Luoshan Lingshan Temple

Luoshan Lingshan Temple

Luoshan Lingshan Temple is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a key cultural relic protection unit in China.

Lingshan Temple was first built in the fourth year of the Yanxing era (474 AD) during the Northern Wei Dynasty under Emperor Xiaowu, boasting a history of over 1,500 years. It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples established after Buddhism was introduced to China. Nestled among uniquely shaped mountains and lush forests, the ancient temple is partially hidden from view. Adjacent to the Shaohua Mountain, the thousand-year-old Lingshan Temple has been known by that name since the Tang Dynasty. Located between Henan and Hubei provinces, it is one of the officially constructed temples of its time.

Xinyang’s Lingshan Temple was initially built by Princess Yuzhang, the daughter of Emperor Li Longji of the Tang Dynasty, in 713 AD. After the princess passed away, the emperor visited to offer incense and designated the temple as a “national shrine.” Legend has it that during the Tang Dynasty, a local county magistrate renounced his official post, became a monk, and traveled all the way to India to study Buddhism. Upon returning, he preached at Lingshan Temple. During Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, it was honored as a national shrine. In the Renzong era of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zen Master Lingran petitioned the emperor, citing the empress dowager’s devotion to Buddhism. As a result, the temple was granted three years’ worth of public grain (27,000 taels of silver per year) for reconstruction. The temple was renovated again in the second year of Yuanyou (1087 AD), and a stele by Zhang Zhongjian of the Ming Dynasty records this. In the second year of Yuanzhen (1315 AD) during the Yuan Dynasty, it was rebuilt once more, with Chen Dayong serving as abbot in the eighth year of Zhizheng (1349 AD). In the third year of Hongwu (1370 AD) during the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang visited the temple to offer incense, conferred the title of “Golden Splendor Zen Master” upon the residing monk, renamed the temple “Sacred Longevity Zen Temple,” and personally inscribed its plaque. He also bestowed upon the temple “half a set of imperial ceremonial guards,” including golden melons and battle-axes, while the roof was adorned with dragon heads and phoenix tails, earning it the title “Imperial Temple.” In the seventh year of Xuande (1432 AD) during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, additional Buddha halls and bell towers were constructed. In the seventh year of Hongzhi (1494 AD) during the reign of Emperor Xiaozong, three white stone Buddha statues and a hall of arhats were created, completed by the winter of the second year of Zhengde (1507 AD) during the reign of Emperor Wuzong. In the fifty-first year of Kangxi (1712 AD) in the Qing Dynasty, abbot Gao Ying of Lingshan Temple traveled to India to study Buddhism, bringing back a statue of Sakyamuni carved from Buddhist stone and eighteen arhat statues, and oversaw another renovation of the temple.

According to historical records, the monks of Lingshan Temple belong to the Linji school of Chan Buddhism. The temple complex consists of six sections: Jinding (also known as Shaohua Mountain), the Main Temple, Central, South, North, and Mafanggou, originally comprising over 160 halls. At its peak, the temple attracted over 300,000 pilgrims annually. The architectural layout is rigorously structured, with six main halls arranged along a central axis in a terraced formation following the mountain’s slope. Currently, there are thirty halls in total: six front halls, three ancestral halls, five Great Buddha halls, three Dharma halls, five Immortal Worship palaces, and five Five-Star halls. Each hall houses various Buddhist and Taoist deities: the Joy Hall enshrines Guan Yu, the Ancestral Hall enshrines Bodhidharma, the Great Buddha Hall enshrines Sakyamuni, the Dharma Hall enshrines arhats, the Immortal Worship Palace enshrines the Eight Immortals (both Upper and Lower), and the Five-Star Hall enshrines the Jade Emperor and the God of Literature. This reflects a blend of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. In 1828 AD (the eighth year of Daoguang in the Qing Dynasty), the temple was destroyed by flooding but was later restored to its former glory by 1913 (the 20th year of the Republic of China). However, due to wars and continuous damage with little repair, the temple gradually fell into decline.

Lingshan Temple enjoys a prestigious reputation in India and Southeast Asian countries. In 1962, during his visit to China, Indian Prime Minister Nehru expressed a desire to visit the temple, but it did not happen due to transportation limitations at the time. During the Cultural Revolution, all Buddhist statues were destroyed, and the golden halls were completely demolished, with only the four characters “Sacred Longevity Zen Temple” surviving. The mountain gate plaque was inscribed by Zhao Puchu, former president of the Buddhist Association of China. In 1995, the temple had 35 monks and nuns. Many cultural relics were damaged or buried under the dam of a lotus pond during the Cultural Revolution. Some monks and nuns returned to secular life, while others were integrated as workers at the Dongzhai Forest Farm. In 1978, Lingshan Temple was designated as a county-level cultural relic protection unit, leading to the gradual restoration of damaged relics and the return of monks and nuns. The temple fair on the first day of the third lunar month was revived in 1985.

Lingshan Temple currently has four main halls: the Heavenly King Hall, the Mahavira Hall, the Dharma Hall, and the Thousand-Hand Thousand-Eye Guanyin Hall. Most of the structures feature single-eave roofs with five or seven bays, with side halls extending in single or double steps through the corridors. Dozens of wing rooms line both sides of the central axis. In November 1997, the International Buddhist Association gifted the temple five large white marble statues: the Reclining Buddha, Sakyamuni, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. Lingshan Temple currently has over 30 monks and nuns, attracting around 300,000 visitors and pilgrims each year.

Buddhist Connections of Lingshan Temple

Located in Luoshan County, Xinyang City, Lingshan Temple is a renowned Buddhist sacred site in China. The mountain is home to seven temples and three nunneries, including Lingshan Temple, Jinding Temple, Zhongfo Temple, Baifo Temple, Baiyun Temple, Longya Temple, and Xianshi Temple, as well as Yuantong Nunnery, Fuquan Nunnery, and Yanshou Nunnery. Lingshan Temple is a rather unique institution where both monks and nuns reside. Princess Jianning of the Tang Dynasty once became a nun here, making this arrangement a rare phenomenon in Chinese Buddhist history. During the Song and Ming Dynasties, emperors visited Lingshan multiple times, underscoring the profound Buddhist heritage of the mountain. Originally known for its “Seven Temples and Three Nunneries,” Lingshan Temple was established in 474 AD during the Yanxing era of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty and is considered one of the Four Great Ancient Temples of the Central Plains. Lingshan has long been a place of flourishing incense and eminent monks, renowned far and wide. For centuries, the “Three Wonders of Lingshan”—the temple gate facing east, the cohabitation of monks and nuns, and the practice of ordained monastics keeping their hair—have set it apart in the Buddhist world. Princess Jianning, daughter of Emperor Li Longji, once became a nun here. Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang, visited Lingshan three times, laying the foundation for the Ming Dynasty’s 300-year reign. He designated Lingshan as the “Imperial Mountain,” Lingshan Temple as the “National Shrine,” and the abbot Chen Dayong as “Golden Splendor Zen Master,” bestowing upon them half a set of imperial ceremonial guards, golden melons, axes, and personally inscribing the plaque “Sacred Longevity Zen Temple.” In 1712 AD (the 51st year of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty), abbot Gao Ying of Lingshan Temple traveled to India to study Buddhism, becoming a leading figure in Indian Buddhism. In 1962, Indian Prime Minister Nehru made a special pilgrimage to Gao Ying’s tomb at Lingshan Temple.

The Red History of Lingshan Temple

Lingshan is a land steeped in revolutionary history. Veteran proletarian revolutionaries such as [names omitted], He Long, Xu Haidong, Cheng Zihua, and Chen Shaomin all left their footprints of struggle here. The thousand-year-old Lingshan Temple served as the site of the New Fourth Army’s “Lingshan Conference.” At the foot of Lingshan lies Hejiachong, the starting point of the Long March of the Red Twenty-Fifth Army, which made great contributions to the Chinese revolution. During the 1930s and 1940s, the eminent monk Master Shidaohui frequently traveled through Henan and Hubei, spreading Buddhist teachings and performing good deeds. He formed connections with [omitted] and was tragically shot by Nationalist troops in 1944 while protecting underground party members, earning him the titles “Modern Ji Gong” and “Red Monk.” In 1996, the cremation of the modern eminent monk Master Wu fan reportedly yielded over 700 pearl-like sarira and multicolored sarira petals.

The Scenic Beauty of Lingshan Temple

Lingshan enjoys an average annual temperature of 13–15°C, with a diurnal temperature variation of 7°C during the day and 15°C at night on the mountain. The area boasts abundant natural resources, with over 1,000 species of plants. The forest vegetation coverage rate reaches 90%, comprising 7 plant type groups, 122 formations, and over 200 communities, including 1,879 species of higher plants. The landscape changes color with the seasons and takes shape with the terrain, earning it the title “Kingdom of Plants.” Lingshan is a place of refined beauty, featuring mountains, water, temples, forests, springs, birds, waterfalls, and peculiar rocks and caves. The mountain’s waters are crystal clear and enchantingly beautiful, with the rippling surface of Jiuli Luoyan Lake. Lingshan is a kingdom of birds and a world of butterflies. The nearby Dongzhai National Nature Reserve for Birds, closely connected to Lingshan, is one of only two such reserves in China. The bird species in Lingshan are diverse and rare, with 245 species recorded, including 39 under national key protection and 95 listed in the China-Japan Migratory Bird Protection Agreement, accounting for 79% of Henan Province’s and 20% of China’s total, the highest in protected areas within the same latitude or longitude. There are 99 butterfly species, displaying vibrant colors and flying in groups, making it a true valley of butterflies. Lingshan combines the grandeur of Mount Tai, the serenity of Mount Lu, the peril of Mount Hua, and the beauty of Mount Huang, featuring steep cliffs and unique rock formations that create a world of their own. The mountain encompasses six major scenic areas and 108 attractions. Both the Dongzhai Bird Nature Reserve and Jiuli Luoyan Lake, known as the “Inland Qinhuangdao,” are located here, making it a well-preserved eco-tourism destination.

Address: Lingshan Town, Luoshan County, Xinyang City

Type: Mountain Temple

Rating: AAAA

Recommended Visit Duration: 2–3 hours

Phone: 0376-2255109; 0376-2255299

Official Website: http://www.xylingshan.com/index.html

Opening Hours:

7:00-17:30

Ticket Information:

Door Price: 65.0 RMB

Lingshan Town: Located in Luoshan County, Xinyang City, Lingshan Town sits upstream of the large-scale Shishankou Reservoir. It is home to the national AAAA-level Lingshan Scenic Area and the national-level Dongzhai Bird Nature Reserve. The Beijing-Hong Kong-Macao Expressway runs north-south through the town, Provincial Highway 339 crosses east-west, and the Se (Port)–He (Jiachong) Tourist Road connects Hejiachong—the starting point of the Long March of the Red Twenty-Fifth Army—with the Lingshan Scenic Area and the Dongzhai Bird Reserve. The town is just 30 kilometers west of Xinyang City. The town administers ten administrative villages: Sepu, Dama, Tandun, Changshan, Zhanglou, Qitang, Dongqiao, Gaozhai, Pengzhuang, and Yuanchong, as well as two neighborhood committees: Nanjie and Beijie... More detailed information about Lingshan Town++