Yunju Mountain Travel Guide

Yunju Mountain, originally called Ou Mountain, is located in the southwest of Yongxiu County, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province. It is a famous Buddhist mountain in China and a national key scenic spot. The Zhenru Temple on the top of the mountain is the birthplace of the Caodong School of Zen Buddhism and one of the three model Buddhist temples in China. It is a national key open temple. Yunju Mountain covers a total area of 216.5 square kilometers, with the main peak at an altitude of 969.7 meters. Yunju Mountain is a mountain-type natural scenic spot for religious tourism, leisure, and sightseeing. The natural scenery of Yunju Mountain is beautiful, especially the Baihua Valley Scenic Area, which is known as a fairyland on earth. Along the way, there are strange mountains and rocks, streams and waterfalls, ancient temples and archways, monk pagodas, and numerous historical sites. Yunju Mountain is a famous Buddhist site in China. The Zhenru Zen Temple on the mountain is the birthplace of the Caodong School of Zen Buddhism and a national key open temple. The cultural attractions in the scenic area also include Yaotian Temple, Yuantong Temple, Qishu Hall, Yunmen Temple, and Shangfang Nunnery. There are nearly 100 ancient tomb pagodas, many cliff carvings, and cultural relics such as Tang Dynasty bronze Buddha statues, Kangxi Thousand Monk Pot, and white jade Buddha statues. The most famous attraction of Yunju Mountain is Zhenru Temple, which is an important site of the Caodong School. The Caodong School was founded by Liangjia and Benji in Dongshan and Caoshan in Jiangxi Province, respectively. The Caoshan lineage was cut off after four generations, while the Dongshan lineage was passed down by Master Daoying at Zhenru Temple on Yunju Mountain, allowing it to continue. Master Daoying presided over the Zen temple for 30 years and was revered as the second patriarch of the Caodong School. According to legend, at the end of the Warring States period, King Huai of Chu was deceived into entering Qin. General Ou Ji of Chu protected King Kang, the descendant of King Huai, and took refuge in this mountain to cultivate and attain enlightenment. People called this mountain "Ou Mountain." During the Yuanhe period of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty (806-810), Master Daorong founded the "Yunju Zen Temple" on Yunju Mountain. In the third year of Zhonghe of Emperor Xizong of the Tang Dynasty (883), Master Daoying was invited to preside over Yunju Zen Temple. As Master Daoying was a disciple of the Dongshan lineage of the Caodong School, Zhenru Temple became famous as the birthplace of the Caodong School. During the Dazhong Xiangfu period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1008-1016), Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty ordered the temple to be renamed "Zhenru Zen Temple" and personally inscribed a plaque. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, Zhenru Temple was reduced to ashes in a fire. In the early Ming Dynasty, the temple halls, houses, lakes, fields, and mountain properties were gradually seized by local powerful families. During the Tianshun period (1457-1464) and the late Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty, the temple declined, and the number of resident monks did not exceed 50. In the 20th year of the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty (1592), Abbot Hongduan of the Wanfo Hall in Beijing came to Yunju Mountain to rebuild Zhenru Temple. In the 30th year of the Wanli period (1602), the temple buildings were completed one after another. During the Qing Dynasty, Zhenru Temple continued to prosper and became an important Zen Buddhist temple in China. However, in the mid to late Qing Dynasty, society fell into chaos, and Zhenru Temple faced difficulties. The scenery of Yunju Mountain is magnificent, with 17 large and small peaks and strange rocks, such as Stone Drum, Stone Boat, Turtle Stone, and Chicken Stone, each with its own unique shape and lifelike appearance. There are seven large and medium-sized waterfalls, such as the Five Dragon Pool in Baihua Valley, where the spring water cascades down, forming a waterfall with a drop of over 80 meters at the fifth pool, which is extremely spectacular. The scenic area has a large area of virgin forest, with a high forest coverage rate, towering ancient trees, and deep and quiet valleys, such as the deep and dangerous Baihua Valley and the rolling mountains. Mingyue Lake is the largest natural lake on Yunju Mountain, with a total area of over 10 acres. It resembles a bright moon hanging in the sky, with floating light at sunrise and a clear reflection of Zhenru Temple; there are also many clear streams meandering through the mountains, such as the Qingxi Stream in front of the temple. There are many cliff carvings scattered throughout the mountains, complementing the natural scenery and containing rich cultural value, such as the Heart-to-Heart Stone of Foyin and Su Dongpo, and the stone carvings of Zhao Zhouguan and Mingyue Lake. Among them, there are many famous poems and works left by famous literati who once visited the mountain, such as Su Dongpo, Huang Tingjian, Wang Anshi, Zhu Xi, Bai Juyi, Pi Rixiu, and Lu You. There are currently over 250 ancient poems preserved, all of which are timeless classics. Yunju Mountain, as a shining pearl in the history of Chinese Buddhism, will surely welcome guests from all over the world with its new appearance. The open Zhenru Temple and Yunju Mountain are opening their arms and eagerly awaiting your arrival.