Posted 2018/7/8
Menghuan Grand Golden Pagoda, with a height of 1,079 meters, is located at Leiyarang Mountain in the southeast of Luxi and takes only about several minutes’ drive from the downtown. Leiyarang Mountain is from Dai language and means the place where wild grass clears the way (“Lei” means mountain and “Yarang” means “leave”).
There is a legend that Shakyamuni, who was once incarnated into a golden cock (A’Luan), lived there. Hundreds of years after Shakyamuni’s Nirvana, Aluohan, a Buddhist disciple, went to the mountain to practice Buddhism. When he saw the widely growing and thorny grass, he prayed that, “I want to practice Buddhism in this mountain, please let the grass and thorn clear the way.” Seven days later, all wild grass and thorn cleared the way, thus the mountain got the name of “Leiyarang”. Later, a Buddhist pagoda was built in the mountain, where Sharipu of the golden cock (A’Luan) was worshipped. The mountain has been widely recognized as a Buddhist holy land since ancient times. However, the original Buddhist pagoda was damaged during the War of Resistance Against Japan in 1942. Menghuan means that “day is just dawning.” It is said that it was the break of dawn when the Buddha arrived at Mangshi city to teach Buddhism, so Mangshi is called “Menghuan” in Dai language. To commemorate the arrival of Buddha, a Menghuan Grand Golden Pagoda was built in Five Clouds Temple of Luxi city, but it was damaged during the Cultural Revolution in 1966.
To implement the Party’s religious policies, comply with the public opinion and achieve harmonious development, two pagodas were integrated into Leiyarang Mountain and rebuilt under the great care of local Party committee and government. A total of more than 100 million yuan was invested and currently, 60 million yuan has been invested, Cun Jianqiang, general-manager of Mengba Naxi Rare Park, invested most of which. There are also more than 2 million of social donations. Cun was awarded Moral Just by the Buddhist Association of Yunnan Province.
Menghuan Grand Golden Pagoda can be seen from every corner of Mangshi city. When the night falls, the pagoda becomes an important symbol of Luxi, and the Bodhi wisdom contained in the pagoda would enlighten many people.
