Boshan Temple

Boshan Temple

Boshan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Boshan Temple, also known as Nengren Temple, is located in Boshan Village, Yangkou Town, Guangfeng County, Jiangxi Province, about 15 kilometers west of Guangfeng County’s urban area. It was first built during the Tongguang era of the Tang Dynasty (923–925), destroyed by fire during the Longqing reign of the Ming Dynasty, and rebuilt during the Wanli period. In the first year of the Tianqi era (1621), twelve structures including the main hall, scripture depository, Dharma hall, and meditation hall

along with 24 halls were constructed, and numerous bronze artifacts were cast, including large bronze Buddha statues, incense burners, and bells. The most famous are 11 bronze bells, which were said to have been made from

36,000 jin of red treasure copper. By 1952, the temple still preserved 31 buildings including towers, halls, and chambers, covering an area of 1,104 square meters. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple suffered severe damage — halls were destroyed, Buddha statues and bells were burned, and sacred texts and ritual implements were looted.

After 1986, more than 10 new halls and chambers were built, along with dozens of gilded Buddha statues. Zhao Puchu inscribed the temple’s name, slightly restoring its former grandeur. It is now one of the key open temples in Jiangxi Province.

Since the Ming Dynasty, Boshan Temple has been a renowned temple in southern China and was praised as the “Second Greatest Monastery Under Heaven” during the late Ming period.

Influential figures in the Buddhist community, eminent monks, and Dharma masters often gathered here.

Xin Qiji, the famous patriotic poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, built the “Jiaxuan Study” and spent his later years in leisure here, engaging in reading and composing numerous poems and over ten ci lyrics. The site where Xin Qiji studied beside Boshan Temple still has ruins that remain today. Poems and writings about visits to Boshan Temple by figures such as Lü Kui and Xia Shangpu of the Ming Dynasty, and Fu Hongbiao, Xia Xianyu, Xu Guangzuo, Liu Yaoqi, Yang Pilie, and Liu Zi of the Qing Dynasty have been passed down through history. Zhao Puchu, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the Buddhist Association of China, inscribed the four characters “Nengren Chan Temple” at the mountain gate. Boshan Nengren Chan Temple holds certain historical value and significance in the history of Chinese Buddhism, particularly as part of the Caodong Boshan lineage.

Influential figures in the Buddhist community, Zen masters, and eminent monks often gather here.

The famous patriotic poet of the Southern Song Dynasty, Xin Qiji, built the "Jiaxuan Study" in Boshan during his later years in retirement. He read and composed poetry here, leaving behind over ten ci poems. A site where Xin Qiji once studied still exists beside Boshan Temple. Poems and writings about visits to Boshan Temple have been passed down from the Ming Dynasty scholars Lü Kui and Xia Shangpu, as well as Qing Dynasty figures such as Fu Hongbiao, Xia Xianyu, Xu Guangzuo, Liu Yaoqi, Yang Pili, and Liu Zi. Zhao Puchu, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and President of the Buddhist Association of China, inscribed the four characters "Nengren Chan Temple" at the mountain gate. Boshan Nengren Chan Temple holds significant historical value and status in the history of Chinese Buddhism, particularly as part of the Caodong Boshan lineage.