Qingyuan Guanyin Temple

Qingyuan Guanyin Temple

Qingyuan Guanyin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Guanyin Temple is located in Guogongying Village, Yanzhuang Township, Qingyuan County, about 15 kilometers northeast of Baoding City and 3 kilometers west of the Beijing–Shenzhen Expressway. The exact time of the temple’s initial construction is unknown, but it is believed to date back to the Sui or Tang dynasties. According to the "Record of the Reconstruction of Guanyin Chan Temple," written in the 10th year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1515) by Yiji, Dingmin, and Huitang—disciples of the eminent Huayan Master and ordained monks of the Nanchan Preaching Monastery, who were officially commissioned by imperial decree—“In Qingyuan County, Baoding Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of the prefectural city, approximately twenty-five li to the northeast lies a place called Guogongying. Behind the village stands an ancient temple, which was rebuilt during the Dading era (1161–1189).” However, over time, the temple gradually fell into disrepair and collapsed. In the 10th year of the Zhengde era, devout laypersons Zhan Fuyou and Zhong Qing invited the monk Wuxiang (also known as Chan Master Shengong), from the Daci Pavilion Temple, to oversee the reconstruction of the temple. In the 3rd year of the Tianqi era of the Ming Dynasty (1623), Bian Jingning, a local military officer from Guogongying Village in Qingyuan County (serving as an official in the Imperial Household Department and about to be dispatched to the Inner Palace Supervisory Office), took the initiative to renovate the Guanyin Chan Temple. Starting in February of that year and continuing until August of the 5th year of the Tianqi era (1625), over a period of two and a half years, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, as well as auxiliary halls and meditation rooms, were all completely renovated. The reconstructed Guanyin Temple was described as “magnificent and resplendent, with celestial flowers scattering their colors… incense burning continuously for a thousand years, its eternal flame illuminating the light of the earth.” This description gives us a glimpse of the temple’s former grandeur and prosperity. Unfortunately, this thousand-year-old sacred site was almost completely destroyed during the wave of temple demolitions for school establishment in the early years of the Republic of China.

After the reform and opening-up, the Party’s religious policies were implemented. In 1992, the Guanyin Temple was officially opened as a Buddhist activity site. The venerable Master Mingkong was invited from Fayuan Temple in Beijing to take up residence here, taking on the responsibility of revitalizing this ancient temple. Despite his advanced age and frail health, he presided over the restoration work, devoting himself entirely and painstakingly gathering human and material resources. Over the course of four years, he oversaw the construction of the Maitreya Hall, the Guanyin Hall, the Chanting Hall (also serving as the Scripture Depository), the seven-story Dangyang Pagoda, and the Mahavira Hall. From then on, what was once an overgrown, desolate land was transformed into a solemn sacred site.

In 1996, Master Mingkong passed away, and Venerable Zhen Guang, the supervising abbot, succeeded him as head of the temple. He traveled extensively, raised funds, and successively oversaw the construction of the nine-story Relic Pagoda, the Patriarch Pagoda, the Guest Hall, the Dining Hall, and the monastic living quarters. From May 2005 to July 2006, he also oversaw the construction of a -floor building with a floor area of 4,000 square meters and a Yunshui Building covering more than 5,000 square meters. He continuously worked on greening and beautifying the temple grounds, refining regulations, and strengthening the training of monastics, gradually developing Guanyin Temple into a modern Buddhist monastery.

The Guanyin Chan Temple now covers a total area of over 36,000 square meters, with a built-up area of more than 13,000 square meters and green space of 1,500 square meters. The temple grounds are lush with green lawns, upright pines and cypresses, swaying flowers and trees, and rare blooms that bring auspiciousness. The architecture is majestic, and the Buddha statues are solemn. Especially notable is the unique local landmark—the twin pagodas—which attract pilgrims from far and wide. The overall layout of the temple buildings is rigorous, with the central axis from south to north consisting of the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Guanyin Pavilion, the Mahavira Hall, the Chanting Hall, and the -floor building. On the east and west sides are the Relic Pagoda, the Guest Hall, the Dining Hall, the Dangyang Pagoda, the Yunshui Building, and the Grand Dining Hall.

Transportation Guide

Scenic Area Address: Guogongying Village, Yanzhuang Township, Qingyuan County, Baoding City, Hebei Province

Transportation Options: Take a bus bound for Yanzhuang within Baoding City, and then transfer to a minibus to Guogongying upon arrival.