🏯 Mingzhu Temple · Guilan County, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province

📍 Location: beside Hongjun Street, Taiping Town, Guilan County, Luzhou City, Sichuan Province
🕰️ Historical Background:
Mingzhu Temple was originally constructed during the Ming Dynasty and was initially named "Guanyin Temple." It was renovated and renamed "Mingzhu Temple" during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, due to the natural jade stones in front of the temple that shone like pearls. The temple served as an important religious relay station on the ancient Sichuan-Guizhou Road during the Qing Dynasty, a resting place for salt merchants and wandering monks. In 1935, the Red Army passed through Guilan during the Long March and established a temporary medical point and liaison station here, imbuing it with profound red memories.

🏛️ Architectural Style:
The main buildings are arranged in a three-entrance layout, with the existing hall, bell and drum tower, and side rooms, which are typical of the southern Sichuan folk temple style. The hall is three bays wide, with a raised beam wooden structure, a sloping roof covered with green tiles, and colorful paintings below the eaves depicting Taoist stories and floral and bird patterns, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship. The hall enshrines a statue of the Goddess of Mercy, a clay statue with a golden body, exuding a compassionate demeanor. The walls on both sides are painted with murals depicting characters from "Journey to the West," well-preserved.

🏺 Cultural Relics:

• Two Qing Dynasty stone inscriptions, recording the details of the renovation and the list of donors
• A bronze incense burner inscribed with "Daqing Guangxu Ten Years"
• Wooden medicinal boxes used by the Red Army and remnants of a cloth Communist Party flag (displayed in the museum)

📚 Cultural Value:
Mingzhu Temple combines Buddhist faith, local folk customs, and the red revolution into one, serving as an important physical carrier for studying southern Sichuan folk religion, Ming and Qing architectural art, and the history of the Long March. It was listed as a Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Unit in 2012 and incorporated into the "Long March National Cultural Park" construction system in 2021.

🎫 Tourist Information:

• Opening Hours: 8:00–17:30 (open year-round)
• Admission: Free (registration required to enter the temple)
• Transportation: Take a Luzhou to Guilan bus and get off at Taiping Town, then walk about 500 meters
• Recommended Visiting Duration: 40–60 minutes
• Surrounding Attractions: Adjacent to the Taipingdu Red Army Four Crossings the Red River Memorial Hall, which can be visited together

✨ Tips: The temple is a religious site, please respect the etiquette and do not make noise or take photos. The hiking path is winding, it is recommended to wear non-slip shoes.