The Towers of Chan Master Chengguang and Chan Master Zhenshu

The Towers of Chan Master Chengguang and Chan Master Zhenshu

The Towers of Chan Master Chengguang and Chan Master Zhenshu are National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units.

Era: Tang Dynasty

Type: Stone Pagoda, Ancient Tomb, and Stone Carving

Address: Yangqi Administrative Village, Shangli Town, Shangli County, Pingxiang City, Jiangxi Province

Introduction: The Tower of Chan Master Chengguang and its inscribed stele were erected in the second year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty (807 AD), located in Yangqi Administrative Village, Shangli Town. Chan Master Chengguang was a renowned monk of the Tang Dynasty, originally from Rongzhou (present-day Rongxian, Guangxi), with the surname Zhang. He became a monk at the age of 13, first going to Hengyang and studying under Tianzhu Xianggong. At 30, he went to Luoyang to receive teachings from Heze Huigong. Later, he came to Yangqi Mountain in Pingxiang to preach and founded the "Guangli Chan Temple." In the 14th year of the Zhenyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (798 AD), after Chan Master Chengguang passed away, Chan Master Zhenshu took over as abbot and built a stone stupa for his relics on the right side of the Guangli Temple, which has been preserved to this day. The stupa imitates the architectural style of ancient wooden structures. It stands 2.73 meters tall, has a two-tiered base, and features relief carvings of Buddhas, guardian warriors, mythical beasts, etc., on all four sides. The eaves are thick and extend widely. In front of the stupa is an inscribed stele written in the second year of the Yuanhe era (807 AD) by the famous literary figure Liu Yuxi in honor of Chan Master Chengguang. During the Qing Dynasty's Qianlong era, the left stupa was restored. In the year Bingxu of the Daoguang era (1826 AD), the stele was knocked down by a mountain flood and later moved into the temple. The following year, the stele base was embedded into the wall on the right side of the temple’s main facade. The stele is 2.8 meters tall and 6.9 meters wide, with 25 lines of text, each containing 54 characters. The top of the stele is round with carved dragon designs, and in the center are two seal-script lines reading “Stele Inscription of Chan Master Chengguang.” Below the stele is a turtle-shaped pedestal, both the turtle and the stele being carved from granite. The stone itself is bluestone, and together with the stupa, it was listed as a provincial-level key cultural relic protection unit.

The Tower of Chan Master Zhenshu and its inscribed stele were erected in the first year of the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty (832 AD), located in Yangqi Village, Shangli Town.

Chan Master Zhenshu was a leading figure in Tang Dynasty Buddhism. He preached on Yangqi Mountain for over forty years and served as the second abbot of the Guangli Chan Temple.

On the thirteenth day of the first month of the fifteenth year of the Yuanhe era (820 AD), he entered nirvana and was cremated, yielding seven hundred relics. A stupa was built at the foot of the eastern peak. Records of Chan Master Zhenshu can also be found in various county and prefectural gazetteers through the ages.

The reliquary stupa of Chan Master Zhenshu is also known as the “Oil and Salt Stupa” (or “Secluded Leisure Stupa”). The stupa, now partially surviving, is 1.78 meters tall and 0.88 meters wide, shaped like a square pavilion. To the left of the stupa was originally a stele erected in the sixth year of the Dazhong era (832 AD), written by Monk Zhi Xian and calligraphed by Yuan You, titled “The Stele Inscription and Preface of the Late Chan Master Zhenshu of Yangqi Mountain, Pingxiang, Rongzhou, Great Tang,” with the title engraved in seal script by Wang Zhougu of Langya. Later, due to long-term neglect, it fell over in a field and was moved into the temple in the winter of the year Dingyou of the Daoguang era (1837 AD), then embedded into the wall on the left side of the temple’s main facade.

This inscribed stele, including the top and turtle pedestal, is 2.83 meters tall and 0.95 meters wide. The pedestal is a large stone turtle, similar in shape to that of the Chengguang stele. The top also features carved dragon patterns, with a central line of seal script reading “Stele Inscription of Chan Master Zhenshu.” This stele and the stupa were both listed as provincial-level key cultural relic protection units.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units