Ninghai Shouning Temple

Ninghai Shouning Temple

Ninghai Shouning Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The ancient Shouning Temple from the Jin Dynasty is located in Gangtou Village, five kilometers east of Ninghai County. It is the first Buddhist temple established in the Tiantai Mountain region and is also part of the province’s China-Japan cultural tourism route.

In the first year of the Yixi era of the Jin Dynasty (405), the Indian monk Tanyou crossed the sea from the east on a maple raft (a raft made of maple wood), landing at Baiqiao Port in Sanmen Bay. After disembarking, the maple raft drifted ashore on the opposite bank, which is still called Maple Raft Mountain today (located opposite Gangtou Temple). At that time, Tanyou felt thirsty, but there was no fresh water nearby. He struck the ground with his Buddhist staff, and a white spring gushed out, leading to the construction of the White Water Hermitage. Two historical relics remain in front of the temple today: the Stone of Tanyou and the White Spring Well. The White Spring Well is about 1.5 meters above ground level but never dries up throughout the year, and villagers also use it as a source of drinking water. The White Spring Well is also known as the Intestine-Washing Well. Legend has it that when Tanyou’s mother was pregnant, she passed by an onion garden, and the foul smell threatened the fetus. After drinking water from the White Spring Well, the impurities were removed. The Buddhist precept against eating onions, garlic, and other pungent vegetables also originates from this story.

Later, Tanyou traveled along the Baixi River in Ninghai into the heart of Tiantai Mountain, where he successively founded the Yongfu, Keshan, Shiliang, Chicheng, Wannian, Duobao, Guangrun, and Qingju temples. He became the founding patriarch of Tiantai Buddhism, establishing temples more than 100 years before the Guoqing Temple in Tiantai (which was built in 598 AD).

During his fourth attempt to cross to the east, the Tang Dynasty monk Jianzhen stayed here overnight. In Japanese, it is translated as Hakusen Temple. This temple became a hub for China-Japan cultural exchange after hosting the Japanese monks Dazen and Jiayin and their disciples between 983 and 988. In the first year of the Chunhua era (990), Minister Wang Huaji petitioned to rename it Shouning Temple. In the first year of the Zhidao era (995), Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty sent the eunuch Fei Yu to bestow 30 imperial scrolls upon Shouning Temple as an honor.

In the Song Dynasty text “Records of Chicheng,” Shouning Temple is ranked second among the temples of Leninhai (only the Chan teaching monastery of Songjiao Temple by the repentant abbot Zunshi of Ciyun Temple shares this title, while the other 44 are called monasteries). Since then, it has experienced several periods of prosperity and decline. After being destroyed by fire in 1958, it was recently rebuilt by Venerable Juehui, abbot of Gaoming Temple and president of the Taizhou Buddhist Association, and officially opened to the public on August 13, 1993. In addition to major structures such as the Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, and Three Saints Hall, the temple now also houses an Eastward Crossing Memorial Hall that preserves the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha used during the original crossing.

On June 9, 1999, representatives attending the China-Japan International Buddhist Tourism Route Symposium visited here for inspection and unanimously confirmed that Shouning Temple is an important memorial site for the spread of Buddhism to the world and for China-Japan friendship. Mr. Murakami Hiroshi, a Japanese friend, unveiled a stone tablet commemorating the “Landing Site of Japanese Master Dazen” under the accompaniment of Mr. He Siyuan, head of the Zhejiang Provincial Tourism Bureau, as well as officials from the provincial, city, and county levels. This event brought new life to the China-Japan friendship port.

Shuiche Village: Shuiche Village is located southeast of Yuelong Subdistrict, approximately seven kilometers from the subdistrict office, with convenient transportation. The Shuiche administrative village consists of five natural villages: Shangyuan, Xiayuan, Gangtou, Jinjiashan, and Puyao, with a total of 1,561 households and 5,012 residents. The current arable land area is 3,719 mu, and the forested area spans 11,277 mu, with an average annual income per capita of about 6,000 yuan. The village is surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, enjoying fresh air and a beautiful environment. There are many tourist attractions within the village, making it highly suitable for leisure, tourism, and sightseeing. The famous Shouning Temple is located in this village.... More details about Shuiche Village++