Dalian Mountain Fushou Temple

Dalian Mountain Fushou Temple

Dalian Mountain Fushou Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Tonggu County.

Located in Sandu Village, Sandu Town, Tonggu County, Jiangxi Province, it is 14 kilometers from the county seat.

Dalian Mountain Fushou Temple sits atop Dalian Mountain in the northeast corner of Sandu Town, surrounded by overlapping peaks resembling a nine-grade lotus flower, with the temple built on the “lotus.” It lies 3 kilometers from Sandu Township and was first built during the Tang Dynasty's Tianbao era, with a history of over 1,200 years.

According to the Taiwan Ming Dynasty edition of the Yiningzhou Annals, in the fourth year of the Tang Dynasty's Dali era (769 AD), a Buddhist practice site was established at Kaiyuan Temple in Zhongling (now Youwumin Temple in Nanchang), known as the Buddha Selection Field. Dao Yi once went to Longya in Wuxiang, Fenning, where he practiced meditation for four years—now called Ma Zu Cliff. He crossed the Xiushui River inlet, flying over on a reed, now referred to as Ma Zu Lake. This historical account confirms that between 766 and 779 AD, while establishing his practice site at Kaiyuan Temple, Ma Zu Dao Yi stayed at Longya in the 23rd district of Wuxiang, Fenning (now Longquan Ridge at Dalian Mountain, Sandu, Tonggu) from 769 to 773 AD. The mountain’s shape is winding, resembling a dragon’s head with scales, horns, whiskers—all present—and its momentum appears as if the mouth is open, hence now called Ma Zu Cliff. He practiced meditation here for four years. Additionally, according to surviving stupa forest inscriptions, Ma Zu once served as the abbot of Fushou Temple and is revered by later disciples as the 17th Patriarchal Master.

Due to wars, epidemics, and other reasons, Fushou Temple had been largely destroyed. At the end of the Kangxi reign, Lan Hanwen, the founding ancestor of the Tonglan clan from Tonggu who came from Tingzhou, Fujian, brought the Patron Deity Emperor Dingguang along to Dalian Mountain, where he was enshrined together with the Buddha of Fushou Temple. From the early days of the Cultural Revolution until 20 years later, incense offerings were discontinued. In 1986, devotees spontaneously raised funds to restore Fushou Temple. In May 2003, Master Chenyong’s direct disciple, Master Chunyuan, visited the ancestral Zen Master’s pagoda at Dalian Mountain Fushou Temple and was appointed as its abbot, continuing the legacy of the sacred Ma Zu meditation site.

Since ancient times, Dalian Mountain has been famed for its Buddha-faced presence and has elevated Buddhism through its mountain form. Its Danxia peaks, secluded canyon paths, ancient fortresses, practice site stupas, fragrant vines and rare flowers, and the celestial traces of Ma Zu Cliff make up the seven great wonders of Dalian Mountain.