Changshu Baique Temple

Changshu Bique Temple

Changshu Bique Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Bique Temple is located in Zhongjing Village, Dayi Management District, Yushan Town. It was first built in the second year of the Tianjian era during the Liang Dynasty (503). Historical records state that during the temple’s construction, a white sparrow nested there, and the temple was thus named after it. In the third year of the Duanping era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1236), the monk Ruyao rebuilt the temple, but it was destroyed in wars during the late Yuan Dynasty. In the year Dingmao of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1507), the monk [name missing] expanded it, but it was destroyed again early in the Longqing era. The monk Mingjing renovated it, but it was destroyed again within 20 years. During the Wanli era, the monks Zhihai and Huixiu raised funds to rebuild it. Wang Shizhen wrote in his record: “The bricks were chosen for their thickness, the timber for its quality, and the tiles for their sturdiness. As a result, the thrones of the Three Bodies, the pavilions of the Four Heavenly Kings, and the positions of the Sixteen Arhats stand solid as indestructible vajras, and their magnificence is equally remarkable.” It was burned down again in the early Qing Dynasty.

In the 22nd year of the Qianlong era (1757), the monk Shengtong renovated the temple. According to *Liu’nan Essays*, Wang Yayi of Changzhou (whose given name was Chong, courtesy names Luren and later Lüji, sobriquet Yayi Shanren, and who excelled in cursive script) once recuperated at Bique Temple in our county. He composed a poetic scroll titled “Visiting Wang Yuansu at Yushan but Not Meeting Him,” and had his calligraphy engraved on stone. This work, later hailed as one of Wang Yayi’s masterpieces, is known as the *Bique Post* and is now housed in the Chongqing Three Gorges Museum. Some halls were destroyed during the Taiping Rebellion. During the Tongzhi and Guangxu eras of the Qing Dynasty, Weng Tonghe inscribed a plaque for the temple reading “Bique Xingwo” (Bique’s Abode).

During the Republican era, the main hall remained largely intact, along with structures such as the front gate. In the early years of the People’s Republic, Bique Temple was repurposed as a grain depot. In 1971, it was relocated to Xiaoshiqiao to become the Xiaoyi Grain Depot. In 1995, with approval from the Changshu Municipal People’s Government, a Buddhist activity site was established in Dayi. On January 18, 1996, the foundation was laid; construction began on February 4, 1996; and the temple’s consecration ceremony was held on May 25, 1998. The site now includes a mountain gate, Mahavira Hall, Buddha Hall, and auxiliary buildings, with a total floor area of 1,550 square meters and a land area of 7.23 mu. A thousand-year-old well is still preserved within the temple.

Scenic Area Address: Zhongjing Village, Changfu Subdistrict, Changshu City, Jiangsu Province

Transportation: Take bus No. 129 within Changshu City and get off at Sijicun Station.

Changfu Subdistrict: Changfu Subdistrict covers an area of 86.6 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 243,000, including 86,000 registered residents. The subdistrict is positioned as an advanced manufacturing cluster driven by science and technology innovation.

The subdistrict comprises ten neighborhood committees formerly under Yushan Town: Dingba, Xieqiao, Ludi, Dayi, Jingtai, Bihai, Xinyi, Yixin, Youwen, and Zhuhai, as well as twelve villages: Hefeng, Lianmeng, Dingshan, Yonghong, Changfu, XinHong, Maoqiao, Mingjing, Qinfeng, Fanshen, Fuxu, and Fangbang, along with Xiaoshan, WuXin, Changlong, Zhongjing, Fengyi, Xiaoyi, Donglian, Road Roller, Guangming... More detailed information about Changfu Subdistrict++