Changzhou Wanshou Temple

Changzhou Wanshou Temple

Changzhou Wanshou Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Wanshou Chan Temple is located in Zhajia Bay Village at the southern foot of Shun Mountain, Jiaoxi Town, Wujin District. Shun Mountain, also known as Gao Mountain, is referred to by local residents as Shun Guo Mountain. Legend has it that Emperor Shun once traveled eastward and visited this place, hence the name. Originally called Shun Temple, the temple was built on the main peak of Shun Mountain, with two structures facing each other from north to south. The temple affairs were managed by Venerable Kuolang, with seven resident monks.

Development History

There are no records regarding when Shun Temple was first built. The "Gao Mountain Annals" contains the poem "Inscription on Shun Shrine" by Tang Dynasty poet Liu Changqing: “The strings are silent, the pine wind rises; the fragrant shrine mourns the setting sun. Only because the mountain spirits guard it, through the ages we look up to his hanging robes.” This shows that Shun Shrine had already been built before the Tang Dynasty and attracted poets and scholars throughout the ages.

According to local chronicles, the Shun Temple on South Mountain faced south and had three courtyards. The first courtyard was the Wu Official Hall, which collapsed in the late Qing Dynasty and was rebuilt in the 13th year of the Republic of China (1924), though not completed; the second courtyard was the Main Hall, housing statues of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars and Emperor Shun, with a plaque inscribed with the words “Chonghua Xie Di” (Shun’s original name was Zhonghua); the third courtyard was the Guanyin Hall. The Shun Temple on North Mountain faced north, had three courtyards and one wing building, and was larger in scale than the one on South Mountain. The first courtyard was the Dongyue Hall, with three rooms and two side chambers featuring clay statues of the Ten Kings of Hell; the second courtyard was the Heavenly Emperor Hall, also called the Great Filial Piety Hall, with three rooms and two side chambers, featuring upturned eaves and grand architecture, spacious interiors, and majestic presence, surrounded by statues of the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars, with a central plaque inscribed with “Mian Bei Chao Zong” (Facing North in Homage) handwritten by Liu Guozhu of the Qing Dynasty, and a statue of Emperor Shun in the middle; the third courtyard was the Buddhist Hall, with statues of the Three Ages of Buddha, Guanyin, and the Eye-Opening Bodhisattva, and a plaque inscribed with “Wu Zheng San Mei” (Uncontentious Samadhi) handwritten by Li Zhaoluo of the Qing Dynasty. Every year on the 18th day of the third lunar month, the Shun Mountain Temple Fair attracts throngs of worshippers and is bustling with activity.

Starting in 1952, the Shun Temple on North Mountain was gradually demolished. The Shun Temple on South Mountain was demolished in January 1964 and replaced by Zhongyi School.

In 1995, religious activities resumed at Shun Temple, which was renamed Wanshou Chan Temple and divided into East Temple and West Temple. The East Temple built the Mahavira Hall at its current location in 2001. In August 2003, lay Buddhist Song Jianzhong oversaw the construction of the Three Saints Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, God of Wealth Hall, storage rooms, and monastic quarters. The West Temple was relocated from the mountaintop to a mountainside about 300 steps down, reconstructed under the direction of Venerable Chekong. The first courtyard is the Heavenly King Hall, the second courtyard is the Heavenly Emperor Hall, which houses the chanting hall for Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas, as well as guest rooms, dining halls, and storage rooms. The combined floor area of the East and West Temples is 1,808 square meters, covering a land area of 10 mu.