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90-Year-Old Woman Lives for 17 Years at the Top of a Mountain in China Caring for Centuries-Old Buddhist Temple.
At the top of a mountain in Yinjiang, in Guizhou province, a Buddhist temple that originated during the Ming dynasty continues to stand among cliffs and silence because a 90-year-old woman decided to live there and care for the place.
At the top of the mountain, surrounded by steep cliffs and breathtaking scenery, lies the Centu Temple. For 17 years, this woman has climbed up, cleaned, lit fires, welcomed visitors, pointed out the Bodhisattvas, and protected the altar. The mountain is not just a backdrop; it is the center of the story and is what sustains the life of this isolated temple.
The Mountain and the Temple Above the Clouds
The Centu Temple is located in the mountainous area of Muhuang, in Yinjiang, Guizhou. The current building is at a high point on the mountain, surrounded by dense forest and cliffs.
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Residents say the temple emerged at the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing dynasty and that, after a period of destruction, it was gradually rebuilt with help from the community.
It is a temple that only exists today because people insisted on keeping it alive on that mountain.
In recent years, a concrete road was built by residents with donations. Even so, the final stretch remains steep.
Those who climb up notice that the place was designed to be distant, silent, and protected.
The 90-Year-Old Guardian
The protagonist of this story is the 90-year-old woman who has lived in the temple for 17 years. She has five children and a large family but chose to remain on the mountain to take care of the temple.
Despite her age, she walks quickly, goes up and down, prepares tea, and explains each image on the altar. She herself says she can no longer hear very well but remembers everything that has been done there.
She shares that she has planted vegetables on the mountain and that other people’s livestock have eaten them. She mentions that water is drawn through pipes from the foot of the mountain.
She states that she has even gone up to ten days without coming down. And yet, she remains there because someone needs to guard the temple.
Life at the Top of the Mountain
The routine is not one of absolute isolation. Another elderly man of about 80 also lives in the temple. They share the kitchen, pots, stove, and chores.
The main house is made of bricks, and there are wooden houses nearby. It is a simple life, but it is a real life, one that truly resides in the mountain and does not just visit.
Food is brought by relatives or people from the village.
The fire is lit right there. Water comes through piping. She says that sometimes she does not come down for ten days. It is not comfort; it is purpose. And the purpose is to keep the temple open.
Reconstruction, Donations, and Road
The current temple did not appear suddenly. Residents explain that the building was rebuilt after the old one was destroyed in a difficult time. People from the region donated money. A chief from Zhuhai reportedly donated tens of thousands of yuan.
Others raised even more. With this collective effort, it was possible to create the concrete road that today helps those who ascend the mountain.
Even so, the final part remains challenging. There are iron bars, a steep incline, and an open view of the village below.
When reaching the highest point, the view is wide, and the place resembles a Chinese landscape painting.
Sacred Space at the Highest Point
Inside the temple, there are several consecrated images. The 90-year-old woman points and says who is who. She speaks of Guanyin, the God of Wealth, the Buddha of the West, the Jade Emperor, and even the Queen Mother who resides upstairs. Some images were brought from other homes and placed there.
She not only lives on the mountain, but she also knows the spiritual content of the temple she guards.
She also mentions that she needs to go up to clean ashes and organize the space. It is continuous work. It is care.
What makes this story powerful is the combination of all the elements. An isolated mountain in China. A temple that began in the Ming dynasty.
A road made with donations. And a 90-year-old woman who stayed there for 17 years to ensure the temple would not be abandoned.
Sacred places continue to exist only when someone decides to stay. And here, the one who decided to stay was a woman who could live in the city with her family but chose the mountain.
Could you live at the top of a mountain caring for a temple almost alone for so many years, or would city life call to you more?
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