Ju Gang Guo Qing Temple

Ju Gang Guo Qing Temple

Ju Gang Guo Qing Temple is a protected cultural heritage site of Jiangsu Province.

Ju Gang Guo Qing Temple is a famous Buddhist temple on the Jianghai Plain and was once bestowed an imperial title. In the early Tang Dynasty, Buddhism was highly revered. Emperor Taizong of Tang issued an edict stating: “Where troops are stationed, temples shall be built to invite monks. When the Dharma drums sound, they shall transform disaster and fire into blue lotuses; when the pure chants are heard, they shall turn the sea of suffering into sweet dew.” During the Yuanhe era (806–820) of the Tang Dynasty, the 10th patriarch of the Tiantai Sect and eminent monk Xingman from Guo Qing Temple on Tiantai Mountain (now in Zhejiang Province) was ordered to construct a Buddhist temple in Ju Gang, which at the time served as a coastal defense gateway, following the architectural style of Guo Qing Temple on Tiantai Mountain. The constructed temple was also named Guo Qing Temple. During the temple’s construction, Master Xingman personally planted two ginkgo trees behind the newly completed Mahavira Hall. These trees have flourished for a thousand years with lush foliage. Upon entering the new temple, there is a screen wall, and beyond the mountain gate lies the Heavenly King Hall. At the center of the hall is a large-bellied Maitreya Buddha, while the statue on the back wall is Skanda. The Four Heavenly Kings on the east and west sides feature unique designs, rarely seen in Jiangsu temples. Exiting the Heavenly King Hall, a precious tripod is placed in the center of the courtyard, inscribed with the words: “The Buddha is the mind.” On either side are two deep wells: the western one is called the “Sea Well,” and the eastern one is called the “River Well.” The walls are inlaid with a stone stele from the ninth year of the Wanli era (1581) of the Ming Dynasty, titled “Record of the Reconstruction of Guo Qing Temple.” The inscription reads: “Ju Gang is surrounded by the sea, situated at the strategic throat of the southeastern half of the realm, and is among the most perilous points where foreign vessels from a hundred nations breach the ban. A temple was built here during the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty to guard this land, and it was named Guo Qing…” An iron chime from the Qianlong era that remains in the temple also bears an inscription: “Guo Qing Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty and has stood for over a thousand years.” The second hall is the Mahavira Hall. At the center of the lotus pedestal sits a statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, above which hangs a horizontal plaque inscribed with “Tang-Era Sacred Image.” The attendants on either side of the Buddha are Kasyapa and Ananda, recognized as the first and second generations of patriarchs who inherited the Dharma in the Zen tradition—an uncommon sight in monastic temples. Behind the Buddha is a grand relief sculpture of the “Guanyin of the Southern Sea,” depicting a magnificent and majestic scene. On both sides of the hall are 18 arhats, vividly sculpted with radiant expressions, dressed in brocaded robes that shimmer brilliantly. Behind the Mahavira Hall is the Scripture Depository, where the upper floor houses Buddhist shrines enshrining the “Three Jewels of the Tathagata,” with 20 Pratyekabuddhas arranged on either side. The cabinets store 81 volumes of the Yongle Edition of the Avatamsaka Sutra published in the Ming Dynasty, and a complete set of 591 fascicles of the facsimile edition of the Song Dynasty Qisha Canon. The temple complex also includes auxiliary halls, ancestral halls, and monks’ quarters. Over the long course of history, Ju Gang Guo Qing Temple has endured many trials, leaving a brilliant chapter in the histories of religious and tourism culture. During the Kaicheng era (836–840) of the Tang Dynasty, the Japanese monk Ennin, a high-ranking cleric, traveled westward with the 13th Japanese mission to Tang China in pursuit of Buddhist teachings. After surviving maritime perils, he abandoned ship and landed at Ju Gang Guo Qing Temple. He stayed at the temple for over half a month, “seeking teachings and further instruction.” In his later work, A Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law, he provided a detailed account of Ju Gang Guo Qing Temple. Among the treasures of global travel literature, Japanese Monk Ennin’s A Record of a Pilgrimage to China in Search of the Law, alongside Chinese Monk Xuanzang’s Great Tang Records of the Western Regions and Italian traveler Marco Polo’s Description of the World, are hailed as the “Three Great Travelogues of the World,” celebrated across the globe. The publication of Ennin’s Record marked the first historical mention of “Ju Gang” and the “Guo Qing Temple” in Rudong, introducing them into the annals of history and becoming a fine story of cultural exchange between China and Japan. After returning to Japan, Ennin became the founding patriarch of the Tiantai Sect in Japan and one of the “Eight Great Masters Who Went to Tang” and the “Five Great Teachers.” After his passing, he was posthumously honored by the emperor with the title “Master Ci Jue” (Compassionate Awakening Master), and a memorial hall was erected in his honor.

Further Reading:

· Eighth Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Jiangsu Province