Qingshan Pagoda Forest

Qingshan Pagoda Forest

The Qingshan Pagoda Forest is a cultural heritage site protected by Yixing City.

The Qingshan Pagoda Forest, located in Gangxia Village, Hufu Town, Yixing City, is the burial site of eminent monks from the Qingshan Chong’en Chan Temple and its affiliated monasteries. In November 1996, it was designated as a municipal-level cultural heritage site by the Yixing Municipal People’s Government.

The Qingshan Chong’en Temple was built during the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty and was originally named Qingshan Chan Monastery. It had four direct disciples, among whom Yulin Tongxiu was the most renowned. Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty admired his reputation and, in the 15th year of the Shunzhi reign (1658), sent envoys to summon him. The following year, after arriving in the capital, he was bestowed with incense and Dharma robes and given the title Great Awakening Chan Master. In the autumn of the 17th year of Shunzhi (1660), he was summoned again to the capital and conferred the title Great Awakening Universal Salvation Compassionate National Preceptor. He was given purple robes and a golden seal and preached at Cishou Temple outside Fucheng Gate on the Buddha’s Enlightenment Day (the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month). The following year, Emperor Shunzhi passed away, and Yulin National Preceptor led his disciples in seven days and nights of Buddhist rites for him. After Emperor Kangxi ascended the throne, he dispatched high-ranking officials to escort Yulin back south. The Qingshan Chan Monastery was then renamed Qingshan Chong’en Chan Temple. In the third year of the Yongzheng reign (1725), the temple was granted the plaque “Expounding the Dharma Seal.” Emperor Qianlong inscribed “The Foremost Ancestral Court Under Heaven” and ordered the construction of a stone memorial archway at the mountain entrance (two stone pillars still remain). He also bestowed the plaque “Qingshan Chong’en Chan Temple.” The temple complex was grand in scale, housing over 400 resident monks and serving as a nationally renowned center for Dharma teaching. Temples such as Jinshan Temple in Zhenjiang, Tianning Temple in Changzhou, Gaohao Temple in Yangzhou, Chan Yuan Temple on Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, and Bao’en Temple in Huzhou all regarded Chong’en Chan Temple as their ancestral court.

Qingshan Chong’en Temple was destroyed during the military conflicts of the Xianfeng era. It was rebuilt during the Tongzhi and Guangxu reigns. In the early years of the Republic of China, it had over 200 buildings. In the 30th year of the Republic of China (1941), Japanese invaders set the temple on fire under the pretext that it harbored anti-Japanese forces, leaving only about 20 monastic dwellings. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple was demolished, and monks were driven away, leading to gradual abandonment. In 1989, the Chong’en Chan Temple was rebuilt with structures including the Heavenly King Hall, the Mahavira Hall, and the Scripture Depository. Side halls included the Manjusri and Samantabhadra Hall, the National Preceptor Hall, and the Jade Buddha Tower, dining hall, and monastic quarters. All buildings were constructed along the mountain terrain, presenting a grand and imposing sight.

The Pagoda Forest is located about 500 meters west of the Qingshan Chong’en Temple, with nearly 100 stupas containing the remains of monks from various dynasties. These suffered severe damage during the Cultural Revolution. The remaining 22 stupas are arranged in three groups from south to north, all made of Jinshan stone. The southernmost group consists of three stupas surrounded by a semi-circular retaining wall made of rough yellow stones, with a stone offering table at the entrance. The three stupas are arranged in a straight line from north to south, sharing similar designs: hexagonal bases and bodies, hexagonal pavilion-style tops, and carvings of lotus flowers, cranes, and auspicious clouds on the bases. They stand approximately 1.90 meters tall. Their inscriptions read: 1. The Common Stupa of the Dongshan Abbot; 2. The Stupa of Master Huigui Ran, Dharma Master of the Qingliang Temple; 3. The Stupa of Master Teng, the 55th Patriarch of the Linji School. The second group, slightly farther north and at a lower elevation, also has three stupas in a north-south line, surrounded by a roughly one-meter-high retaining wall of rough yellow stones. These stupas resemble those in the first group, standing about 1.60 meters tall. Their inscriptions are: 1. The Stupa of Master Huilun Quan of the Tianning Hall, 47th Generation under Nanyue; 2. The Stupa of Master Ding Puyang, 16th Generation of Qingshan; 3. The Stupa of Master Zhuoru Quan of the Tianning Hall, 46th Generation under Nanyue. The third group, at the northernmost and lowest point, contains 16 stupas arranged in a fan shape. Similar in design but smaller, they stand about 1.20 meters tall. These stupas were collected from other sites and re-displayed here.

Qingshan Temple is an important ancient Buddhist temple in the Jiangnan region, with a significant number of well-preserved stupas. Some feature exquisite carvings. Protecting these stone towers holds great value for studying the history of Qingshan Temple and even the Buddhist art of China.

Hufu Town: Hufu Town is located in the southern part of Yixing City, Jiangsu Province. It borders Dingshu Town to the east, Changxing County of Zhejiang Province to the south, Zhangzhu Town to the west, and Yixing Forest Farm to the north. Covering an area of 93.18 square kilometers, including 0.1 million mu of water surface, it has a permanent population of 23,330. The Hufu Town government is located on Jinhu Road, about 15 kilometers southwest of the municipal government seat. The built-up area of Hufu Town covers 2.5 square kilometers. As a mountain town in Yixing, Hufu serves as a distribution hub for mountain produce and local specialties. It is bustling with merchants and enjoys a thriving market, earning the nickname “Silver Hufu.”

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