Longji Temple

Longji Temple

Longji Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Longji Temple is located on the ridge of Xueshi Mountain in Libi Town, Chongren County, Jiangxi Province. It is one of the open temples in Chongren County, surrounded by mountains, with lush forests, deep valleys, and beautiful scenery. Currently, Longji Temple has been included among the open tourist attractions in Chongren County.

According to the *Chongren County Annals*, Longji Temple was first built in the first year of the Tianyou era of the Tang Dynasty (904), boasting a history of 1,097 years. Originally, it housed a Mahavira Hall, Heavenly King Hall, and Guanyin Pavilion. In the fifth year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty (1632), Wu Xiangguo, a grand secretary from Chongren, invited Master Guanxin to preside over Longji Temple, during which time the temple flourished with incense offerings. In the 32nd year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1683), the Longji Revival Ancestral Pagoda was constructed, and memorial stelae for Masters Yingzhan and Haicong were erected, leading to another period of great prosperity. In ancient times, the Northern Song geographer Yue Shi, the Yuan Dynasty geographer Wu Cheng, and the Ming Dynasty prime minister Wu Daonan all visited this site. During the Republican era, the temple suffered repeated damage from warfare, with halls collapsing and monks scattering, leaving only the Revival Ancestral Pagoda and the Guanyin Hall built during the Qing Dynasty. During the Cultural Revolution, the Guanyin Hall was used as a temporary resting place for students from Chongren County’s Communist University who came up the mountain for labor, which is why it has been preserved to this day.

To implement the Party’s religious policies, in 1985, the Chongren County People’s Government approved Longji Temple as an open temple and raised funds for its renovation. With the support of the Party and government, Abbot Chunqian Zen Master extensively solicited donations and rebuilt the temple to its original scale, giving it a completely renewed look. Now, in front of the temple, there is a large courtyard where the Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, and Guanyin Hall have been constructed. On both sides are monastic dormitories covering a total area of more than 1,200 square meters. The temple oversees 130 acres of forested mountain land and 6 acres of paddy fields. Not far from the temple is a pond, which not only embodies the principles of “feng shui” — with the front representing the Vermilion Bird (the pond) and the back the Black Tortoise (the mountain ridge) — but also serves as a “liberation pond,” reflecting the compassionate spirit of the Buddhist faith. Upon arriving at the temple, one can see four powerful characters, “Longji Ancient Temple,” inscribed by Guo Chunjing in the year of Xin Si during the Kangxi era (1701). Entering the mountain gate leads to the Heavenly King Hall, where the front enshrines the Maitreya Buddha, the eastern side hosts the Heavenly Spirit Palace, and the western side the Marshal Ma, symbolizing “favorable weather and abundant harvests.” Beyond the Heavenly King Hall lies the Mahavira Hall, resplendent inside, with three large Buddha statues at the front, the “Island of the Sea” at the back featuring over 100 small and large bodhisattva statues, and 18 arhat statues on both sides. Passing through the Mahavira Hall, one arrives at the Guanyin Hall, which houses a thousand-armed Guanyin statue. The expressions of the Buddha statues are vivid, radiating a spirit of “saving the suffering” and “delivering all beings.”

“Buddhism finds serenity in seclusion, and temples gain charm from landscapes.” Longji Temple integrates “halls, pavilions, towers, and terraces,” characterized by “seclusion, elegance, antiquity, and uniqueness.” The “mountains, waters, forests, and rocks” complement one another, blending religious architecture seamlessly with natural scenery. To facilitate people’s mountain climbing, sightseeing, and worship, in the winter of 2000, with the support of the government and relevant departments, the temple built a stone-paved path over 2,000 meters long from the foot of the mountain to the temple. Now, visitors can leisurely hike uphill while enjoying the surrounding scenery and fully appreciating the grandeur of nature.