Qingyuan Qingyun Temple

Qingyuan Qingyun Temple

Qingyun Temple is located about two Chinese miles north of Qingyuan County, known as the hometown of the Manchu people. At the foot of Baozhu Peak, where fragrant mists drift amid rolling blue haze, stands a double-eaved, bracket-set structure adorned with a blue plaque inscribed in gold characters that reads “Qingyun Ancient Temple,” exuding an atmosphere of serenity and grandeur.

The architectural style of Qingyun Temple is simple and elegant, featuring a three-story palace-style complex aligned along a central axis, with symmetrical layouts on both sides. The front hall includes the Heavenly King Hall, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, monks’ quarters, meditation rooms, scripture hall, rebirth hall, and dining hall; the middle hall is the Mahavira Hall; and the rear hall will house the scripture depository. The total construction area is nearly 4,000 square meters, covering a site area of 20 mu (approximately 13,000 square meters).

Upon entering the mountain gate, you will find the Heavenly King Hall, which houses the statue of the Maitreya Buddha, with the Skanda Bodhisattva standing behind him, and the Four Heavenly Kings representing wind, rain, harmony, and prosperity on either side. Exiting the front hall and ascending 33 steps leads you to the middle courtyard, where an outdoor statue of Guanyin, revered as the foremost deity, is enshrined. The main hall is the Mahavira Hall, housing the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, with Kasyapa and Ananda on his left and right respectively, and the Eighteen Arhats on the back sides. Further back are the Water-Dripping Guanyin, attended by the boy Sudhana and the dragon girl, along with the Bodhisattva Manjushri. The arrangement is orderly and well laid out. Those seated in lotus position with closed eyes exude benevolence; those with beaming smiles and majestic presence embody compassion; those riding horses or wielding swords and blades display valor; and those with fierce expressions, ringing jade chimes and golden bells, chanting sutras in Sanskrit, evoke a sense of transcending the mundane.

Qingyun Temple was originally located at the foot of Nan Changlingzi in Qingyuan. According to *Fushun Ethnic Minorities and Religions*, “Qingyun Temple was first built during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 AD), covering an area of 7,790 square meters. It had a main hall, three monks’ rooms, three other rooms, four large storage rooms, a mountain gate, and a painted wall. The temple housed painted Buddha statues, various ritual implements, and enjoyed flourishing incense offerings, making it a highly esteemed temple within a hundred-li radius.” Research indicates that the renowned monk Hanke, also known as the “Remaining Man Monk,” who had significant influence in the late Ming and early Qing periods, once preached at Qingyun Temple.

Historical records indicate that after Nurhaci established the Qing Dynasty, he rebuilt the three-story temple complex. Its grand scale led it to be regarded as the state temple of the early Qing court, as well as the family temple of Nurhaci’s lineage. Ten Qing emperors, including Hong Taiji, Shunzhi, Kangxi, and Yongzheng, all visited Qingyun Temple to pay homage.

Legend has it that in the 19th year of Qianlong’s reign (1754), during his second eastern tour along the Willow Palisade, Emperor Qianlong visited Qingyun Temple to worship and composed a poem:

The ancient temple's garb follows time-honored ways,

Celestial mandate and divine presence still hold sway.

Orderly rites reflect beauty true and bright,

O'er heavens' signs they reign in holy light.

Spring dew and autumn frost stir deep emotion,

Gazing at clouds, we seek heaven’s devotion.

Melancholy stirs with seasons’ swift passing,

Clouds and sun inspire our sacred task.

As if seeing ancestors in ancestral shrine,