Yunxiao Lingjiu Temple

Yunxiao Lingjiu Temple

Yunxiao Lingjiu Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Lingjiu Temple is located in Lieyu Town, Yunxiao County, in the coastal region of Fujian Province. It faces Zhangpu's Gulai Port and Xiamen Island to the east, the southern parts of Fujian such as Changshan and Zhao'an, as well as Guangdong and the Chaoshan area to the west, the estuary of the Zhang River and Yunxiao’s General Mountain to the north, and the picturesque and vast Dongshan Island and Taiwan Island to the south, giving it a highly advantageous geographical location.

“Lingjiu Temple” was originally named “Bo Feng Yan.” Legend has it that during the Southern Song Dynasty (1157–1279), either Emperor Gaozong or the Crown Prince of Emperor Xiaozong, along with several imperial eunuchs, fled here and took refuge. They discovered that this location was an ideal site for building a temple, so they shaved their heads, became monks, and constructed a shrine, naming it “Bo Feng Yan,” which later became a historic temple site. According to surviving relics such as the Four-Faced Buddha, stone pillars, and stone steles, as well as inscriptions on them, it is confirmed that in the 23rd year of the Jiayin era of the Jiaqing reign (1818), clan members undertook restoration work. However, due to the passage of time, the site fell into disrepair and was eventually destroyed. In the year of Renwu during the Guangxu reign (1882), six individuals including Tang Jichang funded its reconstruction, and it was commonly referred to by locals as the “New Rock.” In the year of Renchen during the Guangxu reign (1892), the Small Sword Society was active here. Later, due to historical changes and neglect, the site deteriorated completely. In 1996, local residents rebuilt a simple temple.

With the revival of historical culture and the freedom of religious belief, in the early winter of 1999, Master Shi Fazhong from Guangzhou’s Guangxiao Temple was invited to conduct a site survey. As the locals refer to this mountain as “Xi Jiu Shan” (West Vulture Mountain), the mountain features vivid natural formations such as a stone bell, stone elephant, stone frog, stone Buddha, stone earth god, stone chicken, stone dog, and stone fish. Most strikingly, when viewed from afar, Xi Jiu Shan rises sharply into the clouds, resembling a vulture spreading its wings in flight. The back of the mountain resembles the Maitreya Buddha, with palms pressed together in front of the chest, sitting cross-legged, with a plump head and broad belly, a kind and amiable smile, and eyes gazing eastward toward the sparkling waters where thousands of sails glide by, with Dongshan Island fully visible. To the left looks like an elephant upon which sits Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, while to the right resembles a lion looking back upon which sits Manjushri Bodhisattva. The front of the temple offers a wide and open view, with endless forests and fruit trees on the slopes on both sides, and terraced fields stretching out straight ahead. During the harvest season, golden waves ripple into the distance... Therefore, Master Fazhong renamed “Bo Feng Yan” as “Lingjiu Temple.”

He resolved to rebuild the temple on its original site.

Since forming a connection with Monk Shi Fazhong in 1999, he has widely networked with religious followers, reaching out to devout men and women from both China and abroad to raise funds through donations for planning and construction. The temple now has reached a considerable scale, with one Mahavira Hall, one Heavenly King Hall, two two-story monk dormitories, two two-story buildings for the guest hall and conference hall, a dining hall, a liberation pond, a Kṣitigarbha Pavilion, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, and a parking lot (under construction), covering a total construction area of over 20,000 square meters, along with a large number of Buddha and Bodhisattva statues and ritual instruments. The main deities enshrined include the Huayan Three Saints (Sakyamuni Buddha, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva), Guanyin Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, the Four Heavenly Kings, Amitabha Buddha, and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha. There are over 20 resident monks, managers, and staff who oversee the temple’s daily operations. They perform morning, noon, and evening prayers and chanting every day to bless all beings, with the scent of incense lingering year-round and the lights of the Buddha burning day and night. Since the completion and consecration ceremony of the Mahavira Hall in the autumn of 2002, the temple has radiated with the brilliance of the Dharma, attracting an increasing number of followers from home and abroad, and enjoying flourishing incense offerings. Lingjiu Temple has become a sacred Buddhist site—majestic, dignified, elegant, and pure. It is a serene place for Buddhists and worshippers seeking inner peace, clarity, equality, enlightenment, openness, and comfort, as well as a tourist destination and an excellent practice ground for monks.