Wen Cheng An Fu Temple

Wen Cheng An Fu Temple

Wen Cheng An Fu Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

An Fu Temple is located on Tian Sheng Mountain in Wen Cheng, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province. To the east lies Wen Cheng's Bai Zhang Gorge, to the south is Fei Yun Lake — the largest freshwater lake in southern Zhejiang, to the west is the Tong Ling Mountain Gorge, a national-level forest park, and to the north is the Liu Ji Ancestral Home, a national-level cultural relic site. The area boasts stunning scenery and a pleasant climate.

Originally built in the third year of the Yuanhe era during the reign of Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty (808 AD, with a history of 1200 years), An Fu Temple has long been a sacred Buddhist site, known for its pure monastic tradition. Historically, over twenty eminent monks have served as abbots here, spreading Buddhist teachings and curing people’s spiritual ailments through diverse dharma methods, benefitting countless devotees. During the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi era alone, eminent monks such as Ming Zhen and De Xin resided and taught here. The temple once housed many precious cultural relics, including couplets, plaques, and inscriptions from historical figures. Among them were a couplet personally inscribed by He Wen Yuan, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in the first year of the Ming Dynasty’s Jingtai era (1450); the “Great Hero Hall” plaque handwritten by Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty; and the grand golden plaque inscribed with “Vulture Peak Compassion Sect” by Deng Gong, Magistrate of Qingtian County during the Qianlong era. The only one fully preserved to this day is the stone plaque inscribed with “An Fu Temple” from the Qing Dynasty’s Guangxu era.

The temple was built against the mountain, in an elegant and tranquil setting. It originally included a mountain gate, Vajra Hall, Great Hero Hall, Four Directions Hall, along with dozens of monk quarters and pavilions. Over its history, it experienced several periods of rise and decline. According to records in the Wen Cheng County Annals, Qingtian County Annals, and the An Fu Temple stele inscriptions, in the eighth year of the Song Dynasty’s Qingli era, Monk Xin Kong and benefactor Ye Shi rebuilt the temple on a new site; it was again reconstructed during the Xianchun era of the Song Dynasty (1247–1265). The Yuan Dynasty saw repeated damage from wars, with halls decaying and walls collapsing. In the ninth year of the Ming Dynasty’s Chongzhen era (1636), Monk Wei Xiu carried out renovations. In the second year of the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi era (1663), Monk Ming Zhen renovated it again; in the sixteenth year of the Qianlong era (1751), Monk De Xin continued the restoration work; and in the third year of the Tongzhi era (1864), another round of repairs took place. In 1957, the temple was repurposed as dormitories for cadres sent to labor in rural areas, and in 1963, it was turned into a state-owned nursery.

An Fu Temple was originally a sacred site for Buddhist pilgrimage, with secluded paths, clear waters, and glistening stones — a treasured place for Zen practice and spiritual cultivation. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, scholars and refined individuals also loved to gather here, composing poetry and inscriptions that became widely celebrated.

A sacred site for Buddhist worship and a treasured place for Zen practice and wellness. An Fu Temple, an Eastern Medicine Buddha sanctuary that promotes Buddhism and benefits countless lives, allows you to experience the compassion, wisdom, vows, and actions of the Eastern Buddhist realm, and to feel the joy and grace of altruism and benevolence at An Fu.