At the foot of the cloud-swept Zhonghe Peak of Cangshan Mountain, where the rushing waters of the Zhonghe Stream meet the valley, stands the Jinjia Caishen Hall. This modest wood-and-stone sanctuary overlooks Erhai Lake from the head of Zhonghe Village, just outside the West Gate of Dali Ancient Town. It rests near historic ground, bordered by the Sanyuejie market, the ancient Stele of Emperor Shizu of Yuan's Conquest of Yunnan, and the local Benzhu shrine of West Gate Village.

The temple carries a history of movement. Elders of West Gate Village preserve the memory of its original home within the Sanyuejie market grounds, next to the Yuan Emperor's monument, before community hands rebuilt it at this southwest corner of the village. Inside, the architecture reflects local building traditions, housing an unexpected spiritual alliance. A fierce statue of Zhao Gongming, the Golden Armor God of Wealth, stands beside the merciful Buddhist deity Guanyin. Zhao Gongming stares out with a black face and a dense beard, clad in golden armor, holding a gold ingot in his left hand and a golden whip in his right while riding a black tiger.

Twice a year, the quiet courtyard transforms. On the fifteenth day of the third lunar month, the deity's traditional birthday, and again on the third day of the eighth lunar month, local Bai families fill the space. Worshippers arrive carrying heavy bundles of pine firewood, portable stoves, and baskets of offerings. They present roosters, pig heads, fresh fish, and local rushan milk fans to the altar.

The air fills with the crackle of burning wood and the rich aroma of sizzling milk fans. In a unique communal ritual, families set up their stoves directly inside the courtyard. They cook their festive meals in the presence of the gods, offering the food first in its raw state, then cooked, before sitting down to dine together. Here, the sacred and the domestic merge, sustained by the enduring rhythms of the Dali community.