Yongqing Temple in Jinzhou

Yongqing Temple in Jinzhou

Yongqing Temple in Jinzhou is a cultural tourism attraction.

Dalian Yongqing Temple: A Buddhist monastery for male monks. Located in Taishan Village, Daliujia Town, Development Zone, it was built during the Ming Dynasty according to inscriptions on site. Current structures include the Lingyun Hall, Mahavira Hall, and the newly built Wenshu Tower. The temple grounds house a restoration stele from the third year of the Kangde era, a large bell from the Tongzhi period, and a bell tower stele renovated in the 22nd year of the Republic of China. In 2006, eminent Shaolin monk Master Shi Hengshun took charge of the temple and renamed it "Northern Shaolin Yongqing Temple." The annual temple fair on the 28th day of the fourth lunar month is a municipal intangible cultural heritage. The Taishan area also features Buddha statues placed by devotees, earning it the name "Ten Thousand Buddha Mountain."

Yongqing Temple is now situated at the northern shore of the Yellow Sea, at the foot of Taishan Mountain, in Miaogou Village, Taishan Village, Daliujia Town, Development Zone, Dalian. The original temple structure (now destroyed) was built during the Tang Dynasty, with a history of over a thousand years. The current temple buildings are said to have been constructed in the 3rd year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, combined with the old temple on this site.

The "Yongqing Temple Fair" began in the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, flourished in the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty, reached its peak in the Qianlong era, declined in the Republic of China, revived after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, and disappeared in the early years of the Cultural Revolution. Spanning over 400 years, it evolved from a religious ceremony to a lantern market, and gradually developed into a trade fair.

Despite its ups and downs, Yongqing Temple still retains the Lingyun Hall, Mahavira Hall, the large bell from the Tongzhi period, and the bell tower from 1934. One of the temple’s three treasures, a century-old ginkgo tree, died during the Cultural Revolution but miraculously sprouted new branches on April 28, 1994, after devotees initiated the restoration of the ancient temple. In 2001, the temple was designated as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit by the Dalian Municipal Government. In 2006, eminent Shaolin monk Master Shi Hengshun came here to preach and took up residence as abbot. Each year on the 28th day of the fourth lunar month, the birthday of the Medicine Buddha is celebrated with a grand temple fair that attracts tens of thousands of visitors. For three days, the event includes grand prayer ceremonies with eminent monks from across the country, chanting, scripture recitation, mantra incantation, food offerings, disaster relief, and blessings for the deceased. There are also free medical consultations, various folk performances such as dragon and lion dances, martial arts, yangko dancing, traditional opera, as well as booths selling jewelry, clothes, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, daily goods, street performances, and snacks. Through a series of cultural and artistic activities, the deep charm of traditional culture is passed on and showcased.