Linhai Longxing Temple

Linhai Longxing Temple,Longxing Temple is situated at the western foot of Jinshan Mountain within the city of Linhai,Built during the Tang Dynasty, the temple has a long history, dating back nearly 1,300 years.

Linhai Longxing Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Longxing Temple, located on the banks of the Ling River in the historic and cultural city of Linhai, at the foot of Jinzi Mountain and within the ancient city wall, has long been the foremost temple of Taizhou. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has served as an important site for Buddhist cultural exchanges between China and Japan. During the Tianbao era, the monk Situo of the temple accompanied Jianzhen on his sixth voyage to Japan—preaching the doctrines of the Tiantai school, disseminating Tiantai scriptures, and personally crafting the dry-lacquer statue of Jianzhen, which was revered as a national treasure in Japan and pioneered Japanese sculpture art. During the Zhenyuan period, the Japanese monk Saichō came to China to study, staying at Longxing Temple for 149 days, researching Tiantai teachings, making copies of scriptures, and receiving the bodhisattva precepts. After returning to Japan, he founded the Tiantai sect. In later dynasties, Japanese monks such as Ennin, Eisai, Shōjin, and Chōnen also came to study here.

The temple was originally built in the first year of the Shenlong era of the Tang Dynasty (705 AD), initially named Zhongxing, and later renamed Longxing. Over the dynasties, it underwent several name changes, including Kaiyuan, Jingde, Chongning, and Guangxiao. After the Yuan Dynasty, it was consistently called Tianning. This ancient temple, enduring for millennia, has produced many eminent monks recorded in historical texts, notably the Yuan Dynasty’s Yishan, whose fame extended to Japan. In modern times, scholars from China and Japan have thoroughly researched and confirmed its significance. The reconstructed Longxing Temple features Tang-style architecture—elegant, simple, solemn, and distinctive in style.

Longxing Temple was once an important birthplace of Japan’s Tiantai Buddhism. Regrettably, it was destroyed during the War of Resistance, leaving only the Thousand Buddha Pagoda, originally built in the Tang Dynasty. This pagoda is a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit and an important part of our city’s historical and cultural heritage. However, due to long-term neglect, severe damage, and being surrounded by residential buildings in poor conditions, restoration efforts began in late 1998. Led by municipal authorities and funded through social contributions, a large number of residences around the Longxing Temple ruins and the Thousand Buddha Pagoda were demolished. The city’s ancient architecture company was responsible for rebuilding the temple and restoring the pagoda. After more than a year of meticulous construction, this historic temple and the Thousand Buddha Pagoda were restored to their former glory.

Longxing Temple is an important site for Tiantai Buddhism activities. With a long history, it holds significant importance in the spread of the Tiantai sect. Covering an area of 15 mu (approximately 1 hectare), the temple features Tang-style architecture designed by Professor Wang Shirén from the Beijing Ancient Architecture Design Institute—a unique style not yet seen elsewhere in the province. The temple is laid out along a north-south central axis, divided into three courtyard-style sections: the first includes the mountain gate, the release pond, and the main hall; the second houses the Thousand Buddha Pagoda courtyard; and the third contains side rooms, guest halls, and the dining hall. Other structures include the Guanyin Hall, Jianzhen Hall, and the bell tower. Longxing Temple was initially built during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (713–742), with a history of 1,290 years. It has undergone multiple name changes, from Longxing to Tianning, and back to Longxing. The ancient Longxing Temple was located at the western foot of Jinshan Mountain in the center of Linhai’s old city, bordered by the southern ancient city wall and Riverside Park, the eastern Jinshan Mountain and Thousand Buddha Pagoda, the northern urban area, and the western Chicheng Road. Upon entering the mountain gate, visitors see the Great Mercy Buddha, Skanda, and the white-marble-paved release pond. On both sides of the pond are four century-old trees (two camphor and two ginkgo trees). The main hall enshrines all-copper statues of the Three Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future, flanked by the 16 Arhats. The statues are lifelike and vivid. In the Pure Land Courtyard, the Gratitude Hall houses statues of Japanese masters Saichō and Dōsui, brought from Japan. The bell tower features a 6-ton bell, modeled after one from Beijing’s Fayuan Temple.

Longxing Temple played a significant role in the history of Sino-Japanese Buddhist cultural exchanges. In the Pure Land Courtyard stands a stele inscribed on the front with “Sacred Site Where Japan’s Great Master of Preaching, Saichō, Received the Bodhisattva Precepts,” and on the back: “On the night of March 2, the 21st year of the Tang Dynasty’s Zhenyuan era (805 AD), at the Pure Land Courtyard of the Western Hall of Linhai’s Longxing Temple, Master Dōsui, head of Tiantai Xiuchan Temple, conferred the Tiantai Bodhisattva Precepts upon Monk Saichō.” Tourism Area & Access: Longxing Temple is located at the western foot of Jinshan Mountain in the ancient city center of Linhai, Taizhou. It borders the southern ancient city wall and Riverside Park, the eastern Jinshan Mountain and Thousand Buddha Pagoda, the northern urban area, and the western Chicheng Road. The location is easily accessible. Situated south of Linhai, a key tourism city in southeastern Zhejiang, it offers convenient transport and lies within roughly a one-hour drive of the Tiantai Mountain, Yandang Mountain, and Shenxianju scenic areas, giving it a prominent geographical advantage.

Current Protection & Development: Since its restoration in 1999, Longxing Temple has hosted over 300,000 visitors from across the province, the country, and overseas. The provincial tourism bureau has recognized Linhai Longxing Temple as one of the top five Buddhist temples in the province.