Jinxiang Temple

Jinxiang Temple

Jinxiang Temple

Jinxiang Temple was first built during the Sui Dynasty and was originally named “Qizhen Temple.” In the second year of the Kaiping era of the Later Liang Dynasty of the Five Dynasties (i.e., 908 AD), the monk Rumo rebuilt the temple. It is said that because there was a phenomenon of “exotic orchid fragrance on the mountain,” the name of the temple was changed to “Jinxiang Temple.” Located on Lingshou Mountain in the southwestern part of Shishi City, Jinxiang Temple sits atop a mountain with an elevation of only 174 meters. Though not particularly high or steep, the mountain features undulating ridges, rolling hills, lush forests, and rugged rocks. Together with Ling Mountain in the eastern part of Quanzhou City and Lingyuan Mountain in Anhai, Jinjiang, it forms a triad of sacred peaks, and thus is referred to as one of the “Three Spirits of Quanzhou.” At the mountain gate stands a stone memorial archway inscribed with the word “Kongmen” (Void Gate), and there is a couplet on the pillars that reads: “Why sweep a pure land? Why close a void gate?” These words carry Zen meaning and can make one feel transcendent upon seeing them.

After the Buddha founded Buddhism, later generations developed different interpretations of Buddhist scriptures, leading to the emergence of various sects within Buddhism such as Pure Land Buddhism, Huayan Buddhism, Vinaya Buddhism, and Chan (Zen) Buddhism. Pure Land Buddhism emphasizes karma and reincarnation. According to its perspective, Jinxiang Temple has already undergone four cycles of rebirth since its founding. It is recorded in the *Jinjiang County Annals* from the Daoguang era that Jinxiang Temple was first built during the Sui Dynasty, and in the second year of the Kaiping era of the Later Liang Dynasty (i.e., 908 AD), Monk Rumo undertook a reconstruction. Its original name was Qizhen Temple. The *Longqing Prefecture Annals* state: “On Lingshou Mountain, there is a small rock cave where in the past people built a hermitage nearby. When the ocean tide came, the stones became moist, and when it receded, the stones dried—thus it was called the Sea Tide Hermitage”; (underscore typed as subtitle) The *Min Book* also records: “The mountain once had an Empty Phase Monastery.” From this, we know that Jinxiang Temple was originally named Qizhen Temple, was once renamed to Haichao Hermitage, and then again to Kongxiang Monastery. Thereafter, Kongxiang Monastery was destroyed and rebuilt many times. By the 1920s, after Monk Zhuobo renovated it once more, it was renamed Jinxiang Temple, a name that has been used ever since.