Zaozhuang Puzhao Temple

Zaozhuang Puzhao Temple

Zaozhuang Puzhao Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

Puzhao Temple was a renowned Buddhist temple in ancient Yixian County and is one of the few remaining ancient religious structures in Zaozhuang City, Shandong Province. Located about 20 kilometers northwest of downtown Zaozhuang, it belongs to Xiji Town. According to the "Yixian County Annals · Shrine Worship" volume: "(In Yixian County,) sixty li west of the city lies Puzhao Temple, formerly known as Puzhao Chan Monastery." The temple is located in Xiji Village, Xiji Town, Shanting District, on the sunny side of the ancient Longhe River (now known as Xiji Longhe), backed by distant mountains and flanked by the villages of Xiji and Jiangzhuang, making it a site of exceptional natural beauty.

Puzhao Temple was built during the Sui Dynasty, expanded and renovated during the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty, and reached its largest scale during the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, covering an area of over a hundred mu. The temple faces south with its back to the north, and the Longhe River flows around it. The temple gate was built near the river on the southern side, where the blue waters of the Longhe River ripple outside, framed by lush grass on both banks, creating quite a scenic view. In its heyday, Puzhao Temple had a three-bay front gate, guarded by the Four Heavenly Kings on either side. Inside the courtyard stood a majestic five-bay main hall, with four exquisitely carved stone pillars featuring coiled dragons under the eaves. The hall enshrined a serene statue of Guanyin, along with the Eighteen Arhats in diverse poses. To the east of the main hall was the Canglang Hall, dedicated to the water deity, while the three-bay west wing shrine honored Guan Yu. The temple compound was shaded by ancient trees and dotted with stone stelae, offering an extremely tranquil environment.

Around the eleventh year of the Wanli era (1583), the literary figure Jia Sanjin retired to his hometown after stepping down from his position as Minister of the Imperial Kitchen in Nanjing. During his five-year retirement, he investigated the region’s rivers and mountains, interviewed local elders, and roamed the springs and forests while compiling the "Yixian County Annals." It was at Puzhao Temple that he met the abbot, Monk Yuantai. The two hit it off immediately and often engaged in deep conversations about Buddhist philosophy. The two poems embedded in the temple wall were composed by Jia Sanjin in the autumn of the eleventh year of the Wanli era (1583) when he visited Puzhao Temple at the invitation of Elder Yuantai.

Puzhao Temple also has historical ties to the predecessor of the Su-Lu Detachment — the Su-Lu-Yu-Wan People's Anti-Japanese Volunteer Brigade. In June 1938, shortly after the formation of the brigade, Political Commissar He Yiping led his troops through the Yangzhuang area and encountered reactionary armed forces secretly collaborating with the Japanese army. A fierce battle ensued, during which He Yiping was unfortunately shot and seriously wounded. At the time, the brigade’s field hospital was set up inside Puzhao Temple. Despite medical efforts, He Yiping succumbed to his injuries and died in the temple. Later, the temple became a Japanese military stronghold, with its headquarters stationed in the main hall. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple was repurposed as a flour mill, its ancient trees were cut down, and many stelae were smashed and lost.

The existing main hall of Puzhao Temple is a five-bay hip-and-gable roofed tile structure, originally the rear hall used for enshrining Buddha statues during the Ming Dynasty. Today, slogans from the Cultural Revolution era can still be seen on the walls under the eaves. The four dragon pillars stand quietly, while the rooftop is overgrown with wild grass. The easternmost bay has caved in, and the floor inside is littered with shattered green bricks and tiles. Additionally, although Puzhao Temple is currently a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, due to years of neglect, damage from wars and the Cultural Revolution, many structures have been completely lost. The surviving main hall is also in a precarious state, showing signs of severe decay — a truly heartbreaking sight. According to local villagers, a few years ago, private individuals spontaneously raised funds and made plans to renovate the main hall and restore the temple to its former glory, but the project was never realized due to various reasons.

Wang Donghuai wrote in "Record of the Dragon River Hermitage": “Although my stay here may be but a fleeting footprint upon the spring mud, I shall depart lightly. I hope the local people will seek self-enlightenment, explore the true essence of nature, appreciate the wonders of all things, and thereby cultivate their minds. Expand their knowledge, inspire their literary brilliance, and shine brilliantly between the great beams of the Dragon River. Then the construction of this hermitage will not merely serve to depict the scenery of the landscape...” Ah, if even the ancients possessed such vision, how can we allow Puzhao Temple to vanish before our very eyes today?

Now, Xiji Town has incorporated the restoration of Puzhao Temple into its overall urban and rural construction plan. In the near future, this ancient Buddhist temple of Yixian County — Puzhao Temple — will once again shine with the glory of history.

Xiji Town: Located in the southern part of Shanting District, Xiji Town was historically known as Xiji. Its name dates back to the Warring States period and has long been a hub of commerce and a flourishing center for Buddhism and Taoism. Covering a total area of 140 square kilometers, it administers 5 subdistrict offices, 23 administrative villages, 89 natural villages, and has a population of 49,600. It is traversed by the Zaozhuang–Jining Expressway, the Zaozhuang–Tengzhou Highway, and the Dianzi–Han Zhuang Highway, enjoying a superior location and convenient transportation.

In 2002, the town’s total social output value was 299 million yuan, with fixed asset investment totaling 71.25 million yuan, local fiscal revenue reaching 9.71 million yuan, and farmers... More detailed information about Xiji Town++

Further reading:

· Third Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units