Beiquan Temple in Xincai

Beiquan Temple in Xincai

Beiquan Temple in Xincai is a cultural heritage site protected at the county level.

Beiquan Temple, also known as Nao Tian Temple or Nao Kai Temple, was first built during the Ming Dynasty and expanded in the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty. At that time, it comprised five large Buddha halls, with a Wenchang Pavilion to the left, a ridge hall to the right, and an opposing building across from them. However, in the 30th year of the Guangxu reign during the Qing Dynasty, the temple was suddenly struck by a great fire and burned down. In the 7th year of the Republic of China (1918), the presiding monk Benhong took the lead in donating funds for reconstruction. Upon completion of the work, he donated his remaining personal funds to have three main Buddha statues completely gilded, along with four standing statues and eighteen arhat statues, all of which were refurbished at the same time. A monument commemorating the reconstruction of Beiquan Temple was erected upon project completion. The site measures 55 meters in length from east to west, 46 meters in width from north to south, and 1.5 meters in height. Numerous scattered relics and fragments can be found throughout the surrounding area.

Beiquan Temple is located on the eastern side of Dongpeng Village, Nao Tian Temple Administrative Village, Hanji Town, approximately 17.5 kilometers north of Xincai County. It lies 5 kilometers from National Highway 106 and about 25 kilometers from the proposed expressway. The temple is 120 kilometers from Zhumadian City, over 150 kilometers from the Chaya Mountain Scenic Area, more than 140 kilometers from the Boshan Lake Scenic Area, and around 180 kilometers from the Tongshan Scenic Area.

Beiquan Temple has suffered severe damage. The stele no longer exists. In 1969, the temple was demolished and rebuilt as a school. It was designated as a county-level cultural heritage site in 1982.