Jiuhua Mountain Ganlu Temple

Jiuhua Mountain Ganlu Temple

Jiuhua Mountain Ganlu Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Anhui Province.

Ganlu Temple is situated on the mountainside of Huacheng Peak in Jiuhua Mountain and is one of the "Four Great Monasteries" alongside Qiyuan Temple, Dongya Temple, and Baishou Palace. The temple was built in the sixth year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1667) when the Imperial Preceptor Yulin was ordered to offer incense at Jiuhua. Upon seeing the mountain’s harmonious surroundings, he chose this site to build the temple. Legend says that on the night before construction began, every pine needle on the mountain glistened with dew, considered a miracle. Additionally, according to the Lotus Sutra's "Parable of the Medicinal Herbs," the Buddha Shakyamuni said: "I proclaim the pure Dharma of sweet dew for all." Amitabha Buddha is also referred to as the "Sweet Dew Tathagata" and the "King of Sweet Dew," and it is said that when he manifested to teach, he spoke of the "rain of sweet dew." Thus, the temple was named "Ganlu Temple" (Sweet Dew Temple).

Nestled on the mountainside and lying along the essential northern pilgrimage route, Ganlu Temple boasts a grand structure, numerous Buddha statues, lush groves, and serene bamboo forests—making it a highly spiritual and popular site. The eminent monk Dong’an once preached here twice. During the Qianlong era, abbot Youtan held ordination ceremonies, establishing it as a major monastery. In the 16th year of the Daoguang reign (1836), abbot Qinglian expanded the temple. In the third year of the Xianfeng reign (1853), it suffered damage during military conflict under abbot Shengchuan. It was repaired again in the eighth year (1858) by abbot Enhao. In the third year of the Tongzhi reign (1864), it was damaged once more, but abbot Fayuan and others restored it the following year. In the 20th year of the Guangxu reign (1894), abbot Dahang led fundraising efforts and traveled to Beijing to bring back a set of the Buddhist Canon. The temple underwent renovations in 1956 and 1983 and was designated by the State Council as a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Regions. In 1985, the Buddha statues were recreated, painted, and gilded. Today, the temple preserves cultural relics and structures such as the Mahavira Hall, side halls, monastic quarters, bells and drums, and stone inscriptions. The entire temple complex covers an area of 3,500 square meters.

The temple complex consists of three groups of residential-style buildings combined with a grand palace-style Mahavira Hall, all built along the mountain slope and reaching up to five stories, with glazed tile roofs that shimmer brilliantly. The layout is irregular. On the north side, the Skanda Hall and Guest Reception Hall are situated on a 2.5-meter-high platform, spanning three floors—though the Guest Reception Hall features windows on a fourth level that don’t correspond to an actual floor, adding a sense of depth. South of the Skanda Hall stands the 15-meter-high Mahavira Hall, fronted by a veranda. The hall itself is built on a 6.8-meter-high platform, measuring 17 meters wide and 15.5 meters deep. To the east of the main hall lies a two-story corridor hallway enclosing an inner courtyard, 22 meters deep and 15 meters wide. The upper and lower levels house the Patriarch Hall, Abbot’s Quarters, Meditation Hall, and guest rooms. Visitors enter through the main gate, exit through a side door, ascend a dozen or so sloped steps, and then enter the main hall from the side—creating a distinct sense of spatial layering and shifts between light and shadow. The temple contains three courtyards and over a hundred windows. The roof styles include flush-gable with either double or quadruple eaves, while the main hall features a hip-and-gable roof. With its expansive halls, orderly pavilions, mountain backdrop, and flowing streams nearby, the temple exudes poetic charm. Ancient visitors once wrote: “The sound of spring water falls from the eaves; the morning mist drifts past my pillow,” and “Only by staying at this meditative gate do you truly grasp the mountain’s boundless beauty.” Along the temple’s front path, there are stone railings with decorative openwork patterns resembling ice cracks, offering shaded views of the surrounding landscape. Nearby lies the "Calming Heart Stone," encircled by dense bamboo groves that block out the sun.

Temples across Jiuhua Mountain have always emphasized monastic education. The current Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Academy Executive Training Class of the Buddhist Association of China and the Anhui Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Academy are both located at Ganlu Temple. As early as the 22nd year of the Guangxu reign in the Qing Dynasty (1896), the Huayan scholar Yuexia (1858–1917) came to Jiuhua with fellow monks such as Chuphoto from Hubei. In 1898, Yuexia founded the "Huayan Dojo" (also called the "Huayan University") at Cui Feng Temple, where the "Huayan Sutra was taught, and great scriptures were produced." The Huayan Dojo had a three-year curriculum and initially enrolled 32 students, among whom were later-renowned monks such as Master Xuyun and Master Xinshu. The Huayan Dojo pioneered the establishment of Buddhist colleges in China’s monastic education history and received high praise. In early 1919, Rongxu, then president of the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association and abbot of Dongya Temple, proposed founding the "Jiangnan Jiuhua Buddhist College." The initiative was supported and funded by various monasteries on Jiuhua and approved by the Education Department of the Anhui Provincial Government.

In 1985, the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association organized a one-year monastic training program, recruiting students from temples across the province through entrance examinations. In May, the first session of the training class (with 24 young monks) commenced at Qiyuan Temple. Its educational policy emphasized teaching with moral cultivation, balancing study and practice, enhancing students' ideological and ethical standards, and increasing their interest and knowledge in Buddhist culture to nurture them into dedicated Buddhists who also support socialist modernization. The class was overseen by Ren De, president of both the Anhui and Jiuhua Buddhist Associations, with teachers including Monk Mingxin, Tiling, and layperson Zhao Jiaqian, who instructed on Buddhism, Buddhist history, and Chinese language. Other subjects included history, calligraphy, chanting rituals, basic science, and politics. Monks were required to perform daily practices and, upon graduation, were expected to read scriptures, engage in meditation, and participate in large-scale Buddhist ceremonies. The students took novice precepts by the end of 1985. In January 1986, the class moved from Qiyuan Temple to Ganlu Temple. In October 1986, the first training session concluded, with most students returning to manage temples in their home regions. Additional sessions were held in subsequent years.

On September 19, 1990, the Anhui Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Academy held its opening ceremony at Ganlu Temple. Zhao Puchu, President of the Buddhist Association of China, made a special trip to Jiuhua to attend and delivered an enthusiastic speech full of high hopes. He noted that the founding of the Jiuhua Buddhist Academy was a result of the comprehensive implementation of the freedom of religious belief policy since the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee, and expressed gratitude for the strong support of the Party and government. Zhao further stated that extraordinary people make extraordinary places, and the purpose of the academy is to cultivate successors for the Buddhist cause. Finally, he earnestly encouraged the young monks to uphold the great spirit of dedication embodied by Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha: “Deliver all beings before attaining Buddhahood; I vow not to become a Buddha until all hells are empty,” and “If I do not go to hell, who will?” He urged them to strive for the great mission of liberating all beings and advancing the cause of Buddhism and world peace.