Dongshan Zhengjue Temple

Dongshan Zhengjue Temple

Dongshan Zhengjue Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Ganzhou’s Dongshan Zhengjue Temple is located in the valley of Dongshan Mountain outside the county town, about 300 meters from National Highway 323 and approximately 100 meters from Mudan Pavilion Park. The mountain offers beautiful landscapes with verdant foliage and a serene ambiance. From atop the mountain, visitors can admire the view of two towns embracing each other like a set of matched jade, bridges locking the riverbanks like a rainbow, a sight praised as “Dongshan Soaring Green,” one of the Ten Scenic Spots of Nanan. The resonant morning and evening bells drift melodiously across the Zhang River and echo above the two towns. Visiting the temple to pray not only soothes the soul but also offers a bird’s-eye view of the ancient town’s beauty, making it the best viewing spot in the county.

Originally named Zhengjue Temple, Zhenjue Temple was first built during the Song Dynasty, renovated during the Yuan Dynasty’s Taiding era (1324–1328), and expanded in the early Ming Dynasty’s Yongle period (1403–1405). It flourished during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the early Republican period, only the Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Hall, and a Buddhist pagoda remained, and the temple was renamed Xianweng An and converted into a nunnery. The site preserves Ming Dynasty stone carvings, statues of Vajra Bodhisattva, and Qing Dynasty stone inscriptions.

After 1988, Buddhist devotees spontaneously built simple halls on the original temple site in the valley for monastic and worship activities, and the number of worshippers gradually increased. In 1993, monks Zhenzheng and Jizhong raised funds to restore the halls and revive Buddhist practices. By the end of 1994, the Yuantong Treasure Hall was completed along with four monk quarters. In March 1996, the Mahavira Hall was built and opened to devotees. Later additions included the Heavenly King Hall, Patriarch Hall, Sixth Patriarch Hall, an outdoor giant Buddha statue, and a liberation pond.

The current Zhenjue Temple faces west and covers an area of 4,500 square meters, with a construction area of 1,200 square meters. It is built along the mountain slope, which has an approximate gradient of 45 degrees and extends about 100 meters in depth. The temple complex consists of two main halls and four monk quarters. The path up to the temple is made of brick steps coated with cement, beside which a spring flows year-round, its water cool and sweet. At the center of the temple entrance stands a five-tiered pagoda-shaped treasure tripod, 4.5 meters high, 1.1 meters in diameter, and weighing 1.5 tons. To the left front of the tripod is a small hall enshrining a stone-carved Vajra Bodhisattva. Behind it is the Yuantong Treasure Hall, beneath the left eave of which hangs a bell and beneath the right eave a drum. At the center in front of the hall is a three-tiered iron incense burner, 2.5 meters high and 1 meter in diameter. The Yuantong Treasure Hall has two levels: the upper level has three rooms, with the scripture depository in the center and storage rooms on both sides; the lower level is the main hall, enshrining a 4.2-meter-tall statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, flanked by the Boy with Wealth and the Dragon Girl. The Buddha pedestal is 1.04 meters high, 3.15 meters long, and 1 meter wide, intricately carved with ornaments. The hall contains four 4.2-meter-tall red pillars, and the side walls are fitted with nine-grade lotus lamps and longevity lamps totaling 81 in number. The upper part of the hall door features red lattice windows, and above the lintel hangs a plaque inscribed with “Yuantong Treasure Hall,” written by lay devotee Zhao Dajin. The hall is a brick-concrete structure, 11.5 meters deep, 14.5 meters wide, 15 meters high, and covering an area of 170 square meters. The roof is covered with brown glazed tiles, featuring a single-eave winged corner design, with symmetrical dragon-and-pearl ornaments on the roof ridges.