At the foot of Wutai Peak, where the scent of broad beans drifts from the fields and mountain runoff flows through the stone streets of Xizhou, stands the Daci Monastery. Founded during the Tang Dynasty under the Nanzhao Kingdom, this sanctuary was built by the diplomat Zhang Jiancheng, who modeled it after a temple he visited in Chengdu. Its walls, built from local sea-stone masonry and timber frames, have sheltered a rare convergence of beliefs. Within its "one entry, four courtyards" layout, statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and Guanyin share space with the Jade Emperor Pavilion, the ancestral tablets of Confucius, and local Bai folk deities.

In March 1939, this quiet religious sanctuary became a refuge for higher education. Fleeing the Japanese invasion, Huachung University relocated its entire campus here from Wuhan, invited by local merchants Yan Zizhen and Dong Chengnong. For seven years, the ancient temple grounds transformed. The main hall served as the university chapel and assembly hall under President Francis C. M. Wei. The Qiguan Hall, a Confucian temple, housed classrooms for physics, biology, and chemistry. Human presence left deep marks on these stones. In the courtyard, the white reflecting wall bounced the afternoon sun into makeshift laboratories. Here, chemistry students worked to improve the extraction of local blue indigo dye.

The university returned to Wuhan in 1946, leaving behind a legacy that permanently altered the region. Today, the monastery serves a dual purpose. Resident monks burn daily incense in the quiet halls, while the restored wings house the Westward Migration Memorial Hall. Visitors can stand in the preserved classrooms and dormitories, feeling the cool sea-stone walls that once echoed with the voices of displaced scholars who kept Chinese education alive during wartime.