Xianyou Longhua Temple

Xianyou Longhua Temple

Xianyou Longhua Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Also known as Wanshou Chan Temple, Longhua Temple is located in Dengta Village, Longhua Town, Xianyou County, about 4 kilometers from the county seat. The Longhua Twin Pagodas stand on both sides in front of the temple. It has a history of over 890 years, nearly a century older than the East and West Pagodas of Quanzhou Kaiyuan Temple. Int

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Longhua Temple was first built in the third year of the Chuigong era of the Tang Dynasty (687 AD). In the early Dazhong era of Emperor Xuanzong (847 AD), it was bestowed the name “Longhua Wanshou Chan Temple.” During the Tian Sheng period of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Renzong summoned the monk Xuejing from Longhua Temple to the capital to preach. After returning to the temple, he expanded its architectural scale.

From the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty to the Zhi Shun era of the Yuan Dynasty, Longhua Temple was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. By the Yuanshen era of the Yuan Dynasty, it had become the largest Buddhist monastery in Xianyou County, overseeing 11 temples and 77 nunneries. At that time, there were approximately one thousand monks and nuns across the county, with nearly five hundred residing at Longhua Temple.

From the late Yuan Dynasty through the Ming and Qing dynasties, Longhua Temple experienced four cycles of prosperity and decline. Especially in the 43rd year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, when Japanese pirates invaded, the temple was ruined, monks scattered, and the site fell into desolation. It was rebuilt again during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty and the Shunzhi and Kangxi eras of the Qing Dynasty. By the end of the Republican era, Longhua Temple had once more fallen into disrepair.

From the late 1980s to the early 1990s (1988–1992), overseas Chinese monk Shi Guangjing donated 550,000 yuan to rebuild Longhua Temple. It has now been completely renovated and serves as the headquarters of the Xianyou County Buddhist Association.