Xiyang Guangyuan Temple

Xiyang Guangyuan Temple

Xiyang Guangyuan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Xiyang Guangyuan Temple is located 48 kilometers south of Huichang County. Towering and uniquely shaped peaks rise abruptly from the ground, surrounded by clear flowing waters. Nestled amidst the mountains and waters stands a massive rock, majestic and imposing, resembling a Buddhist arhat — its grand head upright, broad shoulders sturdy, sitting cross-legged facing south. Its navel indents inward to form a large cave over four thousand square meters wide. The temple within this cave is Guangyuan Temple. In the distance, to the left stands the Ziyun Peak shrouded in rosy clouds, and to the right, the Phoenix Summit resembling a spreading wild goose in screen-like formation. Nearby, peaks are layered in emerald green, and oddly shaped rocks take fantastic forms — lions, tigers, turtles, snakes, bells, drums, candlesticks, and bamboo shoots — all appearing as if naturally carved with exquisite craftsmanship, lifelike in both form and spirit.

As early as over a thousand years ago, hermits built huts and practiced Taoism between the two rocks. In the late Ming Dynasty, Monk Yao from Meishan came to Xiyang, established the temple, and gathered over a hundred monks. On the peak of the back mountain, a Guanyin Hall was constructed where more than seventy bhikkhunis engaged in secluded practice. To this day, the foundation walls remain, and broken stone tablets can still be found.

Over the centuries, Guangyuan Temple endured numerous hardships and disasters. By the time the master arrived, it had been abandoned for many years — covered in rubble, waist-high weeds, with only one hall remaining, its walls cracked and pillars tilted. The master lived in dilapidated rooms, slept on straw, lacked oil and salt, and often faced food shortages. Due to the region’s economic backwardness, local people did not understand monastics and would often point fingers when they saw the master. Undeterred by the challenges, the master quarried stones, carried soil, grew vegetables and grains, combining farming with spiritual practice to secure sustenance. The master also generously shared the Dharma, organizing study sessions and meditation retreats year after year, giving spontaneous teachings as opportunities arose, treating and providing medicine for the elderly in nursing homes, giving money and goods, and encouraging the recitation of the Buddha’s name.

When Master Changyin first arrived at Guangyuan Temple, he carefully observed the mountain and temple, surveying the surroundings, and couldn’t help but exclaim, “What a sacred and auspicious place, a blessed land hidden within a cave heaven!” He immediately made a vow to take root here, practice on Xiyang, revive the temple, and dedicate his life to the mission. Master Changyin inserted grass to mark his aspiration, sought alms far and wide, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to rebuilding the temple.

In 1997, Master Changyin constructed simple monk dormitories, a guest hall, dining hall, and a meditation retreat room. In 2002, the Mahavira Hall was completed. Today, Master Changyin is also making preparations to build a bell and drum tower, the Heavenly King Hall, Patriarch Hall, chanting hall, elderly study center, and the back mountain Guanyin Hall.

Master Changyin practices diligently and has gained widespread renown. The number of local devotees has grown steadily, and followers from cities and counties across Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and even as far as Canada have come to pay homage, take refuge, receive teachings, and support the Dharma. For 16 years, Master Changyin has devoted himself to the Dharma, never failing his original vow.

Currently, Master Changyin serves as the abbot of Xiyang Guangyuan Temple in Huichang County, Jiangxi Province, and the abbot of Muni Hermitage on Jiuhua Mountain in Yunnan Province.