Ruijin Dongchan An

Ruijin Dongchan An

Ganzhou Dongchan An

Dongchan An is located in the mountains 3,500 meters northeast of Bangkeng Village, Yunshi Mountain Township, oriented from northeast to southwest. It lies in a place “of overlapping ridges and verdant forests,” further graced by murmuring springs and chirping birds, thus presenting a serene and beautiful landscape that is truly “a world apart.” In the 16th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1596), a wandering monk named Yanzong from Chengxun “chanced upon Bangkeng, fell in love with its tranquil mountains and waters, and thus cleared the thorns, cut the thatch, built a hut, and settled there.” This is the origin of Dongchan An. In the winter of the 30th year of the Yongxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1670), to enshrine the remains of the founding monk Yanzong and his disciples, a common stupa (Putong Ta) was constructed to the right of the temple. Dongchan An adopted a fixed layout of a two-story building with two courtyards and five rooms (including the hall), built with brick and wood. Inside, there are four pairs of wooden pillars providing support, and six brick pillars under the eaves to hold up the corridor on the upper floor. The plaque above the main gate reads “Dongchan Ancient Temple.”

The main cultural relics within the temple include stone inscriptions and the common stupa (Putong Ta).