At the southern foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, in Jade Dragon Village, stands Beiyue Temple. Established in 779 AD during the Tang Dynasty, this three-entry courtyard complex spans 2,329 square meters, making it the oldest temple in Lijiang. It is dedicated to Sanduo, the supreme protective war god of the Naxi people and the personification of the snow-capped peak.

The temple's origin rests on a physical encounter. A Naxi hunter chased a white muntjac up the slopes of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The animal vanished behind a boulder, leaving a white stone that felt light as paper. The hunter carried the stone down the mountain, yet at this exact ridge, the stone grew impossibly heavy, anchoring itself to the earth. Recognizing a divine sign, the community built a sanctuary around this heavy white stone.

Over twelve centuries, rulers left physical marks on this sacred ground. In 1253, Kublai Khan led his army through Lijiang and later bestowed upon the mountain deity the title of Great Holy White Stone Sovereign Emperor of Stabilizing and Securing the Country. In 1535, the Naxi chieftain Mu Gong expanded the temple, writing an inscription and casting a massive bronze tripod and bell that still echo with a metallic ring. Later, Chieftain Mu Zeng brushed the characters "Xue Liang," meaning snow-bright, which are preserved on a plaque inside the Main Hall.

Outside, the natural world mirrors this deep history. A 1,200-year-old Chinese juniper, known as the Tang Cypress, rises 22 meters high, its rough, twisted trunk measuring two meters in diameter. Nearby, 300-year-old ginkgo trees drop golden leaves onto the stone paths.

Every year on the eighth day of the second lunar month, the temple grounds fill with the scent of incense and roasted sheep during the Sanduo Festival. Thousands of Naxi, Bai, and Tibetan worshippers gather to dance and sing. The temple remains a living monument where the cold stone of the mountain and the warm memories of a community meet.