Congbai Nunnery

Congbai Nunnery

Congbai Nunnery is a cultural relic protection unit of Linyi City.

Rebuilt in the 39th year of the Jiajing reign during the Ming Dynasty, Congbai Nunnery gets its name from the dense cluster of Chinese arborvitae trees. It is the only nunnery in Linyi City.

The plaque above the nunnery gate was inscribed by Shamen Nengchan, one of China's four most renowned monks and the then president of the Shandong Buddhist Association.

Attractions within the nunnery include a thousand-year-old ginkgo tree, Xiangshui Spring, Twin Arborvitaes and Ancient Vines, the Stele Corridor, and the Hall of Three Saints. The ginkgo tree dates back to the Sui and Tang dynasties, over 1,300 years ago. It stands 45 meters tall with an 8-meter circumference, requiring five adults to encircle it. More remarkably, there is an ancient vine growing on this tree, known as the “Ancient Vine Growing on an Ancient Tree.”

Beneath the tree lies a mountain spring called “Xiangshui Spring,” named for the sound of trickling water. The spring water is clear and cool, remaining warm in winter and cool in summer.

The “Twin Arborvitaes,” as the name suggests, symbolize a couple. Originally called the Sisters’ Arborvitae or Couple’s Arborvitae, literati later renamed them the Twin Arborvitaes. This tree is over 1,600 years old, and its most distinctive feature is a vine that has grown from it, known as the “Love Vine.” The vine stretches 57.9 meters long, giving rise to the saying, “Love lasts forever under the Twin Arborvitaes, and eternal affection thrives on the Love Vine.” The “Hall of Three Saints” is the main hall of Congbai Nunnery, and the plaque above its door was inscribed by Zhao Puchu, the former president of the Buddhist Association of China.