Puji Temple

Puji Temple

Puji Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Puji Temple, commonly known as the Front Temple, is located at the southern foot of Lingjiu Peak on Baihua Summit in Mount Putuo, Putuo District, Zhoushan City. It was first built in the second year of the Zhenming era during the Later Liang Dynasty (916 AD). After repeated destructions and reconstructions, in the 28th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1689 AD), Emperor Kangxi, during his southern tour, issued an edict to rebuild the temple and later bestowed upon it the plaque inscription “Puji Qunling” (Relieving All Sentient Beings). The temple covers an area of 26,000 square meters. The entire architectural complex faces south and consists of a stone memorial archway, screen wall, imperial stele pavilion, octagonal pavilion, Yaochi Bridge, and Haiyin Pool auxiliary structures, among others. Along the central axis are sequentially arranged the Main Gate (Imperial Stele Hall), Heavenly King Hall, Yuantong Hall, Scripture Depository, and Abbot’s Hall. Beside the main hall are the bell tower, drum tower, side halls, and guest rooms.

Puji Temple is one of the three major temples of Mount Putuo, a renowned Buddhist sacred site in China. Its layout planning and architectural design are uniquely ingenious, making it a typical representation of Chinese temple architecture and an important remnant of official-style architecture from the Qing Dynasty in Zhejiang. It holds significant historical, cultural, and artistic value.

The predecessor of Puji Temple was the “Unwilling-to-Go Guanyin Monastery.” During the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty (847–859 AD), the Japanese monk Eiei invited a Guanyin statue from Mount Wutai back to his country but was forced by strong winds to land ashore. Together with a local villager surnamed Zhang, he built this monastery at Chaoyin Cave to enshrine the Guanyin statue. In the Zhenming era (915–920 AD) of the last ruler of the Later Liang Dynasty, the “Unwilling-to-Go Guanyin Monastery” was expanded into a proper temple and later relocated to its current site (some say the earliest “Unwilling-to-Go Guanyin Monastery” was built here). During the Song Dynasty, it was successively renamed “Wutai Yuanguang Temple” and “Baotuo Guanyin Temple,” and its incense offerings began to flourish. In the seventh year of the Jiading era (1214 AD), the emperor inscribed the plaque “Yuantong Baodian” (Hall of Perfect Enlightenment), designating it as a temple dedicated solely to Guanyin. In the 19th year of the Hongwu era (1421 AD), a maritime ban was enforced, and the court ordered General Tang He to burn down the halls and destroy the statues on the mountain, relocating the monks to Mingzhou Qixin Temple (now Ningbo Qita Temple). It was not until the first year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Emperor Xiaozong (1488 AD) that the statues were brought back to the mountain and the temple was rebuilt. During the Jiajing era of Emperor Xiaozong (1522–1566 AD), the temples of Mount Putuo were destroyed, and Baotuo Guanyin Temple was not spared. In the 33rd year of the Wanli reign of Emperor Shenzong (1605 AD), the court sent the eunuch Zhang Qian to expand Baotuo Guanyin Temple at the foot of Lingjiu Peak and bestowed upon it the plaque “Huguo Yongsou Putuo Chan Temple” (Protect-the-Nation Longevity Putuo Chan Temple). The temple became grand in scale and was unrivaled in the southeast for a time. In the eighth year of the Kangxi reign (1669 AD), Dutch colonizers invaded Putuo, and aside from the main hall, the rest of the temple was completely destroyed. In the 38th year of the Kangxi reign (1699 AD), the Huguo Yongsou Putuo Chan Temple was reconstructed and bestowed the plaque “Puji Qunling” (Relieving All Sentient Beings), henceforth called “Puji Chan Temple.” In the ninth year of the Yongzheng reign (1731 AD), the temple halls and auxiliary buildings were expanded to an unprecedented scale.

To enter Puji Temple, one generally passes through a stone memorial archway. This archway has four pillars and three gates, standing about 20 meters tall, with beams adorned with exquisitely carved cloud patterns and stone gourds. Inside the archway on the northern side stands a stone tablet inscribed with: “All civil and military officials, soldiers, and civilians must dismount here.” It is said to be an imperial decree. In the past, when officials came here, civil officials had to disembark from their sedan chairs, and military officers had to dismount from their horses as a sign of reverence for Guanyin Bodhisattva.

In front of Puji Temple lies a lotus pond covering approximately 15 mu, called Haiyin Pool, also known as the Liberation Pond. Built during the Ming Dynasty, three bridges span the pond. The middle bridge has a broad, flat surface, connecting the northern main gate of Puji Temple to the southern Imperial Stele Pavilion. In the middle of the bridge is a lake pavilion, also called the Octagonal Pavilion, directly facing the main gate of the temple. It is surrounded by jade-like water and whitewashed walls. The Imperial Stele Pavilion to the south of the bridge was built in the ninth year of the Yongzheng reign (1731 AD) of the Qing Dynasty. It houses a 3-meter-high, 1.5-meter-wide white jade stele inscribed with calligraphy by Emperor Yongzheng. The stele documents the history of Mount Putuo, featuring vividly carved dragons on its top and vigorous, powerful calligraphy. The stone carving is extremely exquisite, considered a rare masterpiece, and the stele itself is highly valuable. To the east is an arched bridge called Yongshou Bridge, measuring 40 meters long, 7.5 meters wide, and 6 meters high, built in the 14th year of the Wanli reign (1586 AD) of the Ming Dynasty. The stone railings on the bridge are topped with 40 lion carvings, each uniquely shaped and lifelike. The ancient and elegant stone bridge is a rare gem of carving artistry. In front of the bridge is a bodhisattva wall screen inscribed with five large characters: “Guān Zì Zài Pú Sà” (Guanyin Bodhisattva), each character five feet tall and powerfully written. Legend says Guanyin Bodhisattva embodies both compassion and wisdom—referred to as Guanyin when expressing compassion and Guanzizai when representing wisdom. A wall nearby is inscribed with the Heart Sutra, which praises: “Upon the sea there is a mountain of many sages, composed of precious treasures and supremely pure; the valiant and wise Guanzizai resides here to save all beings.” To the west is a long-approach arched bridge, with dragon heads carved at its four corners. When it rains, water spurts from the dragons’ mouths like wisps of smoke. The lotus pond is surrounded by mountains on three sides, with ancient camphor trees towering all around. It is one of the Ten Scenic Spots of Mount Putuo, known as “Lotus Pond Moonlight,” and is truly captivating.

Puji Temple covers an area of 37,019 square meters and includes 10 halls, 12 towers, 7 chambers, and 7 pavilions, totaling 231 rooms, with a construction area of 11,400 square meters. The entire temple has six rows of halls, extending from south to north along a central axis.

The Mountain Gate is five bays wide with a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The main gate is usually closed, and both monks and visitors enter and exit through the East Gate. When monks pass away, they exit through the West Gate.

Address: No. 15 Xianghua Street, Putuo District, Zhoushan City

Type: Pond, Historic Site, Temple

Recommended Visit Duration: 1–2 hours

Phone: 0580-6091336

Official Website: http://www.putuoshan.travel/

Opening Hours:

Open only during specific time slots: 5:00–6:00, 10:30–11:30, 16:30–17:30