Putian Guanghua Temple (former site of the Independent Battalion of the 80th Division, National Revolutionary Army)

Putian Guanghua Temple (former site of the Independent Battalion of the 80th Division, National Revolutionary Army)

Putian Guanghua Temple (former site of the Independent Battalion of the 80th Division, National Revolutionary Army) is a cultural heritage site protected at the provincial level in Fujian Province.

Originally named Jinxian Monastery, Guanghua Temple was renamed Jinxian Temple in the ninth year of the Kaihuang era during the Sui Dynasty. With a history of over 1,430 years, it is a renowned ancient temple. The temple currently covers an area of more than 32,000 square meters, with a built-up area of 16,000 square meters and a stone wall perimeter of one kilometer. The central axis running through the main structures is 385 meters long, featuring a rigorous structure, balanced layout, and grand scale. The main buildings along the central axis rise gradually from an elevation of 25 meters to 63 meters, consisting of the Mountain Gate, Liberation Pond, Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Dharma Hall (above which is the Scripture Repository), Ancestral Hall (above which is the Reclining Buddha Hall), among others. On both sides are spacious corridors with a hundred pillars. Starting from either side of the Reclining Buddha Hall, the left wing includes, in sequence, the Merit Hall, Stream Sound Pavilion, Water Cloud Abode, Guest Reception Hall, Sangharama Hall, Five Contemplations Hall (above which is the storeroom, and behind it the Incense Kitchen), and the Bell Tower; the right wing includes, in sequence, the Prajna Hall, Mountain-Viewing Tower, Misty Grotto, Purification Hall, Patriarch Hall, Precepts Study Hall, and the Drum Tower. A newly built Guanyin Hall is situated at the upper left, housing an 8-meter-tall statue of Guanyin; at the upper right is the newly built Little Southern Mountain Kṣitigarbha Hall. Four halls dedicated to the Five Hundred Arhats have been constructed on both sides of the Liberation Pond. The area is shaded by lush pines and cypresses, with mountain springs murmuring in the valleys, offering a serene and tranquil atmosphere. As visitors walk through, green vines brush against their clothes, creating a uniquely Zen-like experience. Legend has it that a thousand years ago, the surging waters of the East China Sea reached the foot of Southern Mountain, where drifting clouds and rosy clouds complemented the verdant pines and cypresses, forming an extraordinarily vivid scene. Hence, it is known as the scenic wonder “Pines and Cypresses on Southern Mountain.”

During its peak, Guanghua Temple governed 10 branch monasteries and 120 nunneries, with eaves and pillars crowded together, pavilions and halls rising layer upon layer, the mountain gate bustling like a marketplace, and worshippers coming in crowds. The Ming Dynasty scholar Huang Zhongzhao wrote in a poem: “A line of meditation rooms winds along the stream, / The clear chimes drift through the woods from afar. / One hundred and twenty temples on Lingyan, / How many towers and terraces are locked in the evening glow?” This verse depicts the flourishing scene of the Guanghua Temple on Southern Mountain at the time. Later, the temple experienced several cycles of prosperity and decline, and by the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty, only the Yuemountain Monastery and Pumen Nunnery remained. The main structures of Guanghua Temple preserved today were rebuilt in the sixteenth year of the Guangxu era (1890) following the original design. In the early 1980s, thanks to generous donations from overseas Chinese, the temple underwent large-scale renovation and expansion, restoring its ancient glory. During the Spring Festival of 1981, Zhao Puchu, then President of the Buddhist Association of China and a renowned calligrapher, visited Putian to inspect the restoration project of Guanghua Temple. He personally inscribed the eight powerful characters “Solemnize the Nation, Benefit Sentient Beings” and the plaque “Virtue Adorned in All Directions,” adding luster to the ancient temple.

In June 1937, following instructions from the Southern Fujian Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the CCP Central Fujian Working Committee unified and reorganized the Fujian-Central Workers’ and Peasants’ Guerrilla Forces into the First Column of the Seventh Route of the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese National Salvation Volunteer Army. Wu Debiao was appointed commander, Liu Tujun served as political commissar concurrently, Lei Guangxi and Wang Tiecheng as deputy commanders, and Yang Caiheng as chief of staff. After the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on July 7, the CCP Central Fujian Working Committee contacted local Kuomintang authorities through various channels, proposing negotiations for a united anti-Japanese front, which eventually received a response from the Kuomintang. After three rounds of negotiations, the two sides reached an agreement for joint resistance against Japan. In September, the Fujian Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army gathered in Ankou Village, Chishi (now Shangshuqiao), Zhuangbian, marching from the border areas of Putian, Xianyou, Fuqing, and Yongtai according to the agreement. Liu Tujun was responsible for political education, Wu Debiao for military training, and Weng Hongtang for cultural studies. After over a month of training, the Fujian Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army was ordered to descend the mountain for inspection. In October, Liu Tujun led his troops out of the mountains and arrived at the Jinting section, five li southwest of Putian urban area, to be organized by representatives of the 239th Brigade. The unit’s designation was changed to the Independent Battalion of the 80th Division, National Revolutionary Army (“Special Service Battalion of the 80th Division” after being forcibly renamed by the Kuomintang military following the “Quanzhou Incident”), with Liu Tujun and Yang Caiheng serving as battalion commander and deputy commander, respectively. The over 200-strong unit was divided into two companies: the first company, commanded by Lei Guangxi with political instructor Weng Hongtang, and the second company, commanded by Wu Debiao with political instructor Jin Guanyi. After organization, the troops were stationed at Guanghua Temple. During their stay, soldiers posted slogans, distributed leaflets, sent people to the urban area of Putian to promote resistance against Japan and encourage enlistment, carried out extensive anti-Japanese salvation propaganda, and expanded the army through military training. Due to the unit’s strict discipline and commitment to a comprehensive resistance strategy, it gained strong support from the public. Local youths eagerly joined the resistance forces, and the unit’s political influence grew daily, expanding to over 300 members. To this day, propaganda slogans can still be found inside the Sakyamuni Pagoda at Guanghua Temple.

The former site of the Independent Battalion of the 80th Division, National Revolutionary Army, is Guanghua Temple, which faces east and sits west. Originally a place where the three Zheng brothers, local scholars, lectured, it was donated by Zheng Lu in the second year of the Yongding era of the Chen Dynasty (558) as a residence for enshrining Buddhist statues, initially named Jinxian Hermitage. In the ninth year of the Kaihuang era of the Sui Dynasty (589), after the monk Wujie from Tiantai Mountain raised funds for expansion, it was renamed Jinxian Temple. In the first year of the Taiping Xingguo era of Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty (976), it was bestowed the name Guanghua Temple. The temple flourished during the Song and Ming Dynasties but declined somewhat after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. In February 1980, Putian County undertook a comprehensive restoration of the ancient temple according to its original appearance, completing the project in December 1984. The restored Guanghua Temple covers an area of 32,000 square meters, with a built-up area of 17,000 square meters. The entire temple complex rises naturally along the mountain slope. Along the east-facing westward central axis, in sequence, are the screen wall, memorial archway, Mountain Gate, Liberation Pond, Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Dharma Hall, Reclining Buddha Hall, spanning a total length of 385 meters. On the eastern side are, in order, the Eastern Arhat Hall, Bell Tower, Five Contemplations Hall, Sangharama Hall, Guest Reception Hall, Water Cloud Abode, Yuantong Gate, and Stream Sound Pavilion. On the western side are, in order, the Western Arhat Hall, Drum Tower, Precepts Study Hall, Patriarch Hall, Pure Practice Hall (Buddha Recitation Hall), Misty Grotto, Abbot’s Quarters, and Mountain-Viewing Tower. At the back of the temple, the Guanyin Hall and Little Southern Mountain stand opposite each other at the eastern and western corners. To the east of the temple is the Sakyamuni Pagoda, built in the first year of the Qiandao era of the Song Dynasty (1165). The pagoda, approximately 36 meters tall, is a five-story octagonal stone structure modeled after wooden pavilion-style architecture. In January 1988, it was designated as a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit by the State Council. In April 1986, Guanghua Temple was listed as a Provincial Cultural Heritage Site of Fujian Province by the Putian Municipal People’s Government.

Fenghuangshan Subdistrict: Fenghuangshan Subdistrict is located in the southwestern part of Chengxiang District, Putian City, Fujian Province. It covers a total area of 21.1 square kilometers and has a population of 37,532. The subdistrict administers 6 communities and 3 administrative villages.

[Code] 350302002: ~001 Nanmen Community ~002 Nanyuan Community ~003 Xiaotang Community ~004 Yuetang Community ~005 Xintang Community ~006 Longdejing Community ~201 Baiyang Village ~202 Zhukeng Village ~203 Linqiao Village

[History] Established as Chengjiao Commune of Putian County in 1963, in 1984... Detailed information about Fenghuangshan Subdistrict++