Fujian Jinjiang Fulin Temple

Fujian Jinjiang Fulin Temple

Fujian Jinjiang Fulin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Fulin Temple is located in the southeast of Tanlin Village, Longhu Town, Jinjiang City. Tanlin was formerly known as Fulin. According to the inscription on the "Fulin Relocating the Stream and Building Fulin Hall" stele: In the Jiayin year of the Tongzhi era (1864), work began to divert the stream outside the village. Beside the stream once stood Fulin Hall, which had fallen into ruins. It was rebuilt in the Bingyin year of Tongzhi (1866) and later renamed Fulin Temple.

The temple now covers an area of 3,026 square meters, with a construction area of 1,380 square meters. It consists of front and rear halls, wing rooms, gardens, and other facilities. The front hall is the Mahavira Hall, simple and solemn, enshrining the Three Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future in the center, with Guanyin and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattvas on the sides. The walls are painted with murals of the Eighteen Arhats. The rear hall, Zhiguan Tower, was originally a two-story building, constructed in 1932 by local benefactor Xu Jingli and founding abbot Master Zhuannban, with the ground floor housing the Thousand-Armed, Thousand-Eyed Guanyin, and the second floor enshrining Shakyamuni Buddha, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, and Manjushri Bodhisattva, along with a meditation room. After over sixty years of wear, the roof and beams were decaying, the walls peeling, and the structure at risk of collapse. In 1994, initiated by the village elders’ association, funds were raised from patrons at home and abroad to renovate and expand the building. The renovated structure is now three stories: the first and second floors continue to house various deities, while the third floor serves as a scripture depository, with a commemorative stele erected. The wing room to the right of the temple houses the Merit Hall and vegetarian dormitories, while the left side features the Cool Garden, filled with blooming flowers, trees, and fruit.

A babbling stream runs beside the temple. In the Guiyou year (1933), patriotic overseas Chinese Xu Jingpie funded the construction of an exquisite and elegant arched bridge over the stream, named “Filial Piety Bridge.” It has been repaired multiple times by his descendants and is commonly called the “Three-Generations Bridge.” To the left of the temple stands a flame tree, 12 meters tall with a trunk circumference of 2.6 meters, its branches stretching high, already over eighty years old. Founding abbot Master Zhuannban dug a “Life Release Pond” in front of the temple, where turtles, soft-shelled turtles, and carp are kept. White stone railings surround the pond, and several couplets are inscribed, such as “Releasing life leads not just to the lotus pond; rebirth returns all to the Buddha’s realm.” Locals built the “Hongyi Pavilion” in front of the temple in memory of Master Hongyi. Professor Zhu Yisa from Fujian Normal University specially composed a dedicatory couplet for the pavilion: “In saving lives, the autumn fruits ripen under the Buddha’s radiant light; in awakening to truth, spring blossoms fill the heart under the full moon.” In front of the temple lies a garden with green lilacs, blue spruces, towering firs, and willows with trailing branches. The garden also grows many rare plants. The temple, arched bridge, pavilion, and pond are nestled among flowers and fruit trees, creating an exceptionally serene and elegant atmosphere.

Fulin Temple has hosted many eminent monks: including Master Chuanguan, who later achieved remarkable accomplishments in the Philippines; and Master Miaolian, former abbot of Kaiyuan Temple, who resided here for a long time. Both masters also undertook a three-year retreat on the second floor of the rear hall. Master Qingyuan also came to the temple to meditate and sculpt Buddha statues. Master Hongyi, the great master of the Nanshan Vinaya School, stayed at the temple for three months in 1941, accompanied by Master Guangkong, who had previously donated substantial gold to support the underground Communist Party in Quanzhou. The renowned modern cartoonist Feng Zikai once visited the temple specifically to pay homage to Master Hongyi and painted his portrait.

The temple’s couplets are also very striking, with many personally composed by Master Hongyi. These couplets are either signed “Hongyi” or “Yiyin,” such as the plaque on the wing room door to the left of the temple, “Pure Land,” with the couplet: “Boundless blessedness is not only for humans and heavens; the establishment of the Tanlin is called the merit grove.” The plaque on the right garden gate reads “Cool Garden,” with the couplet: “Every merit and karmic connection is supremely wondrous; the flowers and trees in the garden flourish joyfully.” There are also: “The supreme wondrous land; the pure and cool garden,” and so on, a splendid array.

Address: Tanlin, Longhu Town, Jinjiang City, Fujian Province. This article is from the Xingtai Buddhist Network.

Fulin Village: Fulin Village is located in the western part of Longhu Town and includes two natural villages, Tanlin and Niancuibu, with a population of 2,657. During the Yuan and Ming dynasties, it belonged to the 17th and 18th districts of Jinjiang County. It was originally named “Chenlin” because the Chen clan was the first to settle in the mountain forests. It was also called Tanlin due to the abundance of tan trees. Later, after Master Hongyi resided in seclusion at Fulin Temple in the village, it was renamed Fulin Village after the temple. Most residents are surnamed Xu, followed by Chen. Niancuibu is entirely populated by the “Nian” clan, of Manchu ethnicity, the ancient Jurchen people. Their descendants have spread to Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, the Philippines, and elsewhere. … More details about Fulin Village++