Kaishan Ancient Temple

Kaishan Ancient Temple

A millennium-old temple — Kaishan Ancient Temple

Located 2 kilometers west of the Yunshan Town government seat, behind Yunshan Middle School, Kaishan Ancient Temple was named after a high monk from the Western Regions who came here to "open the mountain" during the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty. Later, Zen Master Yuchan resided at the temple, and the well behind the Mahavira Hall, known as Yuchan Well, derives its name from him. In ancient times, the temple often housed an academy. During the Jiajing reign of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Xin, a native of Shuitian Village in the region, a scholar-official who later became Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, studied diligently here in his youth. Emperor Jiajing, moved by Chen Xin’s integrity in office, bestowed upon him three imperial nanmu trees (podocarpus). Chen Xin, never forgetting his hometown, personally planted one in his native Shuitian Village, another at his father-in-law’s home — now Shijialong Village east of Yunshan Middle School — and the third at Kaishan Temple. The thriving podocarpus next to the Mahavira Hall in the temple today is said to be the very imperial nanmu tree planted by Chen himself. Legend has it that after Chen Xin entered officialdom and returned to his hometown to visit his wife’s family in Shijialong Village, his entourage, wishing to show off, prepared official robes, a sedan chair, and a clamorous procession. However, as the dragon vein of Shijialong was shallow, carp in the pond by the roadside began leaping out of the water. Chen Xin had no choice but to turn back and visit in plain clothes and a humble hat before things calmed down. As the village’s residents bear the surname Li, locals punningly refer to the incident as "carp leaping over the dragon gate." The village also has another sign naming it Dragon Gate Village. In line with new rural development efforts, villagers spontaneously enclosed the podocarpus planted by Chen with a protective fence and stone-lined the nearby pond. Someone once offered a huge sum to buy the podocarpus and relocate it to another garden, but the villagers, in memory of their esteemed forebear, firmly refused. This reflects the area’s simple folkways and rich literary tradition.

Yunshan Town: Yunshan Town is located on the northern border of Linchuan District and serves as the northern gateway to Fuzhou. It borders Zhanshu Township of Dongxiang District to the east, neighbors Luohu Township and Changkai Town to the south, faces Luozhen Town across the Dongxiang River, and adjoins Baiwei and Changshan Townships of Jinxian County to the northwest and southwest. National expressways such as the Beijing-Fuzhou Expressway, the Changsha-Xiamen Highway, and National Highway 316 run through the town. The town center faces the Dongxiang River, and in winter and spring, morning mist often shrouds the area, with mountains hidden within the fog, hence the name "Yunshan" (Cloudy Mountain).

Yunshan Town is situated in the northern part of Linchuan District, within the middle reaches of the Fu River valley terraces and hilly region. The terrain is higher in the southwest and lower in the north and southeast. It has a subtropical humid monsoon climate, characterized by mild weather, abundant rainfall... Yunshan Town detailed information++