Guide to Laojundong: A Taoist Temple with One of Chongqing’s Best City Views
Laojundong (老君洞), sometimes written as Laojun Dong or Laojun Cave in English, is a historic Taoist temple on Nanshan in Chongqing. Locals often call it the “No. 1 Taoist temple in eastern Sichuan,” and its history goes back more than 1,300 years.
It is still a busy place of worship today. You will see people burning incense, praying in front of the halls, and slowly making their way up the temple paths.
Laojundong is not usually treated as one of Chongqing’s major tourist stops, but I still think it is worth setting aside 1–2 hours for it. What makes it worth the trip is the view. After walking uphill through the temple, you can look out over the Yuzhong Peninsula from the top, and personally, I think the view here is even better than the one at Yikeshu Viewing Platform.
Getting There
Laojundong is located on Nanshan, and there is no metro station right next to it. The easiest way to get there is by taxi.
There are two entrances.
The East Gate involves about a 1 km walk along a mountain path before you reach the main temple area. This entrance is better if you want to add a short uphill walk to your visit.
The West Gate is right beside the main halls. After getting out of the car, you only need to walk a few steps. I always enter from this side because the route is much easier and more direct.
Tickets and Opening Hours
Admission to Laojundong is free, and it is open daily from 7:30 AM to 5:00 PM.
Free incense sticks are available in front of each hall, though they are quite thin and the quantity is limited. If you want a full incense-and-candle set, enter from the West Gate and walk to the right. There is a small counter where you can get sets priced at 18 RMB, 38 RMB, and 108 RMB.
If you are coming mainly to pray, locals usually suggest going in the morning. If you are just here to walk around, take photos, and enjoy the view, the exact time matters less. I would still avoid arriving too late, because this is not really a night-view spot.
My Route Inside Laojundong
After entering from the West Gate, the first main area you reach is the square in front of Sanqing Hall.
Sanqing Hall is the main hall of Laojundong. It is dedicated to the Three Pure Ones, the highest deities in Taoism: Yuanshi Tianzun, Lingbao Tianzun, and Daode Tianzun. This is where most visitors pay their respects first, and people come here to pray for a wide range of wishes.
From Sanqing Hall, follow the small path on the right and walk uphill. You will reach the hall with the Ming-dynasty cliff carvings.
The carvings here were made directly into the cliff face. They tell the story of Cihang Zhenren saving people from eight forms of hardship, and they are protected as a municipal-level cultural relic in Chongqing.
They are not comparable in scale to the Dazu Rock Carvings, of course. But within Chongqing’s main urban area, it is still rare to see Ming-dynasty cliff carvings like this.
On this level, you will also find halls dedicated to Wucaishen, the Martial God of Wealth, and Kuixing. People usually pray to Wucaishen for wealth and career luck, while Kuixing is where students often pray for exams and academic success.
Continue upward and you will arrive at Xuanwu Hall. This hall is dedicated to Yao Wang, the Medicine King, and many people come here to pray for health for themselves and their families.
Near Zushi Hall is Cihang Hall, dedicated to Cihang Zhenren, who is often identified with Guanyin. People often come here to pray for relationships, marriage, or children.
Next to Cihang Hall is another God of Wealth Hall. This is one stop I never skip whenever I visit. After praying, you can touch the gold ingot in the deity’s hand, which is believed to bring better fortune.
Keep walking up and you will reach Nantianmen, the Southern Heavenly Gate. This is one of the best photo spots in Laojundong.
The red gate, stone steps, roof eaves, and distant city skyline come together in a way that feels very Chongqing. From here, you can see the layered shape of the mountain city, especially when looking toward the Yuzhong Peninsula.
After passing through Nantianmen, continue upward to Yuhuang Tower, the highest point of Laojundong.
The tower has four levels. If you are mainly here to worship, you can visit each floor as you go up. If you are mainly here for the view, you can head straight to the top floor.
My favorite viewpoint is at the top of Yuhuang Tower.
What makes this view different from Yikeshu Viewing Platform is that it does not feel like a purpose-built observation deck. You do not simply arrive, take a photo, and leave. The view comes at the end of the temple route.
You walk past incense, cliff carvings, mountain paths, and temple halls first. Then, near the very end, the Yuzhong Peninsula suddenly opens up in front of you.
That feeling of reaching the city view only after climbing through the temple makes the experience more memorable than simply taking a car to a standard viewpoint.
