Ten of the Dali Kingdom’s twenty-two kings walked away from their thrones to shave their heads and live as simple monks on the slopes of Lan Peak. Among them was Duan Heyu, a ruler whose real life inspired legendary martial arts tales.

In 793 AD, during the Nanzhao Kingdom, a West Indian monk named Zantuo Jueduo built a thatched hut near the Gelao Cliff. He sought isolation, yet his spiritual depth drew the attention of King Ge Luofeng, who named him state preceptor. Centuries later, the monastery became a sanctuary for royalty seeking escape from the bloody politics of statecraft. Fifteen other members of the royal family joined these abdicated kings, trading silk robes for coarse cloth. Later, during the Mongol conquest, Kublai Khan camped his troops at the Zhubi Platform here, using the sacred grounds as a military headquarters.

The architecture of Wuwei Monastery reflects this preference for the quiet life. Built as a series of courtyard-and-patio complexes, the buildings ascend the steep Cangshan slopes. The walls are white-washed, the roofs are gray-tiled, and the eaves sweep upward toward the mountain canopy. In front of the temple stands the Tang Cypress, a hollow-trunked Cunninghamia tree over 1,200 years old that rises twenty-four meters into the mountain air. Visitors can touch its rough, ancient bark, which remains green and alive. Behind the temple, the cold waters of the Rescue Epidemic Spring flow. During historical plagues, monks boiled this sweet water with the leaves of the Tang Cypress to heal local citizens. Nearby, the Yu Qing Stele, carved with a history written by the Ming Dynasty royal Zhu Youli, emits a clear, metallic chime when struck.

Today, the monastery rejects commercialization. It bans artificial electric lights in its quietest halls and charges no admission. In the courtyards, international students train at the active Zen and martial arts school. They run to the river at dawn, balancing heavy river stones on their heads to build posture and focus. In the nearby forests, blue-throated sunbirds flash red in the sunlight as they feed on azaleas. At noon, visitors eat vegetarian meals in absolute silence, washing their own bowls. The ancient bell still rings at five in the morning, calling modern seekers to the same quietude that drew kings from their palaces over a thousand years ago.