The Yunyan Temple is located in Douchui Mountain, seven kilometers from Wudu Town in Jiangyou County, Sichuan Province.
According to historical records, the Yunlong Temple was built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), destroyed in wars during the late Ming (1368-1644) and rebuilt in 1725 during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
The present temple, which was built on an open land, has five rows of halls. In the Stars Hall is a building named Flying Apsaras Structure, also known as Wheel Turning Scripture Structure. Erected in 1181 during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279), the structure was originally used to store Confucian classics. During the late Ming, however, it was burnt down with only the present building remaining. After two repairs in 1719 and 1754 respectively during the Qing, the temple remains one of the best-preserved examples of Song architecture.
The three-storied Wheel-Turning Scripture Structure is 10.8 meters high with a diameter of 7.5 meters. A huge, 50-centimeter rotating axis was inserted into the iron bearing. The grand upper pavilion has seen many changes. Only a few of the 200-plus wood-carved figures in the walls remain today. The rare wooden statues of the Song Dynasty depicted lifelike figures of both men and women of all ages in various postures. Moreover, the colorful grid paintings and elaborate flower patterns on wooden partitions are also important works of that period.