Wenzhou Jiangxin Temple

Wenzhou Jiangxin Temple

Wenzhou Jiangxin Temple is a Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Jiangxin Temple is a nationally renowned ancient temple and monastery that is open to the public as a key cultural site. It is located on a small island in the Ou River, just outside Yongqing Gate in the northern part of Wenzhou City. The original area of the entire island was only about one square kilometer (it has since been expanded through land reclamation and the addition of new scenic spots). There is a small hill at each end of the island, each topped with an imposing pagoda, facing each other from east to west, known as the East and West Pagodas. At the western foot of the eastern hill originally stood the “Pujì Chan Monastery” (now the “Wenzhou Martyrs Memorial Hall”), while at the eastern foot of the western hill was the “Jingxin Lecture Monastery,” also known as the “West Pagoda Courtyard” (formerly the “Wenzhou Museum”).

In the seventh year of the Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty (866), the Pujì Chan Monastery was built on the eastern hill of the isolated river island. In the second year of the Kaibao era of the Song Dynasty (969), the Jingxin Lecture Monastery was constructed on the western hill across the river. In the first year of the Shaoxing era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1131), Emperor Gaozong of Song renamed the Pujì Chan Monastery as Longxiang Chan Temple. Because it was situated in the river, it became commonly known as “Jiangxin Temple.” During the reign of Emperor Ningzong of the Song Dynasty, when Buddhist monasteries across the country were ranked, it was listed as one of the top ten. Over the following eight hundred years, the temple was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. In the early years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Jiangxin Temple was nearly in ruins. It was restored in 1952. In 1985, it was returned to the Buddhist community. In 1983, Jiangxin Temple was designated as a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Areas.

The main structures in the temple include the Heavenly King Hall, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Mahavira Hall, the Three Saints Hall, the Abbot’s Quarters, and the Dining Hall.

The existing Jiangxin Temple was reconstructed in the fifty-fourth year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1789), covering an area of approximately 2,870 square meters, and is divided into front, middle, and rear halls.

The front hall is the Vajra Hall, with corridors on the east and west sides and bell and drum towers at both ends. An ancient bell from the Song Dynasty still remains. The middle hall is the main hall and is the most magnificent.

The hall enshrines a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. The hall is adorned with a rich array of couplets and plaques.

The central column couplet was composed and inscribed by Wang Anshi of the Song Dynasty. The rear hall, the Three Saints Hall, has its plaque and couplets both written by Master Hongyi. On both sides of the temple gate are stacked-character couplets composed and inscribed by Wang Shipeng of the Song Dynasty: “Clouds come morning after morning, morning after morning they disperse; tides rise long after long, long after long they recede.”

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of Zhejiang Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units