Anji Stone Buddha Temple

Anji Stone Buddha Temple

The Anji Stone Buddha Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Stone Buddha Temple is located on Maowutang Mountain in Shanchuan Township, Anji County. Also known as Furong Valley, Maowutang lies nestled within a valley surrounded by layers of mountains. Its main peak, Luojia Mountain, stands at an elevation of 1,169.6 meters. The scenic area features cascading waterfalls, emerald rain, jade-green pools, lush bamboo forests, and an untainted, fairy-tale-like atmosphere. Visit Furong Valley to witness a millennia-old meteorological wonder.

The Stone Buddha Temple has a history of ll

00 years, with incense burning year-round. Every year on the 19th day of the sixth lunar month, the birthday of Guanyin Bodhisattva, regardless of whether there has been a long drought or clear skies, light drizzle will invariably fall in Furong Valley around noon. Is this a manifestation of the Bodhisattva? A meteorological wonder? As the saying goes, "A mountain need not be high to be famous if it has immortals; a river need not be deep to be spiritual if it has dragons." Located at an altitude of 1,085.9 meters, the temple is surrounded by undulating peaks, evergreen in all seasons, and boasts beautiful scenery. The original gate of the Stone Buddha Temple remains well preserved, standing 2.1 meters tall and 1.33 meters wide. It is constructed from l

5 slabs of bluestone, on which are carved two exquisitely detailed, small stone lion reliefs and carvings of the Eight Immortals’ tools, totaling 17 figures. The three characters “Stone Buddha Temple” are written in Yan-style regular script, each character approximately 20 square centimeters in size. The remaining wall stones of the temple have turned gray or black, with shrubs and weeds growing askew from the cracks, giving visitors a sense of stepping back into ancient times. On the stone cliff above the Guanyin Cave inside the temple, the four characters “Purple Bamboo Spiritual Mountain” are inscribed in intaglio; the faded writing indicates a very long history.

According to the Tongzhi Edition of the Annals of Anji County from the Qing Dynasty, “Maowutang Mountain, once called Stone Guanyin, is located 3 kilometers west of Majianong and borders Shanshexiang to the west, at an elevation of 1,085.9 meters. There was once a Stone Guanyin Temple halfway up the mountain, hence the name.” Furthermore, according to the Jing Mountain map in the Annals of Lin’an County, the Stone Buddha Temple falls within the jurisdiction of Jing Shan Temple, leading to the inference that it was once a branch monastery under Jing Shan Temple. Additionally, the Lin’an County records on Guanyin Cave state:

“The Scenic Records of Guanyin Cave state that the cave was naturally formed in the stone of Maowutang and could accommodate dozens of worshippers. In the 17th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1742), Magistrate Dong Jun prayed for rain there with success, and subsequently donated his salary to gild the cave.” That year, a county official named Dong Jun prayed for rain at the Guanyin Cave, which proved highly efficacious, so he funded its renovation. If calculated from the 1742 renovation, the

Stone Buddha Temple has a history of over 260 years. Meanwhile, research from the Lin’an County Place Names Records shows that as early as the late Tang Dynasty, during the Xinghua Xinyou year (901 AD), the literatus Huang Yan visited the Stone Buddha Temple and left behind a poem:

“Misty purple air among pine trees cradling the stream, mountain peaks piercing through clouds with cold stone walls, hundreds of birds chirping amidst flower-filled valleys, winding paths leading to secluded trickling streams, within the heart of the lotus root lies the Stone Buddha Temple, sweet dew perpetually drips from the Guanyin Cave.” If dated based on this poem, the Stone Buddha Temple has existed for over a thousand years. Due to its long history, the temple has undergone many trials, and much of its cultural heritage has been severely damaged. After the passing of the last three monks in the early years following liberation, the temple was left unattended. During the Cultural Revolution, it suffered further devastation—the main hall was destroyed, and many artifacts were either demolished or lost to the public. Fortunately, the temple’s main gate, the remains of its surrounding walls, and 17 stone carvings have survived. In 1994, local residents spontaneously raised funds to restore the main hall and redecorate the 1.15-meter-high white marble statue of Guanyin. In 1996, the Mahavira Hall and the Heavenly King Hall were rebuilt, and the site was approved as a religious activity venue by the Anji County Religious Affairs Bureau. In 2006, it was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit.

The Stone Buddha Temple holds considerable influence among the local people of Shanghai, Yuhang, Lin’an, and Xiaofeng. Every year, tens of thousands of pilgrims visit the mountain to worship, making the temple both an active religious site and a popular local tourist destination.

Shanchuan Township: Located at the southern tip of Anji County, Shanchuan Township borders Yuhang City to the east, Lin’an City to the south, and connects to Tianhuangping to the northwest. It covers an administrative area of 46.72 square kilometers, comprising 7 administrative villages, 43 villager groups, 1,649 households, and 6,018 residents. The area boasts beautiful mountains and clear waters, with a pleasant environment, and earned its name “Shanchuan” (Mountains and Rivers) due to its abundance of both. With an average annual temperature of 14.7°C, annual precipitation of 1,700 mm, abundant water sources, and extremely rich bamboo resources—earning it the title of “Bamboo among Bamboos”—the township has a forest coverage rate of 88.8% and vegetation coverage of 91.3%. Air quality is rated Class I, and surface water is Class I... More detailed information about Shanchuan Township++