East Sea Guanyin Temple

East Sea Guanyin Temple

The East Sea Guanyin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The East Sea Guanyin Temple is not large in scale, but it evokes wonder at every sight and is rich in emotional charm, boasting a very long history. The temple was first built in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, with a history of nearly 700 years. According to the *Songjiang Prefecture Records* compiled during the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty: “The temple was originally by the sea. In the Yuan Huangqing reign year (1312 AD), the monk Yiman and others managed a separate area where a statue of Guanyin was enshrined. During the Yuanshaoxing era (1151 AD), a fisherman surnamed Wu found it in the sea.”

Legend has it that in the second year of the Zhenming era of the Later Liang dynasty during the Five Dynasties period (916 AD), a highly accomplished Japanese monk named Huizhe, severely injured and enduring countless hardships, finally arrived at Mount Wutai, a famous Buddhist mountain in China, after an arduous 81-day journey. The monk wished to bring back a sandalwood statue of Guanyin to Japan for worship. The abbot of Mount Wutai, seeing Huizhe’s deep devotion and wanting to promote Buddhism and cultural exchange, agreed. Overjoyed, Huizhe thought he had fulfilled his mission and immediately began the journey back—his mood and determination much like those of Tang Sanzang on his quest for Buddhist scriptures in the West. However, when he reached the seashore, he tried to set sail for Japan three times, but each time was thwarted by storms, fog, and iron lotuses, preventing his departure. Realizing these were signs from heaven and messages of Zen, Huizhe understood and decided to enshrine the statue nearby at Shuangfeng Mountain on Mount Putuo in the East Sea. But Guanyin herself had her own intention—to choose a mortal land to bless the people and deliver salvation. After careful consideration, she chose Fengxian Bay, just across the sea, a place that revered the philosophy of “honoring the virtuous.” She then used her divine powers to traverse the waves and arrive there.

Fishermen who were out catching fish and seafood at the time were astonished to see Guanyin descending slowly from the direction of Mount Putuo, the sacred Buddhist island. They all devoutly knelt and worshipped, inviting Guanyin into the seawall and enshrining her in the home of a fisherman surnamed Wu. When news spread, fishermen from surrounding areas were overjoyed and flocked to burn incense and pay homage. Later, the local people joined forces to build this East Sea Guanyin Temple, which became a thriving place of worship. True to her promise, Guanyin blessed the Hangzhou Bay area with favorable weather and abundant harvests, turning it into a prosperous land of fish and rice. The current East Sea Guanyin statue was rebuilt and restored to honor the deep feelings of the people.

Address: No. 999, Jinhuitang Road, Fengxian District, Shanghai

Transportation: Xinhai Special Line, Haiwan Line 1, Huhai Special Line