Yue’ai Temple

Yue’ai Temple

Yue’ai Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Yue’ai Temple is one of the more ancient temple ruins in China. It was originally built during the Dading Xin Chou year of the Northern Zhou Dynasty (585 AD). With a history of over 1,400 years, it is situated nine kilometers northeast of Handan in Xishang Village, Shangbi Town, Handan County, covering an area of 6,000 square meters, with over 70 acres of farmland located to the north of the village. Legend has it that the temple was named after its founding abbot, whose Dharma name was “Yue’ai.” According to inscriptions, after the first abbot, Master Yue’ai, the temple was presided over by Master Shang Miao Qiqi in the 13th year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty. Before liberation, the abbot was Master Shang Guo Yuan. By 1990, Master Shang An Jiang had taken on the role, and the current abbot is Master Shang De Zhen. Historical records from the *Handan County Annals* state that in 627 AD, Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty stopped in Handan during his military campaign against Dou Jiande’s forces at Guangfu in Yongnian. He stationed troops here and personally inscribed a stele to commemorate the visit. However, due to wars and turmoil throughout the dynasties, this stele has long been lost. The *Famous Scenic Spots of China* series notes that in 742 AD, during the Tang Dynasty, the poet Li Bai, while en route to Mount Jiuhua upon invitation by the magistrate of Anhui, Wei Zhongkan, visited Yue’ai Temple in Handan after hearing of its fame and composed a poem: “The temple horse carries scriptures from afar, / Originally journeying from the land of Buddha. / Yue’ai Hall stands vividly radiant, / Its splendor rivaling that of Mount Wutai.”

With the passage of time, the temple experienced repeated periods of prosperity and decline. The ancient shrine endured many hardships, falling into disrepair and becoming desolate. With few worshippers and no monks in residence, the halls were reduced to rubble, and the Buddha statues disappeared. After liberation, the site was occupied by a supply and marketing cooperative for over forty years, and all the halls were converted into simple bungalows. It wasn’t until after the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1978, under the guidance of the national religious policy, that devout followers, eager to embrace Buddhism and study the Dharma, found new hope. Responding to the community's wishes, local government authorities invited Master Zhen from the Berlin Buddhist Temple in Zhaozhou to come to Handan’s Yue’ai Temple, where he and Master An Jiang worked together to rebuild the temple.

Since 1990, Master De Zhen has led disciples in diligent practice day and night, spreading the Dharma and benefiting the local community. During the reconstruction of Yue’ai Temple, he followed the example of Master Yuantong’s “pure water meal” practice, finding joy amid hardship, awakening compassion, and practicing non-attached giving in harmony with the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The devotees were soon deeply moved. As a result, villagers from nearby areas—men and women, young and old, from children as young as ten to elders in their eighties—all eagerly came forward to help. Those who could contributed money, and those who couldn’t offered labor, transporting bricks and materials in a spirited scene that was truly touching.

After several seasons and great effort, Yue’ai Temple began to take shape. Successively, the Mountain Gate Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Sangharama Hall, Patriarch Hall, Mahavira Hall, and Vairocana Hall were constructed. The layout is well arranged, complementing each other beautifully, forming a rather majestic sight. There is a bell tower to the east and a drum tower to the west, seven Buddha stupas in the front, and a scripture depository in the back, symbolizing the enduring presence of the Dharma. Later, east and west monk quarters and a dining hall were also added.

In 2000, the temple acquired an additional 1,600 square meters of residential land in the western courtyard and built a 23-meter-tall

Lotus Pool Assembly Pagoda, intended for enshrining the relics of monks.

In 2001, a Dizangwang Hall and Western Trinity Hall with architectural features of the Ming and Qing Dynasties were constructed in the western courtyard. The temple houses white marble statues such as the Vairocana Buddha, Sakyamuni Buddha, and Maitreya Bodhisattva, as well as copper statues of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, Amitabha Buddha, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva. There are also “Avatamsaka Trinity” statues carved from Burmese jade.

In 1987, Yue’ai Temple was designated as an open temple by the People’s Government of Hebei Province. In October 1998, after the completion of the scripture depository, the Xingtai Buddhist Association donated a set of the *Qianlong Tripitaka*, consisting of 168 volumes. This monumental Buddhist text became a treasured centerpiece of Yue’ai Temple. In August 1999, the temple was listed by the Buddhist Association of China as one of the nation’s hundred key temples and was included in the large-format pictorial *Two Thousand Years of Chinese Buddhism*. The association’s president, Venerable Zhao Puchu, personally inscribed the publication, which was launched at a ceremony held in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Master De Zhen and two others were invited to attend the release event. The pictorial, now housed in the scripture depository, measures 65 cm in length, 49 cm in width, and weighs 54 kg. Its rich content and exquisite production are considered a marvel in the world.

Today, Yue’ai Temple is like a withered tree welcoming spring, embracing the world with a brand-new spirit.