Laojun Cave Temple, Chongqing重庆老君洞

Type

Temples and Abbeys (Gongguan)

Location

China · Chongqing · Chongqing · Laojun Slope, Nanshan, Nan'an District

Coordinates

29.53, 106.61 Map ↗

School

Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoism, Longmen (Dragon Gate) Lineage of Quanzhen

First built

Tang (according to one account, Han) · Rebuilt during the Wanli era of the Ming and expanded during the Qianlong era of the Qing; the largest Daoist temple in Chongqing; a public monastery of the Quanzhen Longmen Lineage

Heritage status

Chongqing Municipal Cultural Heritage Site

Overview

The Laojun Cave Temple stands on Nanshan in Chongqing, taking its name from the Laojun rock cave there; tradition holds that it already existed in the Tang, was rebuilt during the Wanli era of the Ming, and expanded during the Qianlong era of the Qing, becoming a public monastery of the Quanzhen Longmen Lineage in eastern Sichuan. Built into the cliff face, the temple has a mountain gate, Sanqing Hall, Hall of Laojun, Hall of the Jade Emperor, Hall of Cihang (Guanyin), Zhenwu Hall and other structures, with the main hall built before a natural rock cave; the cliff face preserves Ming- and Qing-dynasty cliff carvings and inscriptions, among which the 'Laojun Cave' cliff carving and Ming-dynasty Daoist stone statuary are the most valuable. The temple overlooks the Yangzi River and the Yuzhong Peninsula. It was restored and reopened in the 1980s, and is today the seat of the Chongqing Taoist Association.

Highlights

• Laojun rock cave
• Ming and Qing cliff carvings
• View overlooking the Yangzi River