Ganhua Temple in Gan County

Ganhua Temple in Gan County

Ganhua Temple in Gan County is a cultural tourism attraction.

Ganhua Temple is an ancient temple within a major Buddhist monastery complex, located in Dongshan Village on the northeastern border of Tiancun Town, Gan County, at the junction with Lishuxia Village, Yongfeng Township, Xingguo County. According to the *Gan County Annals*, during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, Master Mazu traveled to Gonggong Mountain to spread Zen Buddhism and became its founding patriarch. Successive generations of eminent monks preached and chanted scriptures here, making it a sacred Buddhist site in southern Jiangxi. The temple is nestled among surrounding mountains, offering a serene and elegant atmosphere with unique scenery. Today, three grand and solemn halls remain. The temple houses ten treasures: the Great Precious Light Pagoda, the Timber-Rising Well, the Ancient Tripod Hammer, the Thousand-People Cauldron, the Dragon Spring Well, the Millennium Apricot Tree, the Millennium Cypress Tree, the Millennium Pine Tree, the Square Bamboo, and the Enlightened Nun’s Lotus. Ganhua Temple holds significant importance in the history of Chinese Buddhism, as it was here that Master Mazu established a Buddhist monastery (commonly known as a Buddhist academy), freeing monks from a life of wandering and allowing Buddhism to flourish and take root in China. The temple’s Buddhist teachings have thus endured through the ages. Buddhism in Japan, Korea, and other Southeast Asian countries shares historical ties with Ganhua Temple, and Buddhist practitioners from these regions visit the temple annually.

Major Attractions

1. Timber-Rising Well. Legend has it that this well was drilled by Master Mazu and his disciples. The well is over thirty meters deep, with its bottom connected to the Gan River near Liangkou Market in Wan’an County. When Master Mazu built the Zen hall on Gonggong Mountain, timber would mysteriously rise from the well—one piece would be taken, and another would rise to replace it, continuing endlessly until the construction of the monastery was complete, with one piece left in the well. Hence, it came to be known as the Timber-Rising Well. In the 14th year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty (819 AD), Emperor Xianzong ordered the construction of a jade pagoda for Master Zhizang of the West Hall, and the well was subsequently covered by the jade pagoda.

2. Great Precious Light Pagoda, commonly known as the Jade Pagoda. Built by Emperor Xianzong of the Tang Dynasty in honor of Master Zhizang, who was posthumously conferred the title of Great Preacher and later, by Emperor Muzong, the title of Great Awakening. The pagoda is named the Great Precious Light. It enshrines a statue of Master Great Awakening. The jade pagoda was constructed atop the Timber-Rising Well and is considered the foremost of the temple’s ten scenic wonders, renowned as the "Famous Pagoda of Southern China." After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, on July 1, 1957, the Jiangxi Provincial People’s Government designated it as one of the first batch of key provincial cultural relics protection units and erected a marble stele from Yunnan. In 2006, the pagoda was approved by the State Council as a national key cultural relics protection unit.

3. Ancient Tripod Hammer. Standing three meters tall, with a diameter of 0.9 meters and a thickness of 13.3 centimeters, it weighs over 800 jin (approximately 400 kg). The surface of the bell is inscribed with seal script: "The Gonggong Mountain Monastery was built with land and mountain properties donated by Gonggong..." When struck with a palm tree, its loud and clear sound can be heard within a five-li (approximately 2.5 km) radius.

4. Thousand-People Cauldron. The cauldron has a rim diameter of 1.4 meters. Since Master Mazu came to Gonggong Mountain to preach, his teachings attracted large gatherings, with disciples and scholars flocking to the site. During grand assemblies, over a thousand people would convene, hence the name. The cauldron has endured much over the years, with its bottom long broken, and its rim once hung on the wall of the Great Awakening Hall until it was destroyed during the campaign to "Smash the Four Olds."

5. Dragon Spring Well. Legend has it that in the 8th year of the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty (854 AD), Monk Fagong of Gonggong Mountain dreamed of whispering to Guanyin and was blessed with divine water capable of healing countless people. Moved by this, a spiritual spring emerged from the mountain. Those suffering from illnesses who drank this water were cured, and tea brewed with its water tastes exceptionally fragrant and sweet. The spring has flowed continuously since the Tang Dynasty to the present day.

6. Millennium Apricot Tree. Also known as the ginkgo tree, commonly called the white fruit tree or grandfather-grandson tree. The tree stands 11 meters tall with a diameter of 1.3 meters. Its long-stalked leaves were historically used to protect books from insects, and its fruit has medicinal properties. Legend says it was planted after Master Mazu founded the monastery and is over 1,200 years old, yet it remains upright and vibrant.

7. Millennium Cypress Tree. Legend says it was planted after Master Mazu founded the monastery. The tree stands over 12 meters tall with a diameter of 1.5 meters and is over 1,200 years old, yet it remains full of life and youthful vigor.

8. Millennium Pine Tree. Said to have been planted by Deng YinFeng of Mount Wutai when he gathered with Master Mazu’s disciples on Gonggong Mountain. It is over 1,200 years old but unfortunately was destroyed during the mass deforestation campaign of 1985.

9. Square Bamboo. A unique type of bamboo with square-shaped stalks that can be used as walking sticks or even tobacco pipes without processing. Originally from Guilin, Guangxi, it is said to have been introduced to Gonggong Mountain by Pang Jushi of Xiangzhou during his time studying there. Extremely rare, it has remained lush for over a thousand years.

10. Enlightened Nun’s Lotus. The lotus is a perennial herbaceous plant, with flowers used for ornamental purposes and its fruit, the lotus seed, having medicinal value. The lotus has long been revered in Buddhism, with terms like lotus pond, Pure Land of the Lotus, Lotus Sect, Lotus Throne, Lotus Sutra, and Nine Lotus Patriarchs being common in Buddhist terminology. Legend says it was planted by the Enlightened Nun during her time studying under Masters Mazu and Zhizang on Gonggong Mountain.

Dongshan Village: Dongshan Village…… More information about Dongshan Village++