Chong Gu Temple

Chinese name: 冲古寺 (Chong Gu Si)
Location: Riwa Town, Daocheng County, Fanzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.
Opening time: 07:00-18:30
Ticket: CNY150 for the whole Scenic Area of Yading, which includes the attraction of Chong Gu Temple.
Recommended time for a visit: 1 hour.
Best time for visit: in spring, summer and autumn; while winter has a bad weather.

Introduction to Chong Gu Temple

Chong Gu Temple, stands 3880 meters high above the sea level, is located at the foot of Xiannairi Peak (with an altitude of 6032 meters), the highest peak of the three sacred peaks in Daocheng County. Chong Gu Temple was destroyed badly; it has no data today to imply its building time, only with a legend has been come down through the years. Legend goes like this, because there is no temple in the holy land of the area, the fifth Dalai Lama appointed a Buddhism master to build one in Yadin (where the Chong Gu Temple located in). Unexpectedly, the action infuriated the god of the mountain and incurred a big disaster; all the people lived in the area suffered from lepriasis. The master pitied the fate of the people, and he chanted sutra and prayed day and night. The god was moved, all people recovered at last, however, the master was seriously ill and passed away soon after. People buried him in the temple and to this day, they still chant scriptures to commemorate his great merit.

Chong Gu Temple occupied the best geographic location in Yading Natural Reserve. Standing in the front of the temple, visitors can enjoy an exaggerated blue sky on the top of the head, a yellow-green-interphase meadow underfoot, never melted snow mountains in the distance and a tranquil valley in the back. With such amazing scenery, each traveler, no matter photographer or green hands, can easily capture the beauty as professional level’s pictures. In 1928, when Mr. Locke came to the area for investigation, he lived in Chong Gu Temple for three days. Through the little window of his room, he caught the pretty of the valley, the serener and peaceful Yading village under the moon, and found out it just the original site of the Shangri-la' blue moon valley described in Hilton's Lost Horizon.