The place where Taiyi transmitted the Dharma, the place where Nezha attained enlightenment.
A thousand-year-old cultural city with Nezha culture
The Fu River meanders through the city, and Mount Qianyuan stands majestically. This is the origin of the legend of Nezha's "divine pearl descending to earth" in the novel *Investiture of the Gods*, a testament to the belief in "praying for rain and receiving immediate response" recorded in the *Jiangyou County Annals*, and the spiritual homeland for Nezha believers worldwide seeking their roots. From the morning glow at Jinguang Cave to the incense burning at Cuiping Mountain, from the ruins of Chentang Pass to the joint Buddhist ceremonies held on both banks of the river, every sacred site tells us: Jiangyou is the root of Nezha culture and the soul of the Chinese spiritual lineage.
[History and Culture]
① Collection of ancient books
The *Jiangyou County Gazetteer* clearly records: "Nezha, the third son of Li Jing, cultivated himself in the Jinguang Cave of Qianyuan Mountain." These precious ancient documents provide a basis for understanding Nezha's life.
The origins of the Zha culture provide solid historical evidence.
Ancient texts serve as evidence: the written imprint of Jiangyou and Nezha
A faded record in the "Records of Temples and Sacrifices" section of the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu edition of the *Jiangyou County Gazetteer* remains clear to this day: "Atop Cuiping Mountain stands the Nezha Immortal Pavilion. Every year on the 13th of the third month, the people of the county burn incense and pray for rain, and their prayers are always answered." The *Golden Light Cave* on Qianyuan Mountain is said to be where the Taiyi Immortal refined elixirs. The *Long'an Prefecture Gazetteer* from the Daoguang era further details this: "Nezha Prince once studied Taoism here." In 1998, the Institute of Ancient Books at Sichuan University examined these texts and, combined with the record in the Tang Dynasty's *Yuanhe County Gazetteer* that "Chentang Pass is within the territory of Jiangyou County," officially confirmed the "Jiangyou Nezha Legend." In 2023, the "Jiangyou Nezha Legend" was listed in the Sichuan Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage List.
② Geographical confirmation
<Qianyuan Mountain Golden Light Cave>
The Third Prince became a disciple of the Immortal Taiyi to learn martial arts and Taoism.
The Daoist temple of Taiyi Zhenren
Witnessing the eternal theme of master-apprentice succession
<Nezha's Physical Body Tomb>
On the side of the rugged, winding mountain road leading to Jinguang Cave on Qianyuan Mountain
We can see the ancient tomb of Nezha's physical body.
After Nezha committed suicide, his body was buried here.
<Nezha Temple on Cuiping Mountain>
After the Third Prince removed the bones and returned the flesh...
Lady Yin built a palace for him at Cuiping Mountain.
The incense has burned continuously for thousands of years, perpetuating the vitality of the culture.
<Chentang Pass Ruins>
The strategic pass guarded by Prince Li Jing
Chentang Pass, the birthplace of the Third Prince
The Nezha Zhenren Building on Cuiping Mountain is the ancestral temple of Nezha. Every year on the 13th day of the third lunar month, the day of his manifestation, a three-day Dharma assembly is held.
③ Daoist lineage inheritance
Since the Tang Dynasty, the Nezha Ancestral Temple in Jiangyou has been an important place for the transmission of Taoist lineage.
Throughout history, immortals have cultivated themselves here, carrying forward the culture of Nezha.
[Cultural Stories]
Cultivation in the Golden Light Grotto
Nezha, the tutor, studied under the Taiyi Zhenren for seven years.
He was granted magical treasures such as the Universe Ring and the Chaos Ribbon.
He realized the true meaning of "My fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens".
The cave still preserves traces of Nezha's cultivation.
<The Incense Offerings at Cuiping Mountain>
Since the construction of the temple in the Tang Dynasty
The Nezha Temple on Cuiping Mountain is a place of pilgrimage for believers.
For thousands of years, the incense has burned continuously, carrying the devout wishes of countless believers.