LaiShui Qinghua Temple

LaiShui Qinghua Temple

LaiShui Qinghua Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

LaiShui County Longgong Mountain Qinghua Temple is situated on the mountainside of Longgong Mountain, north of Beiluoping Village, Yongyang Town, LaiShui County. According to extant inscriptions, the temple was first built during the Han Dynasty, originally covering hundreds of acres of mountain land with over ten thousand trees. At its peak, the temple complex consisted of upper, middle, and lower sections (only the upper and middle sections remain today). The original temple had dozens of halls and housed over a hundred monks. It is one of the well-known ancient temples in North China. Surrounded by five peaks and nestled against the mountain with a view of the water, Longgong Mountain Qinghua Temple features lush pines and cypresses, clear springs, peculiar rocks, babbling streams, and a serene and secluded atmosphere — making it an ideal destination for spiritual cultivation, Zen practice, and sightseeing. It is also known as the “Little Wutai of Ancient Yan.”

According to the LaiShui County Annals, the flower pagoda of Longgong Mountain Qinghua Temple is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of LaiShui (including “Morning Sun Worshiping the Buddha” and “Evening Sun Gilding the Land”). Built during the Song, Liao, and Jin periods, the upper half of the pagoda is designed to resemble a mountain peak, adorned with Buddha statues, niches, and lion figures, presenting a flowery and intricate appearance like a bouquet. With a history of over a thousand years, the pagoda is now a national-level cultural relic under protection.

Longgong Mountain Qinghua Temple has produced many eminent monks throughout the dynasties. In the tenth year of the Yonghe era during the reign of Emperor Mu of the Jin Dynasty (354 AD), Master Dao’an (secular surname Wei, from Fuliang in Changshan, present-day Yixian County, Hebei Province) traveled to the Former Yan region (today’s Taihang Hengshan and Yanshan areas) to spread Buddhist teachings, establish temples, and build pagodas. Longgong Mountain Qinghua Temple was one of the sacred sites restored by Master Dao’an. In the third year of the Xingning era during the reign of Emperor Ai of the Jin Dynasty (365 AD), Master Huiyuan (secular surname Jia, from Loufan in Yanmen, present-day Ningwu, Shaanxi Province) brought his younger brother Huizhi to Longgong Mountain Qinghua Temple to meet Master Dao’an. Upon hearing the Prajna Sutra, he experienced a sudden enlightenment and realized that “all Confucian and Daoist schools are but chaff.” He then cast aside his official hat, shaved his head, took monastic vows under Master Dao’an, and became a monk. Later, during the Tang Dynasty, Master Zhijing; during the Ming Dynasty, Masters Zhenquan, Zhenyun, and Wuxing; during the Qing Dynasty, Master Xufeng in the Guangxu era; and in the Republican period, the venerable Master Chunkui (the preceptor of the modern eminent monk Master Xuyun) all resided and passed away at Qinghua Temple.

Although Longgong Mountain Qinghua Temple has undergone multiple renovations and repairs throughout the dynasties, due to the changes of time and the shifting of worldly conditions, it gradually declined. Dharma does not arise alone but through conditions. Today, the former fame has faded into the mists of history, leaving only a ruined pagoda and several fragmented stone tablets. In order to implement the Party’s religious policies and in response to the requests of many Buddhist disciples, the People’s Government of LaiShui County and the LaiShui County Bureau of Religious Affairs have approved the restoration of Qinghua Temple as a Buddhist activity site, with repairs funded by the Buddhist community.

Transportation Guide

Scenic Area Address: North of Beiluoping Village, Yongyang Town, LaiShui County, Baoding City, Hebei Province

Transit Routes: Take a bus from LaiShui County to Yongyang Town, then transfer to a minibus to Beiluoping Village.