Zanghai Temple

Zanghai Temple

Zanghai Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Towering atop Fushui Rock at the summit of Jianmen in Yushan Mountain, Zanghai Temple is the highest Buddhist monastery in Changshu and a famous site in the Taihu Lake scenic area.

Originally named Fushui East Hermitage, it was built in 1371 during the fourth year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty by monks. During the Qianlong era, a local resident named Chen Shihuang added the Great Compassion Hall, gradually bringing it to scale. However, the entire temple was destroyed in a fire in 934. In recent years, it has been rebuilt by the Buddhist Association.

The current mountain gate was originally the main entrance of Baoguo Temple, the only remaining structure from the Ming Dynasty. It was renovated in the 1990s and repurposed as the mountain gate of Zanghai Temple, while the True Warrior Hall of Baoguo Temple was relocated and rebuilt to the west at its current location. The three characters “Zanghai Temple” on the gate plaque were inscribed personally by Zhao Puchu, former president of the Buddhist Association of China. On both sides are couplets from Wang Wei’s poem “Qinglong Temple,” handwritten in his early years by Yu Youren: “Within the land and rivers; in the Dharma body of the world.” The brushwork is dynamic and the gold lettering is resplendent.

In the central plaza inside the mountain gate stands an ancient ginkgo tree reaching skyward, with incense smoke continuously rising from the precious tripod. The Mahavira Hall of Zanghai Temple is now named “Puguangming Hall,” majestic and solemn. Zhao Puchu inscribed the plaque “Three Thousand Paths to Enlightenment” for the hall, and the couplet was composed and written by Qian Zhonglian: “Since the establishment of the hermitage in the TianShui era, through countless ordeals, the Dharma shines anew a thousand years later; as the Red Ming era begins, the transformation city appears in a finger-snap, with the Sichuan Peak flying before a single lamp.”

The statue of the Tathagata Buddha in the Puguangming Hall bears a solemn expression. One jade Buddha was donated with 60,000 RMB by devotee Wang Fenghe, with the remainder sponsored by Xingfu Temple. The statues of the Ten Heavenly Kings and the Thousand-Armed Guanyin in the Great Compassion Hall were both created by the Ningbo Buddha Statue Research Institute in Zhejiang.

The plaque for the “Great Compassion Hall” to the east of the main hall was inscribed by Zhao Puchu. To the east there is

the plaque “Tripitaka Hall,” inscribed by Xie Zhiliu; inside the hall hangs

the plaque “Practice All Good Deeds,” inscribed by Qi Gong. Monk Ming Shan composed the couplet for this hall: “Without self, person, sentient beings, or life; with compassion, kindness, joy, and great generosity.”

East of the Great Compassion Hall was originally the site of Fushui East Hermitage, now converted into the East Garden, featuring lawns, pools, winding corridors, and flowers arranged in harmonious elevation. The “Ancestral Temple Returned to Monks Stele” from the Qianlong era and the “Reconstruction of Zanghai Temple Stele” from 1995 are mounted on the walls of the corridor. These records detail the temple's history, past rises and falls, reconstruction process, landscape features, and naming meanings. Together, these two artifacts—new and old—serve as historical testimonies of the temple.

Just west of Zanghai Temple, separated by a wall, lies Baoguo Temple, which houses the True Warrior Hall. In front of the hall is a courtyard and gate. At the center of the hall is enshrined the statue of the True Warrior deity, offered voluntarily by devotees. On either side hang couplets composed by Chongweng: “The sacred hall traces back to the Ming and Qing dynasties, its virtue spreading before the hall of Yanxiang, revered by the common people; the cave heaven encompasses Wu and Yue, with winds returning by the lakeside of Shangfu, rendering the mortal world solemn.”

Yushan Subdistrict: The Yushan Subdistrict of Changshu City covers an area of 62.7 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 207,000, including 137,000 registered residents. Yushan Subdistrict is positioned to become the core area of all-for-one tourism, integrating mountains, water, and city.

The Jiangsu Provincial Government (Document No. Su Zheng Fu [2017] 103) and the Suzhou Municipal Government (Document No. Su Fu Fu [2017] 62) have recently issued approvals regarding the adjustment of the administrative divisions of Yushan Town, Changshu City.

… Yushan Subdistrict detailed information++