Qingzhi Temple

Qingzhi Temple

Qingzhi Temple is a cultural heritage site protected by Lianjiang County.

It is said that Qingzhi Temple was originally built during the Tang Dynasty at Baxian Rock.

In the 40th year of the Wanli era (1612 AD), Dong Yingju, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works, retired to his hometown and invested his entire fortune in developing the landscape of Qingzhi Mountain, relocating the temple to its current site.

In the 44th year of the Wanli era (1616 AD), Ye Xianggao resigned from his position as Chief Grand Secretary for the first time and returned to his hometown. Together with his friend Wu Xu, they visited Dong Yingju but did not find him, so they composed two poems, which were later engraved on the cliff wall of Guanxian Cave.

In the 13th year of the Guangxu era of the Qing Dynasty (1887 AD), Monk Xingfu expanded the temple by adding the Great Buddha’s Hall (also known as the Rear Hall).

In the 8th year of the Republic of China (1919 AD), notable local figures from Guantou including Lin Huanzhang, Chen Yanchao, and Wu E, along with members of their literary society, built a memorial structure on Qingzhi Mountain to honor Dong Yingju. They named it “Meihua Lou” (Plum Blossom Tower) after the residence where Dong spent his later years, and planted plum trees around it. The place became a gathering spot for literati and notable figures in the Fuzhou area.

In the 12th year of the Republic of China (1923 AD), Lin Sen was forced to resign from his position as Governor of Fujian Province and went into seclusion at Xiaoyu Cottage on Qingzhi Mountain. During this time, he maintained close contact with Juefei, the abbot of Qingzhi Temple.

In the 19th year of the Republic of China (1930 AD), the Mahavira Hall of Qingzhi Temple was destroyed by a fire. Notable locals from Guantou, Lin Huanzhang and Chen Yanchao, informed Lin Sen via telegram. Lin Sen then raised funds in Nanjing for the reconstruction of the Mahavira Hall, which were sent back to Qingzhi. The Buddha statues in the Mahavira Hall, as well as the statues of Kṣitigarbha and Maudgalyāyana in the Great Buddha’s Hall, were all carved from sandalwood by artisans hired by Lin Sen in Nanjing. These statues were transported directly to Guantou by a warship dispatched by the Navy Department, then carried to Qingzhi Temple for gilding and installation.

Qingzhi Temple is the centerpiece of the Qingzhi Mountain Scenic Area and has maintained a bustling flow of worshippers since the 1970s.

After the 1990s, Qingzhi Temple began continuous expansion.

The structure of Qingzhi Temple features a blend of Chinese and Western architectural styles, with a Western-style exterior and traditional Chinese interior. The temple complex consists of two main sections: the front hall, Mahavira Hall, and the rear hall, Great Buddha’s Hall.

The gate wall is built with blue bricks and has two levels. The lower level features a central entrance, with steps and drum stones; the upper level contains four rectangular windows, topped with brick moldings suggestive of bracket sets, above which is a British-style parapet.

Upon entering, there is a courtyard surrounded by a two-story veranda. The front features the Mahavira Hall, which is three bays wide, with stone pillars and a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. On the first pair of columns in the hall is a couplet inscribed by Lin Sen: “The front hall radiates auspicious light, reminiscent of the white horse carrying scriptures, spreading teachings that reached across millennia; this sacred mountain hosts a Dharma assembly, inviting Qingzhi to offer auspicious signs, drawing all deities from the hundred caves to devotion.”

Behind the Mahavira Hall is the Great Buddha’s Hall, a three-bay structure with a single-eave flush-gable roof and fire walls on both sides. Nearby, there are cliff inscriptions such as “Emerald Valley,” “Gradually Entering a Fine Scene,” and “Qingzhi Horse Stance.”

Beside the temple is the Meihua Lou (Plum Blossom Tower), a two-story wooden structure.

Guantou Town: Located on the north bank of the Min River estuary in Lianjiang County, it borders the Mawei Development Zone to the west, faces the Langqi Economic Development Zone across the Min River estuary to the south, and leans against Lianjiang County seat to the north. The Shenhai Expressway has an interchange in the town. Covering a total area of 64 square kilometers, the town governs 28 villages (communities) with a population of 58,300. It is a national pilot town for small-town construction, one of Fuzhou’s 20 thriving commercial towns, a designated port and trading point for Taiwan-related vessels and commerce, as well as an economic powerhouse and a famous hometown of overseas Chinese in Lianjiang County.

In 2003, the total output value of industry and agriculture reached 1.076 billion yuan, an increase of 21.5% over the previous year; among which... More details about Guantou Town ++