Shouxian Bao'en Temple

Shouxian Bao'en Temple

Shouxian Bao'en Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Huainan City.

Strolling through East Zen Temple, the setting sun crowns the ancient spire.

Deep in the courtyard wild bamboos hide, low walls rise like distant hills.

The Buddha sits serene with a smile, monks chant their scriptures without rest.

A clear chime rings out, the bright moon escorts you home.

This poem “A Visit to East Zen Temple” refers to Bao'en Temple in Shouxian County. This thousand-year-old temple, with the opening of the ancient city, has attracted countless visitors.

Bao'en Temple is located in the northeast corner of the city. Formerly known as Chongjiao Chan Monastery or East Zen Temple, it was renamed during the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty. According to the Shouzhou Annals, the temple was first built during the Tang Dynasty's Zhenguan era (627–649 AD), boasting a history of over 1,300 years. Covering a total area of more than 14,700 square meters, its grand scale and majestic architecture rank it among the finest in the Jianghuai region.

Walking to the end of Dongda Temple Lane, passing through a tall red screen wall, and stepping through the mountain gate, you enter the first courtyard, where lush pines and cypresses thrive. In the center of the courtyard lies the Song Dynasty Pagoda Crypt, originally a nine-story brick stupa from the Northern Song Dynasty that has since collapsed. The remaining base posed a safety risk to visitors and was demolished in 1977, leading to the discovery of the crypt beneath. The crypt houses colorful murals and precious artifacts such as gold and silver coffins. Further on, past the Hall of Two Buddhas, you reach the second, deeper courtyard, where two thousand-year-old ginkgo trees tower overhead, casting shade over the resplendent Mahavira Hall and the east and west corridors.

The magnificent Mahavira Hall, with its soaring upturned eaves and painted beams, is the main structure of Bao'en Temple. Built atop a stone base over a meter high, it exudes solemn dignity. The hall is five bays wide and three bays deep, with a long corridor in front of the entrance supported by square stone pillars adorned with carvings of flowers and birds. On the base of one eastern pillar is a vivid relief of “two stone goats butting heads,” one of the “Eight Scenic Spots of Shouxian.” Inside the hall, the east, west, and north walls feature provincial-level protected clay sculptures of the Eighteen Arhats, along with dozens of wooden and bronze statues from the Tang, Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, all exquisitely crafted and lifelike. At the center of the hall stands a half-meter-tall bronze incense burner. Though modest in appearance, locals know it as the “City Within the City,” as the main historical sites of the town are cast into its sides—earning it a place among the Eight Scenic Spots. To the east side of the hall are the Ancestral Monk Hall and the Dust-Washing Retreat, flanked by meditation rooms and attendant quarters.

Passing through the main hall, you enter the third courtyard, where the Pilu Pavilion stands elevated, serene and elegant. Crossing a round gate to the west leads to the newly built “Stele Garden.” Here, you can admire stone inscriptions by historical figures and feast your eyes on calligraphic artistry, or stroll along the classic, refined corridors to immerse yourself in nostalgic reverie.