Yicheng Temple

Yicheng Temple

Yicheng Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The ruins of Yicheng Temple are located north of Sungarden Village, Jishan Town, Juancheng County, Heze City — known as the "hometown of peonies." The currently observable area is an earthen mound measuring 50 meters wide from east to west, 60 meters long from north to south, covering a total area of 3,000 square meters.

Historical Background

Yicheng Temple was first built in the first year of the Huangjian era (560) during the Northern Qi Dynasty of the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. Sun Bin wrote his works in (Sun) Garden, and the King of Qi specially built a post station nearby. After Sun Bin’s death, he was buried in front of the post station, which was then renamed “Yicheng” (Ceremonial City).

During the Wei and Jin periods, Buddhism spread to Juancheng. In the first year of the Huangjian era (560) of the Northern Qi Dynasty, a temple was built on the site of the former Yicheng, taking the meaning of “yi” (peace/quiet) and naming it “Yicheng Temple.” It was later destroyed by floods from the Yellow River and was rebuilt twice. The “Record of the Stone Tablet for the Reconstruction of Yicheng Temple” from the 37th year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty states: “More than ten thousand Buddha statues were carved on the front of the tablet, and over 500 resident monks and nuns were inscribed on the back,” as well as “Though palaces abounded throughout the Ming Empire, none surpassed the grandeur of the Great Qi.” This shows how magnificent the temple once was. Yicheng Temple was also called Yicheng Temple (Temple of Righteousness), symbolizing the righteousness of Yangjiao’ai, Zuo Botao, and Jing Ke. Its origin is linked to the nearby joint tomb of Yangjiao’ai and Zuo Botao, as well as Jing Ke’s tomb. Hence, “Post,” “Ceremonial,” “Righteous,” and “Yi” all refer to the same temple — Yicheng Temple.

This temple has lasted for a thousand years. At its peak, it housed over ten thousand Buddha statues and more than a thousand monks. However, a great fire during the Ming Dynasty destroyed it. After several reconstructions, the most significant one took place in the 37th year of the Jiajing era, when the temple covered a vast area of 500 acres. This continued until 1994, when a special and accidental opportunity arose — at that time, a Taiwanese

monk named Tianji had once made a grand vow on the Central Plains of China. When her wish was fulfilled, she intended to fulfill her vow. But after traveling across China, she couldn’t find a place suitable for this purpose. She boarded a plane to leave, and while flying over Hong Kong, she happened to open a map of China and spotted a character that caught her eye — the character “鄄” from Juancheng County: "Western Pure Land, the Great Ear Buddha," believed to be the birthplace of the Buddha. Further investigation revealed that this was also the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and the hometown of Sun Bin. After the Battle of Maling, Sun Bin retired and lived in seclusion here. The monk believed this to be a feng shui treasure land embodying “the right time, the right place, and the right people.” As a result, she spared no expense to build a temple here.

Jishan Town: Located in the northeastern part of Juancheng County, Shandong Province, Jishan Town governs 40 administrative villages and 88 natural villages, with a population of 51,600, arable land of 67,000 mu, and an area of 74 square kilometers. It is one of the “First Batch of Double-Civilization Star Townships” in Shandong Province.

Jishan Town boasts a superior geographical location, convenient transportation, a long history, and a talented populace. The Sun Bin Tourist City, covering an area of over 1,000 mu, has taken initial shape. The town has a strong agricultural sector with abundant agricultural and sideline products. It produces wheat, corn, peanuts, soybeans, silkworms, greenhouse vegetables, and various fruits and vegetables. It is also home to Southwest Shandong Yellow Cattle, Small-Tailed Han Sheep, Qing... More details about Jishan Town++

Sun Bin Tourist City