Xilin Temple Pagoda

Xilin Temple Pagoda

Xilin Temple Pagoda is situated on Mount Lu in Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province. It was established in 377 AD by the founding monk Master Huiyong and boasts a history of over 1,700 years. It is recognized as the “First Temple of Northern Mount Lu.” Constructed in 377 AD by the pioneering monk Master Huiyong, it has a history of more than 1,700 years. Xilin Temple Pagoda stands close to Mount Lu, within just a hundred zhang distance, yet each offers distinct scenery. The pagoda is compact, elegant, and exquisitely structured. The Northern Song Dynasty master Su Shi once wrote the poem “Inscription on the Wall of Xilin Temple”: “Viewed horizontally, a range; viewed vertically, a peak; Far, near, high, low, no two parts alike. Not knowing the true face of Mount Lu, Simply because I am in the mountain.” This poem has been celebrated through the ages and also brought widespread fame to Xilin Temple. Over the vicissitudes of time, Xilin Temple has experienced multiple cycles of prosperity and decline. Its current flourishing state is inseparable from the efforts of Monk Juehai.

The grand and majestic mountain gate of Xilin Temple Pagoda features intricately designed upturned eaves and bracket arms, constructed from a combination of brick, stone, and wood. Four stone lions guard the entrance to the sacred ground. On both sides of the wall, the inscriptions “Ruo Ban” and “Tuo Jie” convey the profound truths of Buddhism. A couplet, inscribed by the esteemed elder Du Xuan from Shanghai, reads: “An ancient temple stands amid clouds, its seven-century rise and fall still leaving traces; Zen teachings reach Xilin, with devotion from all directions restoring the tower’s radiant light.” This couplet speaks to the long and storied history of Xilin Temple and the reverence of its many followers.

Inside Xilin Temple Pagoda, there are many precious cultural relics, among which the brick stupa is the most distinctive. Built during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty by imperial decree of Emperor Xuanzong, it was originally a stone pagoda about a zhang tall. In the first year of the Qingli era of the Northern Song Dynasty, Guan Zhongwen spent nine years converting the stone pagoda into a seven-story, six-sided pavilion-style brick pagoda, standing 46 meters tall with a circumference of 32.4 meters. It has entrances on the north and south sides for ventilation and moisture control, and a door on the eastern side of the second floor. Visitors can climb external stairs to access the inner chamber and ascend all the way to the seventh floor for a panoramic view. In the fifth year of the Chongzhen era of the Ming Dynasty, Monk Zhaozhen carried out major renovations on the pagoda. Each level was fitted with Buddhist niches inside and out, housing Buddha statues about a chi tall, all made of clay, some gilded and others polychromed, each unique. Today, dozens of these statues have been regilded and enshrined within the pagoda. For centuries, the ancient pagoda fell into disrepair—its foundation cracked, the structure tilted, and the top gone, leaving it in a state of ruin. In 1988, Xilin Temple Pagoda underwent comprehensive restoration and refurbishment. Jade-carved Buddhas were brought from Myanmar and enshrined on the top floor, and hundreds of imitation Ming Dynasty porcelain Buddha statues were specially ordered from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi, to be placed in the niches. In total, 1,008 Buddha statues are enshrined both inside and outside the pagoda. Since then, this thousand-year-old Thousand-Buddha Pagoda has regained its former glory and splendor. The temple also houses paintings such as the “Eighteen Arhats” and “Five Hundred Arhats,” as well as over a thousand volumes of scriptures including the “Mahapitaka” and various Buddhist classics, along with several stone steles and statues from the Jin and Ming dynasties.

Xilin Temple Pagoda boasts rich tourism resources with high sightseeing value. For example, the “Imperial Bamboo Grove,” “Male and Female Ginkgo Trees,” and “Wisteria Clinging to Pine” are collectively known as the “Three Wonders of Hongluo.” The Imperial Bamboo Grove is a lush, vibrant bamboo forest in front of the temple’s mountain gate. Planted by the Yuan Dynasty monk Yunshan over 600 years ago, this bamboo grove caught the eye of Emperor Kangxi during his visit to the temple in the 32nd year of his reign. Intrigued, he ordered his attendants to count 613 stalks and instructed the monks to carefully maintain it for his future visits—hence the name “Imperial Bamboo Grove.” A hillside pavilion known as the “Bamboo Viewing Pavilion” is located in the northwest corner of the grove, featuring an imperial seat reserved for the emperor’s bamboo appreciation. The Male and Female Ginkgo Trees stand on either side of the terrace in front of the Mahavira Hall. This pair consists of a female tree on the east (graceful and delicate) and a male tree on the west (sturdy and upright). Interestingly, the male tree flowers but bears no fruit, while the female tree shows no blossoms in spring but is laden with fruit in autumn. Around the end of April each year, the male tree releases clouds of yellow pollen to pollinate the female—truly a match made in heaven, also referred to as the “Couple Tree.” The male now has ten offshoots, and the female three, making a family of fifteen—a true image of a loving couple and their children.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units