Minquan Baiyun Temple

Minquan Baiyun Temple

Baiyun Temple is a national AA-level tourist attraction and a cultural heritage site protected by Henan Province.

Baiyun Chan Temple is located on the site of a late Longshan cultural relic, approximately 20 kilometers southwest of Minquan County in Henan Province. It lies at the junction of Minquan, Suixian, and Qixian counties, nestled in Baiyun Temple Village, Yindian Township.

Baiyun Chan Temple was first built during the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty (627 AD), originally named Guanyin Hall, also known as Baiyi Nunnery. In the 14th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, the fourth abbot, Monk Yiming, rebuilt the temple. At that time, during the transition from summer to autumn, the scorching sun blazed with no clouds in sight, making construction unbearable due to the intense heat. Abbot Yiming prayed to the heavens, and miraculously, white clouds shielded the sun every day until the project’s completion, when the auspicious clouds dispersed. Hence, the temple was renamed Baiyun Chan Temple.

Over its more than 1,300-year history, Baiyun Chan Temple has endured wars, social upheavals, and numerous hardships, yet its incense has never ceased. It has undergone a tortuous journey of destruction, reconstruction, repeated ruin, and revival. Throughout the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, eminent monks largely rebuilt and expanded the temple year by year, achieving grand and magnificent scale. Especially notable was the period when Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty became a monk, and Emperor Kangxi sought his father, visiting Baiyun Temple three times and personally inscribing stelae to commemorate the site. From then on, Baiyun Chan Temple gained great renown. At that time, the 31st-generation abbot, Foding, presided over temple affairs, leading to rapid development and marking the temple’s most prosperous era. The temple grounds covered 546 mu, with over 700 mu of temple land, more than 5,000 buildings, and a monastic community of 1,250 monks, elevating it to the status of an imperial temple. It became one of the four great ancient temples alongside Luoyang's White Horse Temple, Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, and Kaifeng's Xiangguo Temple.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, Baiyun Chan Temple received care from the government and various parties. Nevertheless, it still suffered during the Cultural Revolution. Its walls were torn down, pigs, sheep, chickens, and ducks ran freely, houses collapsed, and the area was filled with foul sewage. Several main halls were occupied by grain stores, schools, local product shops, and grocery stores. Various Buddha statues and precious cultural relics were completely destroyed, and the former glory vanished without a trace. When stability returned, the higher authorities promptly dispatched Elder Monk Yinfa to take charge of temple affairs. Despite being over eighty years old, Master Yinfa traveled tirelessly through all seasons, raising funds and investing over ten million yuan to renovate the entire temple complex. The main halls were restored to their former glory, breathing new life into the temple. The renovated temple complex shone brilliantly with vibrant splendor.

Baiyun Chan Temple now covers over a hundred mu, facing south with a grand north-facing entrance gate inscribed with the four large characters “Baiyun Chan Temple.” Along the central axis are, in sequence, the Heavenly King Hall, Guanyin Hall, and the Mahavira Hall. To the right of the Mahavira Hall is the Yangxin Hall, and behind the left is the Chan Hall, flanked by side rooms. The overall architecture is simple and elegant, majestic and spectacular, all built during the Qing Dynasty.

The roof ridge of the Mahavira Hall features a coiling dragon design on the sunny side and a dancing phoenix design on the shaded side—this is a key feature distinguishing it from other temples and one of the prominent symbols of an imperial temple. At the rear inside Baiyun Chan Temple lies an exquisitely small courtyard, the place where Elder Monk Yinfa practiced in seclusion. The inner gate of the small courtyard has a flash door carved on both sides with two dragons. This flash door, from ancient times to the present, was only for the passage of emperors—only they had the fortune to walk through it. Thus, no one has passed through this door for hundreds of years. Master Yinfa currently resides here, and the bed he sleeps on is the very one used by Emperor Shunzhi when he lived in the temple as a monk. These are all important relics attesting to the temple’s imperial past.

On the back wall of the Mahavira Hall are two characters handwritten by Emperor Kangxi: “朲寘” (pronounced similarly to “rèn zhì,” meaning “to recognize and restrain”), signifying that the hall must remain quiet and strictly adhere to precepts. During the Qing Dynasty, civil and military officials had to dismount from their horses or step out of their sedan chairs upon arriving here.

Baiyun Chan Temple also houses many rare and precious historical relics, such as the “Iron Pot Locust Tree,” “Sutra Pillar,” “Buddha’s Spirit Pagoda,” “Zhaoquan Spring,” Kangxi’s inscribed stele “當、堂、常、賞,” “Well 0 Wood,” the “Scripture Depository” helped built by Lu Ban, and the “Skanda Begging for Alms” scene, among others. It currently has over 60 snow-white jade Buddha statues from Myanmar, ranking first in Henan. These are exquisitely beautiful and considered national treasures. The temple is the best-preserved and largest ancient architectural complex in eastern Henan and is now a key cultural heritage site under Henan Province’s protection.

The Buddhist music of Baiyun Chan Temple is a unique highlight among Buddhist monasteries, boasting a long history and fame both domestically and internationally. During the 10th anniversary celebration of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the temple’s Buddhist music troupe performed in Beijing, receiving warm greetings and group photos with senior leaders of the older generation, earning widespread acclaim. Its instruments mainly include sheng, guan, dizi, and chou—the latter being quite rare. Similar to a flute but distinct from a xiao, it combines the melodiousness of the flute with the gentleness of the xiao. At that time, the skilled xiao player Shi Longjiang could extinguish a burning candle from ten meters away. He led the team to perform at county, provincial, and Beijing folk music and dance competitions, winning first and second prizes. Their performances were broadcast on China National Radio. Later, Longjiang was transferred to Xiangguo Temple in Kaifeng and appointed as a musician. Listening to his Buddhist music gave one the sensation of soaring through the clouds and drifting into a celestial realm. It was hailed as “the world’s most sublime melody, the celestial music of Buddhism.” A recording was even made into a CD in Germany.

Since the reform and opening-up, Baiyun Chan Temple has been approved by the state as a venue for Buddhist activities. Elder Monk Yinfa took charge, revitalizing the temple amid challenges. He made three trips to Myanmar and five to Thailand to acquire jade Buddha statues, build monastic quarters, and made outstanding contributions to the temple’s construction. Fu Fengying (the wife of General Fu Zuoyi) donated 300,000 USD to support Elder Monk Yinfa in bringing in a large number of jade Buddha statues (60 in total), including a two-ton, 3.2-meter-long snow-white reclining Buddha worth one million USD—the largest reclining Buddha in China. Its radiant beauty, exquisite carving, and moving form make it a rare treasure.

“A mountain need not be high to be famous if it has immortals; water need not be deep to be spiritual if it has dragons.” The thousand-year-old Baiyun Chan Temple is one of the Four Famous Temples of the Central Plains. Shaolin Temple occupies Mount Song, one of the Five Great Mountains; White Horse Temple lies in Luoyang, the capital of nine dynasties; Xiangguo Temple sits in Kaifeng, the capital of seven dynasties. Only Baiyun Chan Temple is located in an ordinary small village. For over a thousand years, its incense has risen continuously, its bells have echoed far and wide—not only has its incense never ceased, but it has grown increasingly vibrant. All of this adds an air of mystery to this ancient temple. Today, Baiyun Chan Temple has preliminarily restored its former prosperity. Solemn Buddhist ceremonies are held daily, the sounds of bells and drums resonate through the skies, chants and Buddhist music play ceaselessly, and visitors and pilgrims come in an endless stream. This ancient and mysterious temple will surely make positive contributions to the inheritance of Chinese Buddhist culture and the development of the local economy.

Buddha’s Spirit Pagoda Sutra Pillar (also known as the Treasure Tower)

Fifty meters northeast of the temple stands the “Fogong Pagoda.” It is a brick-and-stone structure, 4 meters tall, pavilion-style, with a three-tiered, six-sided Sumeru pedestal. The front of the pagoda is inscribed in intaglio regular script with the sixteen characters “佛公灵塔” (Buddha’s Spirit Pagoda) and “佛洞宗三十一式佛公大和尚” (The Great Monk Foding of the 31st Generation of the Buddhist Cave Sect). The body of the pagoda is also carved with doors, windows, flowers, birds, insects, grass, and animals. This small, exquisite pagoda features fine carvings, graceful beauty, and high artistic value.

This pagoda was built to commemorate Abbot Foding. Foding is a renowned monk in the history of Chinese Buddhism who made tremendous contributions to the construction and development of Baiyun Chan Temple.

In the 26th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1687 AD), Foding arrived at the long-abandoned Baiyun Chan Temple. After entering the temple, he traveled far and wide, preaching the Dharma, reaching as far south as the Jianghan region and as far north as Youyan. Devotees from near and far either offered grain and cloth to support his food and clothing or provided timber and stone for construction. The then-Guixian Prefect was deeply moved by his profound Buddhist teachings and donated 2,000 taels of official silver and 500 taels of personal silver to support the reconstruction of Baiyun Chan Temple. At the time, the imperial court revered Buddhism—there was a Buddhist temple in every village and a Guanyin statue in every household. Chinese Buddhism entered an unprecedented period of development, which was also the most glorious era for Baiyun Chan Temple.

In the 60th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1721 AD), the 75-year-old Foding returned to Baiyun Chan Temple after his last journey southward through the Jianghuai region. In August of that year, Foding passed away in the Incense Hall after bathing. After Foding’s passing, Henan Provincial Administration Commissioner Mou Qinyuan personally wrote his epitaph. This is Foding’s spirit pagoda. He was buried here after his death and later revered as one of the “Three Great Divine Monks,” known as “Southern Jigong, Northern Yuantong, Central Foding.”

Emperor Kangxi held great respect for the great monk Foding. On his second visit to Baiyun Chan Temple, hoping for a reunion with his father, he was disappointed to find that his father had gone out wandering on a pilgrimage, and his whereabouts were unknown. Kangxi confided in Abbot Foding and pledged himself as a disciple, even inscribing the four characters “當、堂、常、賞” (Dāng, Táng, Cháng, Shǎng) in his own hand as an honor.

Behind the Mahavira Hall of Baiyun Chan Temple stands a sutra pillar (also called the Treasure Tower), 4 meters tall, nine-tiered and six-sided, carved from bluestone. The tower body depicts scenes of monks worshiping the Buddha, six monks playing music and chanting scriptures, the “Tīvaka” scripture, a Buddha figure, as well as the sun, moon, cranes, and lotus flowers. The carvings are fine, simple, and elegant. This Treasure Tower was funded by a lay devotee surnamed Peng from Nanyang during the Kangxi era. After the passing of Emperor Shunzhi, he was buried beneath it. Why is it called the “Treasure Tower”? Because its six sides all feature Buddhas, each with a Buddha statue inside, while the center bottom contains the Heart Sutra, and below that are images of monks playing music. Thus, the tower encompasses the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—the Three Jewels of Buddhism—hence the name Treasure Tower. Behind the Treasure Tower is a quatrain composed by Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty, the founding emperor, expressing his sentiments: “For eighteen years I’ve had no freedom, when will the campaigns south and north ever end? I was originally a humble monk from the West, why was I born into an imperial family? I care not for a thousand autumns or ten thousand generations, shed the dragon robe for a monastic robe…” This leads to the series of stories about Emperor Kangxi searching for his father.

Shunzhi Becomes a Monk, Kangxi Searches for His Father

Emperor Shunzhi (Aisin-Gioro Fulin), the father of Emperor Kangxi, ascended the throne at age 6. As he grew up, he became infatuated with Dong Xiaowan, a beauty from the south, and doted on her greatly. However, the empress was extremely displeased that a Han woman received such favor. Without Shunzhi’s knowledge, she had Dong Xiaowan beaten to death with clubs and her body dumped in the river. This act deeply wounded Shunzhi’s heart, so he shed his dragon robe, went into hiding, and angrily became a monk. This led to the historical story of Kangxi, under his mother’s direction, searching for his father three times at Baiyun Chan Temple.

At the time, Kangxi truly did not know where his father had become a monk. He sent people to search many times and even went in disguise to many temples himself, but his father’s whereabouts remained elusive, becoming an unsolved mystery in Kangxi’s heart. After fleeing the palace, Shunzhi first became a monk on Mount Wutai, but later, out of admiration for the great monk Foding, he abandoned everything and went straight to Baiyun Chan Temple from Mount Wutai. Monk Foding tried every means to enlighten and protect him. One day, Kangxi visited Baiyun Chan Temple in disguise with several close guards. He first paid respects to Abbot Foding and personally served meals to over 1,200 monks so he could catch a glimpse of his father—but he found no one matching his father’s appearance. Since Kangxi had ascended the throne at age 8 and his father had already become a monk, he wasn’t very familiar with his father’s features. In this situation, Kangxi asked Abbot Foding, “Are all the monks present?” Foding replied, “There’s still one monk tending the stove.” Kangxi urgently said, “I’ve come to serve meals—how can I leave anyone out? Go get him quickly.” The gray-haired kitchen monk came out, and Kangxi asked the old monk to lift his head. Kangxi’s eyes gleamed with unusual light, and he quickly walked forward, asking excitedly, “May I ask your esteemed name?” The old monk replied, “This humble monk is called Ba×.” Kangxi’s excited heart immediately sank. The old monk then asked Kangxi, “How is the capital’s Miao doing?” Kangxi was baffled and bid farewell to the abbot before leaving Baiyun Temple for the capital, full of melancholy. When Kangxi told his mother about the search for his father, and mentioned the old monk’s name “Ba×,” his clever mother said, “Isn’t that the character for ‘father’?” “Miao is my childhood name—how did you know?”

After bidding farewell to his mother, Kangxi visited Baiyun Chan Temple a second time to find the old monk, but Abbot Foding said, “That old monk has gone out wandering and his whereabouts are now unknown.” Although somewhat disappointed at not seeing the old monk, Kangxi was warmly received by Monk Foding and engaged in heartfelt conversation, finding solace. Kangxi deeply admired Baiyun Temple’s charity, Foding’s deep kindness and extensive knowledge, and thus promised Foding, “If I find my father, I will greatly reward the temple.” After Kangxi left, Foding was furious that Kangxi had seen his father but failed to fulfill his promise, determined to settle the debt.

Abbot Foding had a disciple named Shi Xingxing, whose secular name was Guo Yuming, an exceptionally intelligent and knowledgeable man. When he went to the capital to take the imperial exams, he boasted, “I will not return home unless I become the top scholar!” Eventually, he ranked fourth among the second-class successful candidates but felt ashamed to face his hometown and came to Baiyun Chan Temple, taking Foding as his master and adopting the Dharma name “Xingxing.” Xingxing had excellent calligraphy skills and was Kangxi’s martial brother, sharing a close relationship. Master Foding sent him to sell calligraphy and paintings at the capital’s gates to meet Kangxi and settle the debt owed to the temple by the emperor. One day, he encountered Kangxi. Kangxi pitied how far he had fallen. Xingxing explained that he couldn’t endure the monastic precepts, and his master had planned to burn him in a cremation pit—luckily, he met Kangxi. Kangxi said, “Your master’s punishment is too harsh. I’ll go back to Baiyun Temple with you and plead for you before the master.” The two returned to the palace together and prepared to go to the temple. During this time, a dedicated postal route was established between Beijing and Baiyun Temple, with a station set up every 30 li, staffed by couriers on horseback delivering messages with chicken-feathered urgent letters back and forth day and night, communicating information swiftly—equivalent to today’s express delivery. When the monks of Baiyun Chan Temple heard the emperor was coming, they were overjoyed and prepared the most grandiose reception. In the 49th year of Kangxi’s reign, the emperor broke from his previous two incognito visits to Baiyun Chan Temple and publicly announced, “The emperor is traveling and inspecting, residing at Baiyun Chan Temple, rewarding the old abbot, and presenting gifts to the monks.” On the day of departure, Kangxi personally led 12 princes to see Xingxing off. The grand procession drew crowds of onlookers from counties and prefectures along the way. The third visit to Baiyun Chan Temple demonstrated the emperor’s filial act; it let the public know about the temple where Emperor Shunzhi had become a monk, instantly making Baiyun Chan Temple famous nationwide; it settled the debt Kangxi owed; and, most importantly, the third trip allowed Kangxi to finally see his long-missed father, fulfilling a wish close to his heart. After completing the rituals with Abbot Foding, Kangxi bestowed upon the temple the imperial carriage used during Shunzhi’s reign, along with eight cabinets of scriptures, a bronze cloud gong, a jade ruyi hook, an imperial fan, and other treasures. He also ordered the Minister of Rites Ma Qi to write the four characters “庄严清净” (Solemn and Pure), affix the Kangxi imperial seal, and create a golden plaque with a coiled dragon design, which was hung above the temple’s mountain gate. Kangxi issued an imperial edict, appointing the Henan provincial governor and Guide Prefect to fund the restoration and expansion of Baiyun Chan Temple. With the emperor’s words and edict, Baiyun Chan Temple not only gained great fame and national prestige, elevating its status, but also secured the material and economic foundation for reconstruction and expansion. Thus, the temple achieved leapfrog development. During Kangxi’s reign, Baiyun Chan Temple covered 546 mu, had over 5,000 buildings, and housed 1,250 monks, plus 1,350 itinerant monks, totaling over 2,600.

After Emperor Shunzhi passed away in the temple, Emperors Yongzheng and Qianlong also visited Baiyun Chan Temple multiple times to pay respects and visit their ancestor. From then on, Baiyun Chan Temple became a true imperial temple.

Admission Fee

Free

Attraction Location

20 kilometers southwest of Minquan County, Shangqiu City, Henan Province, at Baiyunjiao

Further Reading:

·Second Batch of Henan Provincial Cultural Relics Protection Units