Jiuhua Mountain Cuifeng Temple

Jiuhua Mountain Cuifeng Temple

Jiuhua Mountain Cuifeng Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Situated in Qingyang County, Chizhou City, Anhui Province, Jiuhua Mountain is the sacred site of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, known for his great vow: “Never to attain Buddhahood until all hells are empty and all beings are saved.” Among China’s Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains — alongside Wutai Mountain’s Manjushri, Emei Mountain’s Samantabhadra, and Putuo Mountain’s Guanyin — lies the thousand-year-old Cuifeng Temple, known for pioneering the establishment of the Huayan University in China’s monastic education history. This sacred temple, now nestled at the foot of Dicui Peak in Qingqiao Bay, Zhubei Town, in the rear mountains of Jiuhua, serves as a place of pilgrimage and study for devotees.

Cuifeng Temple is a key Buddhist monastery protected by Anhui Province. It is located within the Tianzhu Peak scenic area at the back of Jiuhua Mountain, where the “Tianzhu Celestial Trail” is one of the “Ten Scenic Views of Jiuhua.” Also called Dicui Peak, Cuifeng Peak has the most peculiar shape, being larger at the top and smaller at the base, with the highest point reaching 1,087 meters above sea level. The Qing dynasty writer Chen Wei described it in “Jiuhua Records”: “While most peaks of Jiuhua rise sharply, only Dicui Peak is large on top and small below, with layers of lush green that glisten fresh after rain and mist, appearing vividly within reach.” Day and night, the peak is often shrouded in mist, resembling layers of condensed emerald, fresh and dripping with verdure. The ancient temple is perched majestically atop the thousand-meter-high peaks amid overlapping hills, standing tall on an elevated platform. The main hall of the temple backs onto Dicui Peak, resembling a solemn reclining statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. In front of the mountain gate, towering peaks pierce the sky; to the left stands a formation resembling Patriarch Bodhidharma in meditation, while to the right appear two lotus buds on the verge of blooming. On either side of the Heavenly King Hall, swaying bamboo and murmuring springs provide a musical backdrop. The sounds of bells, drums, and sutra chanting echo through the layered peaks, creating an atmosphere of serenity and harmony. As the poem goes: “In the ancient halls of Cuifeng’s Huayan Temple, virtue is nurtured; by the moonlit bamboo grove, paths lead to Buddhist fate.”

Originally named “Tianzhu Hermitage,” Cuifeng Temple was first built in 864 AD (the fifth year of the Xiantong era of the Tang Dynasty) in front of Tianzhu Peak. By the end of the Tang Dynasty, it was relocated to the foot of Dicui Peak and commonly referred to as “Gaoshe.” During the Southern Song Dynasty’s Qiandao era, Yu Zhiyuan from Qingyang came here and, upon gaining insight into Zen while breaking willow branches by the stream, called himself “Cuifeng.” He built a hut to teach sutras, and his dwelling became known as “Cuifeng Hermitage.” In the late Qing Dynasty, the abbot Puzhao rebuilt the temple halls, constructing two main halls and dozens of living quarters, and renamed it “Cuifeng Temple.” In 1898 (the 24th year of the Guangxu era), eminent monk Yuexia, together with Puzhao, Yinkui, Tongxiao, and Ke’an, established the “Cuifeng Huayan Dojo,” also known as the “Huayan University,” dedicated to teaching the “Avatamsaka Sutra” (Flower Garland Sutra). The current structures of Cuifeng Temple still preserve the style of the ancient monastery. On the western wall of the temple corridor is embedded a stone stele erected in 1902 (the 28th year of the Guangxu era), titled “Record of Establishing the Cuifeng Huayan Dojo,” which is a valuable historical relic. In front of the temple is a 300-square-meter flower garden, divided into two sections by a central path, each featuring rectangular wall foundations, hinting at the grand scale of the former Huayan Dojo. Down the southeastern slope of the temple platform lies a flight of hundreds of stone steps. On the eastern side, four large characters “Huayan Dojo” are inscribed in clerical script on a massive rock, serving as a historical testament to the former dojo.

The current abbot of Cuifeng Temple, Venerable Jide, was entrusted by the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association to leave the bustling metropolis of Shanghai and venture alone into the remote rear mountains of Jiuhua. Having climbed the surrounding peaks and surveyed the terrain and feng shui, he made a solemn vow: to dedicate all his energy, ability, and spiritual power to developing this rear mountain into a sacred Buddhist site, restoring and reviving Cuifeng Temple — then home to only a single Kṣitigarbha Hall — into a nationally renowned place of sutra chanting, Buddha recitation, and spiritual practice, and making it one of the important Buddhist temples of Jiuhua’s sacred mountain.

Venerable Jide, a 71-year-old eminent monk, has devoted himself heart and soul to realizing this great vow, spreading the Dharma, and liberating all beings. To raise construction funds, he tirelessly solicited donations across the country, dragging a diseased leg as he sought help everywhere. He was hospitalized twice due to overwork but returned to continue his efforts the moment he was discharged... Over the past five years, with the compassionate heart and sincere actions of a bodhisattva, Venerable Jide has moved many people. Donations, goodwill, support, and resources have poured in, raising nearly 10 million yuan. He also oversaw the construction of a motor road leading directly from the foot of the rear mountain to the temple’s “Heavenly King Hall.” This not only facilitates the restoration of the temple and the journeys of pilgrims but also benefits the local community, opening up a path to prosperity for residents.

Venerable Jide has formulated a grand vision and plan for the full restoration and development of the Cuifeng Huayan Dojo. Currently, the “Heavenly King Hall,” “Buddha Recitation Hall,” “Roaring Lion Hall,” lay practitioners’ building, and guest hall have been completed. Basic infrastructure such as running water, lighting, and communication is fully operational. Facilities still under construction include the meditation retreat hall, liberation pond, temple roads, and transformer station. The “Heavenly King Hall” houses full-body statues of the Future Buddha Amitabha, Skanda Bodhisattva, and the Four Heavenly Kings. The “Buddha Recitation Hall” features standing statues of the Three Saints of the West and Shakyamuni Buddha. The “Roaring Lion Hall” enshrines seated statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. Beside the liberation pond stand white marble sculptures of Guanyin Bodhisattva and young attendants. The Kṣitigarbha Hall is dedicated to Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, and the assembly of pure, vast oceanic beings. All these statues have undergone consecration ceremonies and radiate a powerful spiritual presence, serving as objects of worship for monks, lay practitioners, and devotees. As the poem says: “With compassion, the bodhisattvas roam the human world; where hearts are sincere and pure, the shadow of enlightenment shines through.”