Fanyin Temple

Fanyin Temple

Fanyin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Fanyin Temple

The widely renowned Fanyin Temple is located on the south bank of the Old Yellow River course in Siyang County, covering an area of about three acres. It faces an apple orchard in the front and is backed by a green belt of trees, with the temple complex nestled among lush pines and cypresses. It can be reached by turning right onto Foyuan Road from Renmin South Road and heading west for less than 200 meters.

The original site of Fanyin Temple was "Guanyin Nunnery," which was first built in the early Qing Dynasty at the northern gate of Zhongxing Town on the north bank of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. It has a history of 300 years. By the early 20th century, only three earthen-walled, thatched-roof halls remained in the front and back courtyards of Guanyin Nunnery, along with a few side rooms that were all makeshift sheds. The main halls housed over twenty Buddha statues. According to local elders, from Monk Cai to Fang Yu and Sheng Yi, the temple had gone through five or six generations of abbots. During the Cultural Revolution, all the Buddha statues in Guanyin Nunnery were smashed by Red Guards. Monks such as Fang Yu and Guang Sheng were taken in and supported as "five-guarantee households" by the local neighborhood committee. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1979, the policy of religious freedom was truly implemented. However, most of the original land of Guanyin Nunnery had been occupied by surrounding residents, leaving only three dilapidated thatched halls covering less than 30 square meters, with very few worshippers and little incense activity. After 1990, the nunnery affairs were managed by Master Sheng Yi from Zhitaolin in Yangzhou, leading to a surge in devotees and gradual revival of Buddhist activities.

In the spring of 1992, Mr. Chen Huijian, a fellow townsman from Siyang who was visiting from Taiwan, returned to the mainland for a family reunion. He is a well-known Buddhist scholar across the Taiwan Strait and even in Southeast Asia. On one occasion, his young grandson Hanqing brought him into the nunnery to worship. Seeing how cramped the space of Guanyin Nunnery was, Chen was deeply moved. After returning to Taiwan, he wrote an article published in the magazine *Longshu*, calling on believers in Taiwan to donate over USD 100,000 in support of rebuilding Guanyin Nunnery back in his hometown, to promote Buddhism and enhance local tourism. Subsequently, with strong support from the Siyang County Government, in July 1993, a clean plot of 2.6 acres was purchased within the territory of the Cotton Seed Farm on the south bank of the abandoned Yellow River as the reconstruction site. Construction began in August, supervised by Chen Huijian’s eldest son Aiqun, and was completed by the end of May the following year.

After the new temple was completed, "Guanyin Nunnery" was renamed "Fanyin Temple." On September 5, 1994 (the 30th day of the seventh lunar month), a grand ceremony was held to consecrate the main Buddha statue. Mr. Chen Huijian personally led fourteen eminent monks and lay Buddhists from Taiwan to Siyang to attend the consecration ceremony. Leaders of the county Party committee and county government, as well as heads of major departments, were also present to offer their congratulations. Cultural performance troupes from Huangwei, Nongwei, and Xinyuan townships arrived to perform dragon and lion dances to add to the festive atmosphere. Commercial stalls lined both sides of the Xuhuai Highway, drawing around 50,000–60,000 people from across the county who gathered at Fanyin Temple to sightsee and shop. At the consecration ceremony, speeches were delivered by Master Mingshan, President of the Jiangsu Buddhist Association, and Zeng Hongxiang, the then County Magistrate of Siyang. Their speeches and photos were later published in *Hongyi*, a publication by Mr. Chen. The name "Fanyin Temple" spread across the Taiwan Strait and throughout Southeast Asia. The relocation of "Guanyin Nunnery" and the establishment of "Fanyin Temple" fully demonstrated the deep patriotism and love for their hometown shown by Taiwanese compatriots, led by Mr. Chen Huijian.