Jiuhou Zen Temple

Jiuhou Zen Temple

Jiuhou Zen Temple is a cultural heritage site protected by Zhao’an County.

Jiuhou Zen Temple, also known as Jiuhou Rock, is located in Zhao’an County, Fujian Province, at the center of the Jiuhou Mountain Scenic Area on the southern foothills of Mount Wu. It was originally built during the Tang Dynasty. According to the “Inscription of Jiuhou Zen Temple”: “The ancient temple had an inner old rock cave, initially constructed in the Tang Dynasty. In the tenth year of the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty (1140), the Buddha hall was first built...”, which refers to the present-day Jiuhou Zen Temple. In the fifth year of the Chunyou era of the Song Dynasty (1245), it was rebuilt once again, and further renovations took place in the ninth year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1744) and during the Guangxu era. In 2000, Master Hongyang, the abbot of Qingyun Zen Temple in Da’ao, Guangdong, along with others, raised funds to renovate the temple once more.

Jiuhou Zen Temple, situated in the Jiuhou Mountains at the southern foothills of Mount Wu in Zhao’an, is also called Jiuhou Rock. It lies over thirty li south of the county town. The origin of the name “Jiuhou” (Nine Lords) has two accounts: one says “nine peaks stand in a row, majestic as noblemen”; the other claims “nine descendants of Yu the Great came to Fujian, passed away and became deities, each presiding over a mountain.” Due to the stunning scenery of Jiuhou Rock and the serene temple, it has been praised since ancient times as the “Fairy-Carved Jiuhou Rock” and the “Foremost Ancient Temple of Southern Fujian.” In September 1998, Jiuhou Mountain was approved by the provincial government as a provincial-level scenic area.

Jiuhou Zen Temple faces south and is built along the mountain terrain. It is a double-eaved, hanging-roof structure consisting of a gate tower, courtyard, worship pavilion, main hall, east wing, and west wing, covering a total area of about 660 square meters. The main hall is 19 meters deep and 9.5 meters wide, with an area of 180.5 square meters. On both sides of the main hall are corridors 3.5 meters wide, leading to the east and west wings, each consisting of one central room and two side rooms. The east wing is 19 meters deep and 16 meters wide.

Temple Introduction

At the temple gate, there is a couplet: “How many such famous mountains exist? True travelers find no crowd too large.” Above the gate tower hangs a plaque inscribed with the words “Abode of Purified Hearts” by Huang Daozhou, a Neo-Confucian scholar of the Ming Dynasty. The gate tower features a pavilion called “Sea-Viewing Platform,” where visitors can gaze into the distance on clear days to see the rising clouds and faint outlines of sails in Zhao’an Bay.

Above the main hall, there is a horizontal plaque inscribed with the words “Traces of India” written by Shen Qijin, a scholar from the county who passed the imperial examination in the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty. The central shrine enshrines Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha. On either side are Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas, with Skanda and Dhṛtarāṣṭra standing guard. The Eighteen Arhats on both sides display diverse expressions and lifelike appearances. At the center of the incense table stands a dragon plaque from the late Ming Dynasty inscribed with “Paying Tribute to the Imperial Grace of Emperor Wanli,” along with an ancient incense burner cast during the Song Dynasty.

The door of the west wing bears a plaque inscribed with the characters “West Wing” by the renowned Song Dynasty Confucian Zhu Xi, using his pseudonym Huifu. A couplet reads: “Autumn hues tint the western mist and rosy clouds, a delightful scene; chanting scriptures in the wing fills the hall with spring breeze.” Inside the hall, an image of Sizi, the “patriarch” of Jiuhou (Sizi, a ninth-generation monk from Mount Wutai during the Chunyou era of the Song Dynasty), is enshrined, accompanied by a couplet: “In the Southern Song Dynasty, Sizi built this great temple; a revered monk received the alms bowl and took refuge in Jiuhou Mountain.”

The door of the east wing features a plaque inscribed with “The Mountain Has Its Master,” and a couplet that reads: “A white horse carried scriptures to the Buddha realm; purple clouds flew with the monk’s staff to Jiuhou Mountain.” The inner hall enshrines another patriarch of Jiuhou.

Within the temple courtyard, there is a stone-built liberation pond dating back to the tenth year of the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty (1140), along with a stele commemorating renovations in the fifth year of the Chunyou era of the Song Dynasty (1205) and another from the sixty-first year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1722) inscribed with the “Jiuhou Rock Guide Transmission.”

Jiuhou Zen Temple was first built during the Tang Dynasty. According to the “Inscription of Jiuhou Zen Temple”: “The ancient temple had an inner old rock cave, initially constructed in the Tang Dynasty. In the tenth year of the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty (1140), the Buddha hall was first built...”. This Buddha hall is the present-day Jiuhou Zen Temple. Over the dynasties, it underwent multiple renovations. In the fifth year of the Chunyou era of the Song Dynasty (1245), the temple was rebuilt again, and further restorations occurred in the ninth year of the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty (1744) and during the Guangxu era. In 2000, Master Hongyang, the abbot of Qingyun Zen Temple in Da’ao, Guangdong, along with others, raised funds to renovate the temple once more.

Jiuhou Zen Temple faces south and is built along the mountain terrain. It is a double-eaved, hanging-roof structure composed of a gate tower, courtyard, worship pavilion, main hall, east wing, and west wing. The main hall is 19 meters deep and 9.5 meters wide, with an area of 180.5 square meters. On both sides of the main hall are corridors 3.5 meters wide, leading to the east and west wings, each consisting of one central room and two side rooms. The east wing is 19 meters deep and 16 meters wide, making the total area including the main hall approximately 660 square meters.

The temple gate originally bore a couplet: “How many such famous mountains exist? True travelers find no crowd too large.” In recent renovations, it was changed to: “Famous scenic mountains are naturally elegant and exquisite; ancient temples and historic sites are grand and magnificent.”

Above the gate tower hangs a plaque inscribed with the words “Abode of Purified Hearts” by Huang Daozhou, a Neo-Confucian scholar of the Ming Dynasty. The gate tower features a pavilion called “Sea-Viewing Platform,” where visitors can gaze into the distance on clear days to see the rising clouds and faint outlines of sails in Zhao’an Bay.

Above the main hall, there is a horizontal plaque inscribed with the words “Traces of India” written by Shen Qijin, a scholar from the county who passed the imperial examination in the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty. The main hall enshrines Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and Bhaisajyaguru Buddha at its center. On either side are Manjushri and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas, with Skanda and Dhṛtarāṣṭra standing guard. The Eighteen Arhats on both sides display diverse expressions and lifelike appearances. At the center of the incense table stands a dragon plaque from the late Ming Dynasty inscribed with “Paying Tribute to the Imperial Grace of Emperor Wanli,” along with an ancient incense burner cast during the Song Dynasty.

The door of the west wing bears a plaque inscribed with the characters “West Wing” by the renowned Song Dynasty Confucian Zhu Xi, using his pseudonym Huifu. A couplet reads: “Autumn hues tint the western mist and rosy clouds, a delightful scene; chanting scriptures in the wing fills the hall with spring breeze.” The halls inside both wings enshrine an image of Sizi, the “patriarch” of Jiuhou (Sizi, a ninth-generation monk from Mount Wutai during the Chunyou era of the Song Dynasty), accompanied by a couplet: “In the Southern Song Dynasty, Sizi built this great temple; a revered monk received the alms bowl and took refuge in Jiuhou Mountain.”

The door of the east wing features a plaque inscribed with “The Mountain Has Its Master,” and a couplet that reads: “A white horse carried scriptures to the Buddha realm; purple clouds flew with the monk’s staff to Jiuhou Mountain.” The inner hall enshrines another patriarch of Jiuhou.

Within the temple courtyard, there is a stone-built liberation pond dating back to the tenth year of the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty (1140), along with steles from the fifth year of the Chunyou era of the Song Dynasty (1205) and the sixty-first year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1722).

The inscription on the stele from the fifth year of the Chunyou era of the Song Dynasty (1205) reads: “In the year of Yisi, the fifth year of Chunyou, the mountain was reopened by monks Sizi and Sijin, along with Youping, Chongci, Lihai, Chongshi, Zhichong who supervised the construction. Recorded by Zuchen.”

The stele from the sixty-first year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1722) is inscribed with the “Jiuhou Rock Guide Transmission,” which contains allegories about the principles of heaven, humanity, fate, and character. It was composed and engraved by Huang Chang, styled Daisou from Hanyang in Chu’bei, on the day before the Winter Solstice in the year of Renyin during the year of Yimao. The inscription states: “To the north of Zhao’an County lies the scenic Jiuhou Rock of Mount Wu. From afar, its landscape resembles five stars converging and nine luminaries shining together; up close, its ancient relics feature layered emerald peaks and towering rocks, truly a grand natural spectacle. When asking local elders, opinions vary, and none have concrete evidence regarding the true origin of the name ‘Jiuhou Rock.’ I have studied the Book of Changes and delved into the strokes, sounds, and meanings of characters. According to my interpretation, the three characters ‘Jiuhou Rock’ correspond to the northwest corner, the Qi position, where the fire of the room star and the moon shine together. As the poem says: ‘The lord resides within your room.’ The room here refers to the position of the pig in the palace of the heavenly stem, where yin reaches its extreme and yang is revived—thus the noble person remains diligent all day. The classics say: ‘The winter solstice can be awaited while seated.’ The sacred texts all subtly convey the vitality of yang returning after winter solstice—this is the valley where we establish our nature and destiny...”

The temple also houses two ancient bells—one from the Ming Dynasty and one from the Qing Dynasty. The Ming bell is engraved with inscriptions listing the names of monks who contributed to its casting, reading: “Winter of the fifth year of the Chenghua era of the Great Ming, the good month of Yiyou, recorded by craftsman Xu.” The Qing bell is inscribed with: “The Jiuhou Zen Temple was reopened by monk Sizai, who initiated its reconstruction. Auspicious day of the La month in the year of Renwu during the Qianlong era.”

Hunei Village: Located at the foot of Jiuhou Mountain in Jinxing Township, Hunei Village has 1,136 households, a total population of 4,262, and 90 Party members. The village covers 3,800 mu of arable land. Its economy mainly revolves around fruit cultivation, vegetable farming, cash crop production, and migrant work. In recent years, with strong support from the township Party committee and government, the entire village has united to comprehensively advance the construction of a new socialist countryside.

The village’s two committees fully implement the Party’s various policies and guidelines for rural areas, adhering to the principle of “promoting both material and spiritual progress, with neither neglected.” They have included the creation of a civilized village and town in their overall work plan, alongside economic development... More details about Hunei Village ++