Yuelin Temple

Yuelin Temple

Yuelin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Originally located at the site of the Yuelin Subdistrict Cultural Square, it has now been relocated to Changting Village and is currently under construction. It serves as a Buddhist place of worship. The temple was first built in the second year of the Datong era during the Liang Dynasty (536 AD), and in the second year of the Chongning era of the Song Dynasty (1103 AD), it was bestowed with an imperial plaque inscribed with “Chongning Pavilion.” Covering a total area of approximately 90 mu, the temple is designed as a five-courtyard complex, with a front facade about 110 meters wide. The first courtyard is the Mountain Gate Hall, featuring a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, with three bays in width and one bay in depth. It houses statues of Maitreya and a white marble stone-carved Buddha from Myanmar. The second courtyard is the Heavenly King Hall, with a double-eave hip-and-gable roof, spanning five bays in width and two bays in depth, with the main Bodhisattva statue to be determined. The third courtyard is the Mahavira Hall, featuring a double-eave hip-and-gable roof, spanning seven bays in width and five bays in depth, with a height of about 15 meters, currently under construction. The fourth courtyard is the Maitreya Hall, and the fifth is the Scripture Depository, neither of which has commenced construction. Between the Mountain Gate Hall and the Heavenly King Hall lies the Dragon Eye Pond, which never dries up throughout the year and houses fish, turtles, and snails. Above the pond is the Qici Bridge. On the north and south sides of the Heavenly King Hall are the Drum Tower and Bell Tower, both with double-eave hip-and-gable roofs; their bells can be heard within a radius of ten li. Flanking the temple are side halls, and in front of the temple stand seven stone pagodas.

Yuelin Temple is the place where Maitreya’s incarnation, Budai, was ordained and attained nirvana, and is a world-renowned sacred site of Maitreya worship. During the Liang Dynasty, the orphan Budai wandered to Changting Village and was adopted by the villager Zhang Zhongtian, who gave him the nickname Changtingzi. He had a stout figure with a large exposed belly and a smiling face. After becoming a monk, he carried a cloth sack over his staff and spoke unpredictably about whatever he saw, sleeping and eating anywhere, without distinguishing between vegetarian and meat-based food. He became known as the “Cloth Sack Monk.” He was studious and fond of poetry, often sharing verses and teachings. In the second year of the Zhenming era of the Later Liang Dynasty, he composed a gatha on the eastern cliff of Yuelin Temple: “Maitreya is truly Maitreya, manifesting billions of forms, constantly appearing before people, yet people do not recognize him.” Stories and plays about Maitreya’s legend have spread widely among the people. Temples across the country all enshrine the jolly Maitreya Buddha, which is modeled after the prototype of Budai the Cloth Sack Monk. The donations Budai collected through alms were used to construct Yuelin Temple. The temple was destroyed by fire five times and rebuilt each time, expanding in scale each time, with the final reconstruction taking place in the 14th year of the Guangxu Emperor’s reign. In June 1955, the Bell Tower was struck and damaged by lightning.

Yuelin Subdistrict: The Yuelin Subdistrict Office was established in June 2001. It is located east of the Xianjiang River in the urban area of Fenghua City, bordering Xiangshan Port to the east, the national scenic spot Xikou to the west, and Ningbo to the north. It is part of the national Class A economic open zone. The subdistrict covers an area of 30 square kilometers, with 14,016 permanent households, a resident population of 36,714, 14,356 registered residents, and 26,300 temporary residents. The area boasts advanced communication infrastructure, ample power supply, and abundant freshwater resources.

　It governs the communities of Xinmin, Minzhu, Dongsheng, Taoyuan, Xiushui, Wangye, Houfang, Minghua, Zhoujia... More detailed information about Yuelin Subdistrict ++