Zhulin Temple in Jizhou

Zhulin Temple in Jizhou

Zhulin Temple in Jizhou is a cultural tourism attraction.

Zhulin Temple is located 300 meters northeast of Beiguan Village, Jizhou, Hengshui City, Hebei Province, and is one of the four famous temples of the ancient city of Jizhou. Surrounded by water on all sides, it is also known as the "Temple in the Air" due to occasional mirages appearing during summer and autumn.

The painting "Zhulin Temple North of Jizhou County Town" was created by the renowned painter Zhao Wangyun in the 22nd year of the Republic of China (1933), during his sketching trip in southern Hebei. When he passed by the ancient Zhulin Temple, he captured its image. The temple in the painting features tiled roofs in neat rows and moss-covered surfaces, exuding an ancient and serene atmosphere. It is said that Zhulin Temple was built by Shan Tao, one of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove from the Jin Dynasty, when he served as the Prefect of Jizhou and achieved notable accomplishments there (the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove: Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Shan Tao, Xiang Xiu, Liu Ling, Wang Rong, and Ruan Xian).

The "Jixian County Annals" records: "It is said that Zhulin Temple was built by a local official in the early Ming Dynasty, who ordered craftsmen to construct it based on the mirage seen at Ziwu Mountain." During the Republic of China period, many beautiful legends about Zhulin Temple were widespread, among which the story of the temple ascending to heaven had the greatest impact and is still widely talked about today. Surrounded by water with a narrow passage on the south side connecting it to the shore, occasional mirages appear during summer and autumn, hence it is also called the "Temple in the Air." The temple has long been a place of active worship.

The newly compiled "Jizhou City Annals" states: "The site of the ancient Zhulin Temple ruins is located 300 meters northeast of Beiguan Village, Jizhou Town. It was built no later than the Ming Dynasty. In the late Qing Dynasty, local residents funded the reconstruction of Zhulin Temple on the original site. The temple was destroyed by floods in 1963, leaving only the site. The bronze Buddha statue originally stored in the county cultural center was smashed during the Cultural Revolution, with only one stele remaining, now collected by the Jizhou City Cultural Relics Management Office." That ancient stele from Zhulin Temple was carved in the 17th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign and bears the inscription: "Jizhou is an ancient prefectural city, home to many renowned temples, both inside and out. To the east lies Taining, to the west Kaiyuan, to the south Nanchan, but the most flourishing of them all is this Zhulin Temple." An ancient woodblock print from the 17th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign, titled "Complete Scenic Map of the Ancient Zhulin Temple in Jizhou, Zhili," is also preserved by the Jizhou City Cultural Relics Management Office. It appears that the Zhulin Temple painting drawn by Zhao Wangyun 76 years ago depicts structures rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty.

According to the "Jizhou City Annals": The currently reconstructed Zhulin Temple largely retains the original layout, referencing the surviving ancient woodblock illustrations. Upon entering the mountain gate, bell and drum towers stand opposite each other. Facing you is the Heavenly King Hall, where the big-bellied Maitreya Buddha smiles warmly, and the Four Heavenly Kings glare fiercely. Passing through the Heavenly King Hall leads to the Mahavira Hall, where the golden-bodied Buddha sits cross-legged on a lotus throne, flanked by vividly sculpted Eighteen Arhats. In the side halls, the Bodhisattvas Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra, with their kind and compassionate expressions, offer guidance to those seeking enlightenment.