According to historical records, in the thirteenth year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong was fortunate to be here, which was very magnificent. He gave Weichi Gong a gift to supervise the construction of hundreds of towers and temples next to Mengmendaoyuan. Since then, it has been famous in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and has the reputation of "the first jungle in the Western Jin Dynasty" and "the land where five dragons fly". It is the first of eight official temples built in Yongning Prefecture (now Lvliang) in Shanxi Province in the Tang Dynasty, and commands more than 100 temples in Lishi, Liulin, Zhongyang, Linxian, Wubao and Suide counties in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces. The temple is a group building, facing south, with halls such as Shanmen, Guanyin Hall, Shengjing Hall, Ancient Buddha Hall, Pratt & Whitney Hall, Lingquan Bieyuan, Youyun Pavilion and Zushi Hall, which are resplendent and magnificent, with a total area of 8,250 square meters. Emperor Taizong and Ming Taizu personally inspected the temple and issued a decree. Song Renzong, Jin Shizong and Emperor Injong named them "Lingquan Temple" respectively, and gave them a name and a Buddha ride. If the southern peaks are inserted into the sky, the mountainside is wide and flat, interlocking. If it surges, if it jumps, it will be a spectacular view. The temple has a long history of architecture, beautiful natural scenery and many scenic spots. The ancients won by their shapes and listed ten scenic spots:
Night wave of the Yellow River: The temple faces the Yellow River, looking for dozens of miles, rushing in, boating on the shore, and the night scene is picturesque.
Mengmen misty rain: the temple is in the south of the town, high to the east of the river, with continuous trees and brilliant morning glow.
Yubai Yunping: The temple stands at the foot of the mountain, and Cooper stands in the forest, surrounded by four turns, like a screen.
East flows around the blue: East flows out of the mountain stream, traveling for more than 50 miles, and turns west to flow around the temple, and the temple trees reflect like blue.
Lingquan spits jade: the mountain is quiet and the spring is as clear as jade. According to legend, when Jinda regularly brought water to irrigate the fields, there was an auspicious combination of Jinguying, named Ling.
Zhong Zhan Shen Wen: There are bells in the temple. It is said that the pattern decades ago was wide enough to accommodate fingers. But the sound of the blow is as loud as ever.
Deep forest and jade belt: Temple and cypress are covered with clouds and mist, and they walk into the deep forest. From the forest, the Yellow River ripples like a brocade belt.
Autumn birds return to the mountain: Miaoshan Mountain is lush with trees. Every late autumn, white-bellied crows fly around, and after winter solstice and spring, there are regular years.
Duanyang Flower Letter: There are five-color sunflowers in front of the temple, which often bloom on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
Lianchi, Bai Bao: A cypress plant on the top of the mountain, with drooping branches, fists upward and lush foliage, resembling a lotus flower.
1674 (Jiayin year) In August, Fu Shan, an outstanding thinker, poet, calligrapher, doctor, dramatist, martial artist and social activist in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, traveled here and wrote a poem "Crossing Lingquan Temple from Qinglonggang": The temple is far away from us, and the autumn is crisp. Bai Lai's eyes are green, and his heart is bright in the sunset. In the Qing dynasty, there were sad algae, and the Weihe River rang a soldier. Monks borrow couches, and dreams are separated. "
Among the rocks in the southeast of the temple, there is a 2-meter-high bare boulder with a magical cypress tree of about 20 years old growing on it. This tree is 30cm in diameter and 5m in height. Its roots are completely embedded in tiny cracks, and the whole stone is intact. In the case of serious lack of nutrients and water needed for growth, plants are still thriving, which is a local wonder. There are more than 1000 pagodas and 100 stone tablets in the temple area, including Tallinn and Forest of Steles. There are two towering cypresses at the entrance of the mountain; There is a five-walled cypress next to Lingquan clause.
There are many large and small temples in Mengmen, such as Dinghu Temple, Jiangjun Temple, and God of Wealth Temple, which are all over the ancient villages of Mengmen Town and become the foil attractions of Nanshan Temple.
On February 9th, 2008, the First China Liulin Mengmen Festival on the Loess Plateau of the Yellow River was held in Nanshan Temple, Mengmen Town, Liulin County, Luliang City, Shanxi Province, sponsored by China Folklore Society, the Oriental Cultural Center of the League of Nations Project, the Folk Art Committee of the East and West Artists Association (new york) and the Liulin County People's Government. Mengmen Ancient Town and Nanshan Temple fully and truly display the original ecological folk culture, art and historical and cultural relics of the Yellow River Loess Plateau. More than 90 experts and scholars from home and abroad gathered together to study and discuss how to protect and develop traditional festival culture in China, especially to promote the inheritance and development of folk culture and festival culture in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and the abdomen of the Loess Plateau. At the opening ceremony, Mengmen Town was awarded the title of "Hometown of Folk Culture Protection in China" and was designated as "Folk Teaching and Research Base of Nanjing University". The president of China Folklore Society, folklorists, folk artists and people from all walks of life deeply felt that China's traditional New Year's Day culture needed to be protected, and they all passed the Mengmen proclamation on protecting China's traditional New Year's Day culture.