Entity
Qingsuo Benzhu Temple
Dali, Yunnan, China
In the year 225 CE, soldiers under Zhuge Liang stood before the rushing waters of the Miju River. They gathered green reeds from the banks, twisting them into thick ropes to construct a crossing. This act of survival gave Qingsuo Village its name, meaning "green rope."Near the banks where those soldiers labored, stands the Qingsuo Benzhu Temple, a sanctuary that anchors the spiritual life of the Bai people.
The temple sits near the Tianqu Bridge, a three-arch stone structure built in 1487 and restored in 1782. Beside the bridge, the Archer's Stele of 1600 CE stands 1.6 meters high and 0.6 meters wide. Its surface bears over two thousand chiseled characters, preserving the names of thirty-three local archers who once guarded this trade route.
Inside the temple's open courtyard, the scent of burning incense fills the air. Visitors encounter the sacred statue of Xiaohuanglong, the Little Yellow Dragon. Local lore identifies this deity as Duan Chicheng, a historic hero who plunged into the deep waters to battle a destructive black dragon. He sacrificed his life to end the devastating floods, earning the title of Erhai Dragon King. This temple is one of eleven key shrines dedicated to his lineage, where locals also worship his mother as a guardian of the weather.
Every year, on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, the community gathers for the River Lantern Festival. Youth crowd the courtyard to light incense and pray for prosperity. They perform the traditional Incense Dragon dance, filling the night with sparks and smoke. At dusk, the villagers carry hand-crafted, illuminated paper lanterns to the riverbank. They release these glowing lights into the cool currents of the Miju River, watching them drift downstream to guide the spirits of their ancestors. Through these enduring rituals, the past remains present in the quiet flow of the water.