Yunquan Temple

Yunquan Temple

Yunquan Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

Cizishan Mountain is located among the western mountain ranges of Zhangjiakou City. Legend has it that the legendary Qilin, which bestowed children upon mankind, once descended upon this mountain and left its footprints at the foot of the mountain. Many people came here to pray for offspring, and their wishes came true, hence the name “Cizishan” or “Children-Bestowing Mountain.” Halfway up the mountain lies a temple called “Yunquan Chan Temple.” From afar, Cizishan features magnificent peaks, lush forests, and exquisitely arranged pavilions and towers. In the 26th year of the Hongwu reign during the Ming Dynasty (1393 AD, over 600 years ago), the founding abbot of Yunquan Chan Temple, Monk Qingyue (from Yuci, Shanxi), arrived here during his travels. Impressed by the beautiful scenery of the mountain, he instructed his disciples to settle and build a temple. The name “Yunquan Temple” comes from the constant presence of white clouds around the mountain and the clear, ceaseless spring water flowing through it—symbolizing “a clear spring in the depths of white clouds.” The remarkable sight of clouds fluttering above the springs and springs flowing through the clouds made Yunquan Chan Temple widely renowned. Later, in the fifth year of the Jiajing reign, Monk Yuanyu and General Jiang Huan of Datong jointly funded the renovation of the temple, expanding it on the original foundation. Notable resident monks in modern times include Miaoran, Longcan, Yuechen, Shouye, Nengzheng, and Daoyuan. The temple enjoyed flourishing incense offerings throughout the generations and produced many eminent monks.

In 1943, Elder Yuechen, the abbot of Yunquan Temple on Cizishan Mountain in Zhangyuan City, Chahar Province (now Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province), converted the temple from a family-run monastery to a public one, inviting Master Daoyuan to serve as its first abbot. (That same year, he was elected chairman of the Buddhist Association of Chahar Province.) He opened the dharma hall, transmitted precepts, and widely promoted orthodox Buddhism, earning deep reverence and praise from monastics and lay followers alike. In March 1949, he traveled via Shanghai to Taiwan, where he founded the Keelung Haihui Temple and the Nengren Buddhist College. Tirelessly delivering sentient beings and spreading the Dharma across the land, he became a towering figure in the Buddhist community, renowned across the island.

Over time, especially during the Cultural Revolution, Yunquan Temple suffered severe damage from natural erosion and man-made destruction. Its land area shrank from over 200 acres to just a few acres, and its halls fell into disrepair. In 1997, Venerable Guolan, the 46th-generation successor of the Tiantai School, along with his disciples including Chang’an, took up residence in Yunquan Temple and undertook the mission of restoring the ancestral temple. With the support of government leaders, people from all walks of life, and especially devout lay followers, everyone contributed money and labor. Using nearly primitive methods—carrying bricks and tiles on their backs and hauling sand in scarves—they managed to restore the desolate and dilapidated ancient temple to its original appearance. However, due to the limited space of the temple grounds, which could no longer accommodate regular religious activities, Venerable Guolan organized discussions among the monastic and lay communities, and with government approval, initiated an expansion project to restore the temple to approximately 200 acres. The project aimed to "promote Buddhism through culture, cultivate monastics through education, give back to society through charity, and purify the human mind through joint practice." In September 2007, the construction of the expanded Yunquan Chan Temple officially commenced.

In 2008, Keelung Haihui Temple in Taiwan sent back the relics of Master Daoyuan, the founding patriarch of the temple, to be enshrined at the ancestral temple and also gifted a sarira of Sakyamuni Buddha to Yunquan Chan Temple. This marked the beginning of new chapters in Buddhist exchanges between Zhangjiakou and Taiwan.

After three years of effort, the renovation and expansion of Yunquan Chan Temple were completed in September 2010 with the support of the government, the patronage of monastics and lay followers, generous contributions from private sector leaders, and the blessings of lay practitioners. The entire temple complex forms a harmonious whole, featuring five terraced platforms that follow the contours of the mountain. Each platform is distinct, with each higher than the last and each larger than the one before, creating a well-balanced layout. The interplay between natural landscapes and human design enhances one another beautifully. Built against the mountain, the temple slopes from higher in the southwest to lower in the northeast. Starting from the mountain gate, the four platforms of the temple consist of newly built halls, divided into eastern, western, and central courtyards. The eastern and western wings serve as living quarters, while the central courtyard is dedicated to worship. Visitors pass through the Guanyin Hall to the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall and then arrive at the original temple buildings of Yunquan Temple.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of Hebei Provincial Cultural Relic Protection Units