Ningdu Hailian Temple

Ningdu Hailian Temple

Ningdu Hailian Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Ningdu County’s Hailian Temple

Hailian Temple is located on Changgengmen, a bustling street in Ningdu County, Jiangxi Province. It was first built in 1296 during the second year of the Yuanshun era of the Yuan Dynasty, boasting a history of over 700 years. Originally named “Hailian Nunnery,” it was renamed “Hailian Temple” in 1937 during the Republic of China period. The original site covered a vast area, featuring the Lotus Patriarch, numerous solemn and majestic halls, embraced by streets and waterways with pleasant scenery. It was known for its beauty described as “blue waves surging beneath the zigzag bridge, and the fragrance of summer lotuses in the seven-treasure pond.” Through the vicissitudes of time and enduring many challenges, it has long been a must-visit place for foreign guests, pilgrims, and monks. It is a key Buddhist site in Ningdu County and one of China’s top 100 famous Buddhist temples.

Before and after the liberation, “Hailian Temple” served as the Buddhist center for eight counties under the Ningdu Administrative Region: Ningdu, Guangchang, Shicheng, Yudu, Ruijin, Huichang, Xunwu, and Xingguo. The temple’s Master Yueting served as the head. In 1937, Mr. Dai Jitao (also known as Ji’tao), then the head of a national department, gladly inscribed the temple’s name “Hailian Temple,” and the plaque remains to this day. Over the nearly 80 years following Master Yueting, the temple has been successively led by Masters Pulian, Ningxue, Haiyun, Zhangqin, Huirong, Zhenshou, Zhencang, Fasong, Yinci, Huiming, Yaohui, Zhenzhu, and Changmiao. The venerable Master Yinci, highly respected, once served as an executive director of the Buddhist Association of China, vice president of the provincial Buddhist association, and a member of the provincial political consultative conference.

With a long history and times of both prosperity and decline, the scenic “Hailian Temple” saw its grounds gradually eroded over generations, shrinking to just over an acre. During the particularly challenging Cultural Revolution, the temple suffered severe destruction and was repurposed as residential housing. Thanks to the efforts of the elderly nun Yin Zhu, who remained at the temple, the incense continued, the temple’s rights were preserved, and she endured a life of hardship. This enabled the temple to be reinstated and religious policies to be properly implemented in 1982. Later, Master Yinci donated all the funds she had saved from beekeeping in the countryside and her supplemented living expenses to carry out preliminary renovations on the dilapidated ancient temple.

Since 1993, Venerable Changmiao has taken on the responsibility as the presiding abbot. Facing a lack of funds, land disputes, public pressure, and the challenge of maintaining the ancient architectural style during reconstruction—which local construction teams were not equipped to handle—the temple, guided by the nation’s religious policies and with the support of county authorities, as well as the strong assistance of senior monks, eminent monastics, and people from all walks of life, has written a new chapter for “Hailian Temple.”

First, while organizing regular religious activities, our monastic and lay disciples firmly believed in the promising future of establishing the path and entrepreneurship. We worked diligently, practiced frugality, and sought support beyond the temple gates. By attracting investment, we carried out a comprehensive reconstruction of the rundown ancient temple. Over ten years, we secured over 3 million yuan in sponsorship from patriotic devotees in Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. We hired a Chinese classical garden architecture company for full-scale planning and design. We newly constructed a grand Mahavira Hall, Thousand Buddha Tower, Bell and Drum Towers, Three Saints Hall, Guanyin Hall, Chanting Hall, Dining Hall, Kitchen, Guest Hall, Reception Room, Monks’ Quarters, Dharma Item Distribution Center, and the Mountain Gate. This brought the ancient temple, which had endured so much, to a foundational scale. Additionally, we brought six jade Buddhas from Thailand, 1,106 bronze Buddha statues from Zhejiang, and a pair of luminous lamps from Fujian, enhancing the temple’s brilliance and restoring its former glory. What was once a 300-square-meter temple with less than 1 million yuan in assets has now grown into a 2,000-square-meter temple with over 10 million yuan in assets. On June 1, 2002, a grand consecration ceremony was held. The resplendent, solemn temple, filled with incense, resonating bells and drums, and chanting, shines brilliantly, adding a beautiful cultural landmark to Ningdu County and making significant contributions to the county’s three civilizations (material, political, and spiritual civilization). It has received widespread praise from all sectors of society.

Next, the reconstructed and renovated “Hailian Temple” faced new tasks: comprehensively advancing the development of the site itself, establishing a foundation of patriotism and love for Buddhism, ensuring normal activities, standardized management, and continuing to serve socialism and advance the three civilizations to make even greater contributions. Over the years, we have carried out the following work in accordance with creating a “Five-Good” site:

First, we adhere to democratic management, establish sound organizations, and have set up learning, discussion, financial, and safety management systems. We strictly follow these systems, practice democratic discussion and financial management, maintain transparent accounts, and accept supervision from devotees. This has helped us gain prestige and build a positive image among believers.

Second, we obey laws and regulations. All clergy love both the nation and Buddhism, implement the Party’s religious policies, and support the Communist Party and the socialist system. We do not receive devotees who violate discipline. Those among the fourfold assembly (monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen) who break the rules are ordered to leave the temple. Sermons and teachings promote healthy and civilized values.

Third, we maintain normal activities. We uphold regular religious practices, do not spread feudal superstitions, consciously resist cults, and guide believers to regularly and deeply expose and criticize the “Falun Gong” cult. This maintains the purity of our community.

Fourth, we serve society. Over the years, we have spread the traditions of loving the nation and Buddhism, dignifying the country, benefiting sentient beings, emphasizing ethics, engaging in charity, helping those in need, opposing violence, cherishing peace, and pursuing virtues such as avoiding all evil, practicing all good, purifying the mind, benefiting self and others, and cultivating compassion and generosity. Hailian Temple has donated over 5,000 yuan to assist the disabled, over 1,000 yuan for flood relief, and spent over 150,000 yuan to care for five orphaned children. Though our donations may be modest, our spirit of serving society is commendable.

Fifth, we emphasize environmental safety. The rebuilt Hailian Temple insists on daily cleaning and hygiene, spending tens of thousands of yuan on greening and beautifying the temple. We maintain the solemnity of the halls and the tidiness of the monks’ quarters, constantly guard against fire and theft, and inspect for potential hazards.

On December 26, 2003, the President of the Buddhist Association of China, Master Yicheng, personally inscribed a couplet for the temple. In recent years, the temple has been recognized as an advanced Dharma site by the city and county.

Although Hailian Temple has reached a foundational scale, it is still far from the size of the original temple or the standards of a fully developed monastic complex. To live up to the legacy of our predecessors, we aim to expand back to the original size or even beyond. Several years ago, we selected a piece of vacant land—50 acres in size and about 15 kilometers from the current site—that once housed a 600-year-old ancient temple (now in ruins). We plan to gradually construct a Mahavira Hall, Chanting Hall, Lecture Hall, Scripture Depository, Guanyin Hall, Dining Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, Longevity Promotion Hall, Merit Hall, Hailian Guesthouse, Guest Hall, Reception Room, Monks’ Quarters, and Mountain Gate. The total construction area will reach 40,000 square meters, with estimated funding needs exceeding 80 million yuan.

With boundless compassion to aid the world and an unyielding sense of responsibility, we have a long way to go. We are determined to uphold the glorious banner of patriotism and love for Buddhism, dignify the nation, benefit sentient beings, and make due contributions to building a harmonious socialist society.

As disciples of the Buddha, blessed to live in this prosperous era, we consciously seize this rare historical opportunity to fulfill our duties within Buddhism. We aim to expand the temple’s scale for three purposes: to cultivate the path, to practice meditation, and to benefit sentient beings. We inherit traditions, face the contemporary era, keep pace with the times, and remain committed to serving socialist society, ethnic unity, national unity, world peace, and human happiness—offering our own light and warmth.