Wanshan Temple

Wanshan Temple

Wanshan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

About one kilometer east of Xiufeng Temple lies Wanshan Temple, one of the Five Great Monasteries of Mount Lu. To the north behind the temple were originally Qingyun Nunnery and Wuru Temple; to the east was Wolong Ridge and Duoyi Nunnery; and to the northeast, about ten li away, were Qixian and Haihui Temples. This temple is situated at the foot of Qingyun Peak and got its name because, during the Song Dynasty, monks planted ten thousand fir trees around the temple. The great Song Dynasty literary figure Su Zhe recorded: “In the early years of Emperor Renzong’s reign, a monk personally planted ten thousand firs, and this temple was specially built for that purpose, and even a Buddha image from the imperial palace was bestowed upon it.” Wanshan Temple was first built during the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, originally named Qingyun Nunnery, and was called Qingyun Yuan during the Tang Dynasty. In the Jingde era of the Song Dynasty, the monk Dachao revived and expanded the temple. During the Tian Sheng period, Emperor Renzong heard of the beauty of Wanshan and bestowed the name “Wanshan Temple,” as well as inscribing the plaque “Golden Buddha Treasure Hall” himself. Since then, Wanshan Temple rose to fame, with many eminent monks and scholars coming and going. The Song Dynasty scholar Zhu Xi once visited here and wrote the poem “Wanshan Temple,” praising the wonders of the ten thousand firs: “A deep path of firs lies before the gate, the color of firs behind the house is wondrous”; he also lauded the thousand-year-old radiance of Buddhism: “The grace of rain and dew in those years, leaves a lingering purity for a thousand years.” Historical records state that Wanshan Temple once had structures such as the Golden Buddha Treasure Hall, Qingyun Pavilion, Nuancui Pavilion, Sanzhu Pool, and Sanzhu Pavilion. In addition, there were many stone inscriptions by notable figures carved into the standing rocks. Among them, the imperial inscription by Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, “Guotai Qingjing” (Nation at Peace and Pure), and the inscription “Longhu Lanqing” (Dragon, Tiger, Mist, and Celebration) by Huaijing Baozhou are particularly precious. “Longhu Lanqing” was originally carved on a huge rock in front of the pagoda behind the temple, and on a nearby small rock were also carved five small characters: “Huaijing Baozhou wrote this.” It means the temple lies under Qingyun Peak, and the mountain mist of Qingyun resembles dragons and tigers. Legend has it that the anonymous person who left these four large characters is shrouded in mystery. Some temple monks say the carvings were done by Bao Zheng. Other literati have researched and concluded that they were written by a man named Huaijing who tied a broom to use as a brush and swiftly wrote them. It's as mysterious as the Purple Mist Immortal picking reeds to write “Song of a Tour to White Deer Cave,” all veiled in fog and legend, adding a rich mythical aura to the ancient temple hidden among the ten thousand firs. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Wanshan Temple underwent multiple renovations. The current Wanshan Temple was rebuilt in 1998.