fleeting white moonlight in "Chinese Strange Tales," but also because legend has it that this tiny temple was built by Abbot Longwen of Yuntai Temple for his deceased cat, which warms the heart. The Cat Temple is actually not a temple but a hall within a Taoist temple called "Tanmao Hall," located in the mountains of Yuntai Temple in Qijiang Town, Santai County, Mianyang City. Driving from Chengdu is the most convenient way to get there, about a two-hour drive. If you arrive early at noon, you can catch the vegetarian meal at Yuntai Temple. After eating the vegetarian meal, walk along the mountain path outside the temple deeper into the mountains, and in just over ten minutes, you will see this small square hall by the roadside. The hall is one room wide and one room deep, with a hip-and-gable roof. The door is carved from a single stone in a tablet shape, with couplets on both sides reading: "Yuntai Tanmao shakes the four directions, Jade Cat Yuntai shows its divine power," and the plaque above the door is inscribed with three large characters: "Tanmao Hall." Moreover, I indeed found the inscription "Spring 2001, Abbot Longwen" on the plaque beside Tanmao Hall, which suggests the legend has some basis. However, a more widely spread story says that a cat once accompanied Zhao Gongming on his path to becoming an immortal. After Zhao Gongming became the True Martial Patriarch, the common people built this hall to honor the cat in gratitude for its protection, hoping it would safeguard the peace of the local land and people. This is how the name "Tanmao Hall" gradually became known. In any case, the existence of Tanmao Hall is a beautiful source of great spiritual comfort for cat lovers. For sincere blessings, we also brought many cat treats, canned food, and freeze-dried snacks, fully offering them to the Cat Deity. I must highly recommend the cats at Yuntai Temple—they are just too, too, too adorable! Not only are they well-fed, but each one also has its own exclusive cat tag. Whether eating or playing with a cat teaser, the cats are enthusiastic and polite, allowing petting and cuddling! (But please remember to stay alert and keep a safe distance, as everyone interacts with cats differently.)