Jinhua Grand Buddha Temple

Jinhua Grand Buddha Temple

Jinhua Grand Buddha Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

　Jinhua Grand Buddha Temple in Zhejiang Province is located 2 kilometers north of Caozhai Township in the northeastern part of Jinhua City, approximately 20 kilometers from the city center. In the sixth year of the Datong era during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties (540 AD), a monk named Daoqiong rested at the southern foot of the mountain. Hearing the sound of chanting like metal and stone, he climbed up along the rocky slope and discovered a massive stone Buddha statue, six zhang tall, sitting solemnly in a meditative posture. A temple was thus built on the site. It has a history of nearly 1,500 years. During the Song Dynasty, it was renamed “Stone Buddha Temple.” According to the Guangxu-era “Jinhua County Annals,” its former name was “Chisongyan Temple.”

The temple once housed 518 iron arhats, which were cast from iron by Deng Gangzhong’s great-grandfather Ke Yun and his brother Ke Ming during the Yuanyou era of the Song Dynasty (1078–1085). Originally located at Arhat Temple, they were later moved to “Sanxue Temple” after its reconstruction, and then to the Western Rock Buddha Temple. They still existed during the Ming Dynasty but were destroyed in war. In the 20th year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1815), Monk Jiayou rebuilt the Bodhisattva Hall. In the second year of the Daoguang era (1822), Monk Yilun renovated it again. By the 18th year of the Guangxu era (1892), the incense offerings declined, and both the front and middle halls were completely burned down. In the 31st year of Guangxu (1905), the temple was taken over by Monk RuiLong, who contributed his savings and raised funds from devotees. Materials were gathered, craftsmen hired, and repairs commenced swiftly, completing within months. In the mid-summer of the 7th year of the Republic of China (1918), Monk RuiLong again solicited donations from local gentry to continue and complete the restoration work. As a result, the entire temple complex and all the Buddha statues were restored to their former glory, completely transforming the old site. After the Cultural Revolution, the Grand Buddha Temple received renewed attention and protection from the government, with previously occupied areas gradually returned and monks returning to reside there. In 1989, residents of Jinhua City as well as those from Xixi, Pujiang, and Yiwu collectively funded the recasting of a seated statue of Sakyamuni on the original site of the ancient Grand Buddha Pavilion. The temple's current main Buddhist structures include the Stone Archway, Mountain Gate, Mahavira Hall, Maitreya Treasure Hall, Three Vehicles Bridge, Heavenly King Hall, and Arhat Hall.

According to the Daoguang-era “Jinhua County Temple” records, Song Yu wrote a poem about the temple: “Crimson cliffs and verdant walls rise thousands of feet high; atop the summit sit three or four monastic rooms. Old trees cling to rocks, and rocks lean on houses; white clouds drift away and then return.” The towering rocks, dense forests, and lingering clouds have long been admired by visitors. In recent years, the government has strengthened the management and restoration of the Stone Buddha Temple, preserving this millennia-old sacred site as cultural heritage. Hanging plaques in the temple document its rise and decline. In the center of the main hall’s eaves hangs a plaque inscribed with the words “Mahavira Hall” in powerful calligraphy, written in 1941 by the modern figure Huang Renwang. The temple also houses a thousand-year-old bodhi tree, along with many other trees of the same root yet different species, which are a marvel to behold. This Buddhist site is currently a key cultural relic protection unit of Jinhua City.

Source: Jinhua Government Website