Nangong Putong Temple

Nangong Putong Temple

Nangong Putong Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Putong Temple is situated on the shores of Qunying Lake, the largest artificial lake complex in North China, in the western suburbs of Nangong City, Hebei Province, adjacent to a provincial wetland reserve spanning thousands of acres. In the early Eastern Han Dynasty, when Buddhism first spread eastward, the first imperial-approved eminent monks, Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna, personally oversaw the construction of Putong Temple and Putong Pagoda in Nangong, making them China’s first Buddhist temple and pagoda. Nangong thus became the birthplace of Central Plains Buddhist culture. The name “Putong,” meaning “universal,” comes from the explanation in the Buddhist scripture *The Lotus Sutra, Chapter on the Universal Gate of Avalokiteshvara*: “‘Pu’ means universal.” The Buddhist concept of “universal salvation” refers to the great compassion of saving all beings. “Tong” refers to the color red. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial palace where the empress resided was painted red and called the “Red Court.” Since the pagoda and the temple enshrine Bodhisattvas and are both painted red, the character “Tong” was chosen.

In the 14th year of the Ming Chenghua era (1487), the old county town was flooded and submerged, leading to the relocation of the county seat to its current location. At that time, the original temple was destroyed, leaving only the pagoda. The pagoda was initially built in the 10th year of the Eastern Han Yongping era (67 AD), making it over 1,900 years old and the earliest surviving Buddhist pagoda in China. According to the inscription on the stele commemorating the 1886 renovation of Putong Pagoda during the Qing Guangxu era,

The current temple was rebuilt by Nangong City in 1992. Leading this restoration and reconstruction was the highly respected Venerable Hongchuan, a prominent figure in the Chinese Buddhist community. In August 1984, Master Hongchuan, overcoming numerous obstacles, resolutely traveled from Taiwan via Hong Kong to mainland China. He was hailed by Zhao Puchu, then Vice Chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the Buddhist Association of China, as “China’s foremost patriotic monk.” After the reform and opening-up, people’s enthusiasm for venerating and respecting the Buddha was fully unleashed. In 1992, the Nangong Municipal People's Government, in accordance with public will, approved the proposal by the provincial Buddhist association to rebuild this renowned temple and restore China’s first temple—Putong Temple. Master Hongchuan began the challenging preparatory work. After more than a year of preparation, the foundation was laid in November 1993, and the grand inauguration ceremony of Putong Temple and the consecration of the Buddha statues were held on September 26, 1996. Tens of thousands of Buddhist dignitaries, dignitaries from all walks of life, and devout worshippers from near and far attended the celebration.

Scenic Area Address: Beijiucheng Village, Nangong City, Hebei Province

Transportation: Take a taxi or minibus within Nangong City to Beijiucheng Village.