Zhulin Temple on Mount Tai

Zhulin Temple on Mount Tai

Zhulin Temple on Mount Tai is a cultural relic protection unit of Shandong Province.

Located in the West Valley of Mount Tai, above Black Dragon Pool and northeast of today’s Longevity Bridge, there once stood a temple called Zhulin Temple, also known as Xuanyun Temple. The area offers delightful scenery, with verdant bamboo, lush pines and cypresses, murmuring brooks, and tranquil winding paths—an environment often described as: “A narrow path winds along the mountain, clear streams run alongside, twisting like a sheep’s intestine, with the view changing at every step.” It is said that Zhulin Temple is an ancient temple on Mount Tai, though the exact date of its construction is unknown. Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been repeatedly built up and fallen into disrepair.

Historical records indicate that during the Yuanshen era of the Yuan Dynasty, the renowned monk Fahai renovated Zhulin Temple, greatly enhancing its reputation so that “its fame spread east through Qi and Lu, north to You and Yan, west beyond Zhao and Wei, and south to the great river—everyone heard of it and came in reverence.” By the Ming Dynasty, the Korean monk Mangkong expanded the temple, ushering in another period of prosperity. In the late Ming Dynasty, the literati Xiao Xiezhong described the temple’s beautiful surroundings: “A path winds along the mountain, clear streams flow beside it, twisting like a sheep’s intestine, with the scenery transforming at every step. Upon reaching the temple, one finds bamboos and trees towering into the sky, red cherry blossoms covering the ground, morning bells and evening chimes creating a uniquely serene atmosphere.” The Ming poet Yang Zhixue wrote of his visit: “Westward yet another gate appears, halfway up the mountain lies a warm spring. Cloudy cliffs shift now and then, dragon pearls tumble day by day. Li Bai’s verses soar here, Kong Rong’s goblet tips in awe. Returning at sunset is fine, cool winds sweep the plains.” Later, Zhulin Temple was destroyed in a fire and has since been rebuilt on the original site in the architectural style of the Tang Dynasty.

Monk Mangkong was a foreign monk who sailed from Korea to China during the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty. After arriving by sea, he rebuilt both Zhulin Temple and Puzhao Temple on Mount Tai, serving as their abbot for over 20 years. When Mangkong passed away, more than a hundred sarira beads were found in his cremated remains—clear evidence of his high spiritual attainment. It is said that the deeper one's cultivation, the more sarira are produced upon death.

Of course, there are many legends about Zhulin Temple, one of which goes like this: It is said that in the old days, there was an old monk and a young novice in Zhulin Temple. The old monk often bullied the young novice, making him do dirty and tiring chores. Every day, the young novice had to go up the mountain to gather firewood. If he brought back too little, he would even be beaten.

One day, while gathering firewood in Mati Valley, the young novice encountered a little boy and a little girl. The three of them played happily together every day. Each time before nightfall, the two children helped the novice fill his basket with plenty of firewood.

Noticing that the young novice was bringing back more firewood than before, the old monk grew suspicious and tricked the truth out of him, learning that the two children were actually ginseng spirits. He used a red string to trap the little girl, then dug her out with a big mattock and handed her to the young novice, instructing him to put her in a pot to boil. He repeatedly warned the novice not to sneak a taste, then went off to invite his friends.

Unaware that the radish-like object was actually a ginseng spirit, the young novice noticed a tempting aroma wafting from the pot as it neared boiling. Unable to resist, he broke off a piece to taste—and found it so delicious that he couldn’t stop eating until it was all gone.

Fearing the old monk’s return and another beating, the novice poured out all the broth from the pot. When the master came back, the novice claimed the firewood had boiled away and the water had dried up. Carrying the pot, he walked around the temple pouring out the last drops, and just as he finished, a loud “boom” shook the ground—the entire temple trembled, lifted off the ground, and began to rise into the sky.

By then, the old monk had returned with his rowdy friends. Seeing the temple ascending, they realized something was wrong and desperately clung to the temple platform. As the temple rose higher and higher, the old monk became dizzy and fell, dying on the spot.

The temple rose halfway into the sky and then hovered above the clouds. Ever since, people have called the ascended Zhulin Temple “Xuanyun Temple” (Hanging Cloud Temple).

It is said that on clear days after rain, if you stand near the ruins of Zhulin Temple’s foundation, you can still faintly see the Hanging Cloud Temple in the sky, and even hear the crowing of roosters and the ringing of temple bells.

Further Reading:

· Fourth Batch of Shandong Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units