Ancient Dizang Cave

Ancient Dizang Cave

Dizang Cave is located beneath the meditating stone of King Dizang in Jiuzi Rock within Jiuhua Mountain Forest Park. The cave features murmuring springs and numerous unique rocks. It can accommodate over ten people for rest. The cave entrance faces northeast, offering exceptional coolness; lush trees and emerald-green bamboo in front create a delicate and enchanting scene. Legend has it that this was the resting and sutra-chanting place of the monk Dizang, hence the name. According to local residents’ legends, during the Tang Dynasty, when Jin Qiaojue first arrived from the Silla Kingdom to Jiuhua Mountain in the East, he chose this place as his first settlement. He stayed here for a long time, resting and beginning his first steps of spiritual practice in the Jiuhua Mountain area.

Jiuhua Mountain is dotted with ancient temples, shrouded in incense, and is a sacred site for devout worshippers. With its picturesque scenery and pleasant climate, it is an ideal destination for tourism and summer retreat. Currently, Jiuhua Mountain has over 80 temples, more than 300 monks and nuns, and has gradually evolved into a distinctive Buddhist-themed scenic tourism area. Among China’s Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains, Jiuhua Mountain stands out, renowned both domestically and internationally with the dual honors of “The Foremost Incense in the World” and “The Number One Mountain in the Southeast.”

Jiuhua Mountain is the sacred site of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, who made the great vow: “If the hells are not empty, I will not become a Buddha.” The Mahāvaipulya Mahāsannipāta Sūtra of Kṣitigarbha states: “Unmoving as the earth, with patience profound; Meditative as the profound treasure, deep in concentration.” Hence the name Dizang (Earth Treasury). Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is one of the greatest bodhisattvas in Buddhism, known for having the most powerful vows. He pledged, “I will not attain Buddhahood until all beings are saved; I will not become a Buddha until the hells are empty.” As a result, the merits and benefits of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva are boundless, and he shares a profound karmic connection with the sentient world. The spirit of Kṣitigarbha holds a lofty status in the Buddhist community. After the formation of the Kṣitigarbha sacred site on Jiuhua Mountain, it attracted Buddhist monks from all directions to visit, pay homage, and reside for spiritual practice. Consequently, in addition to the original sacred traces of Monk Dizang, many additional temples and monasteries were later built on the mountain.

Ancient Dizang Cave is one of the original sacred traces of Monk Dizang. In the early years of the Zhide era, local gentry Zhuge Jie led villagers up the mountain and discovered a monk sitting in meditation in a cave where there was a statue of King Dizang Bodhisattva but no other signs of human presence. Beside the cave was a broken pot containing leftover grains mixed with white clay—an indication of an extraordinarily ascetic life—which greatly astonished them. Upon learning that this was the Silla prince who had come from afar in pursuit of the Dharma, Zhuge Jie and others felt deeply ashamed for not fulfilling their duties as hosts and thus initiated the building of a meditation hall for Monk Dizang. After the temple was completed, scholars and practitioners gathered here from all regions, especially an increasing number of monks from the Silla Kingdom. The influx of monks from both home and abroad led to supply difficulties. Jin Qiaojue then dug into the mountain stones and unearthed a type of soil—blueish-white and fine as flour—which was used to feed the monastic community.

Monks came to the temple in pursuit of the Dharma, drawn by its reputation. At the time, conditions in the mountains were harsh—some monks were so starved their skin clung to their bones, earning them the nickname “the withered assembly.” But under the leadership of Jin Qiaojue, they united, diligently pursued the path, took joy in suffering, and regarded hardship as part of spiritual practice. They also cultivated rice paddies and terraced fields on the mountain to grow grain and other crops, leading an ascetic life that balanced meditation with farming. In the tenth year of the Zhenyuan era (794 AD), on the night of July 30, Jin Qiaojue attained enlightenment at the age of 99. Soon after, he summoned his disciples to bid them farewell, then passed away in a seated meditation posture. There were sounds of mountains rumbling and rocks falling, and the temple bell tolled hoarsely. His body was enshrined in a casket, and three years later, when it was to be placed in a stupa, his facial features remained lifelike. When lifted, his joints moved, as if shaking golden chains. A small stupa was then erected on South Platform—the very spot where Jin Qiaojue had meditated during his lifetime. This marks the origin of Jiuhua Mountain’s Buddhist sacred site.

Today, a temple named after Dizang Cave has been built near the cave. It is a single-story building in Huizhou-style architecture. The main hall houses a statue of King Dizang Bodhisattva after the enlightenment of Jin Qiaojue, with statues of Dao Ming and his father, Min Gong, on either side. In front of the hall sits an incense burner and a seven-tiered pagoda, casting the area around Dizang Cave in the ambiance of a Buddhist sacred site. In fact, the Jiuhua Mountain region has many uniquely shaped rocky caves and formations. King Dizang Bodhisattva practiced here for over 70 years,