Qiqushan Temple 七曲山大庙

About Qiqushan Temple

Its halls step with the hillside instead of following a single rigid axis, creating changing views of tiled roofs, raised corners and carved timberwork. The complex is associated with Wenchang worship, and the surrounding ancient cypresses connect it with the tree-lined Shu Road landscape. Look at the relationship between buildings and slope before moving closer to the architectural details.

The temple was first built in the Jin dynasty as a shrine to Zhang Yazi (张亚子), known as Yazi Ci (亚子祠). After Zhang Yazi was canonized as Wenchang Dijun (文昌帝君) in the early Yuan dynasty, the shrine was rebuilt as Wenchang Gong (文昌宫), and most of the surviving buildings date from the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The complex was listed among Sichuan's re-confirmed first-batch provincial cultural relic protection units on 7 July 1980, and it was announced as a fourth-batch Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) on 20 November 1996.

Beside the temple stand more than 20,000 ancient cypress trees, described as the largest area of cypress forest in China. Buildings from the Yuan dynasty include Pantuoshi Hall (盘陀石殿); Ming-dynasty structures include Jiaqing Hall (家庆堂), Tianzun Hall (天尊殿) and Guixiang Hall (桂香殿); Qing-dynasty additions include the Main Hall (正殿) and Baichi Tower (百尺楼). The complex includes palace-style buildings in its northern part and smaller, garden-style buildings in the south, with staggered, layered pavilions and carved roof beams.

What to look for

• The staggered halls and pavilions follow the contours of the ridge.
• Carved beams and roof corners can be compared across the temple buildings.
• Old cypress trees surround the temple and continue the Shu Road landscape.

Location & getting there

Getting to Qiqushan Temple

Use Qiqushan Scenic Area on Cuiyunlang Road, north of Zitong town, as the road arrival point. The temple is on the mountain above the county town; arrange the final transfer to the scenic-area entrance.