Bitter Bamboo Temple

Bitter Bamboo Temple

Bitter Bamboo Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

　Jiehe Town, Songzi City; Bitter Bamboo is located at the west end of Jiehe Street, now within the campus of Songzi No. 2 Middle School. Many of the bitter bamboo plants have been cut down, no longer as lush as before, the well has been sealed, and the pavilion is no longer as dazzlingly splendid as it once was.

The story goes back a long time—there used to be an ancient temple in the west of Jiehe. Beside the temple was a clear spring that flowed ceaselessly, its water exceptionally sweet and cool, and thus it was called the Sweet Spring. Around the spring grew several clumps of slender bamboo that stayed green all year round, their branches shaped like dragon claws, hence known as Dragon Claw Bamboo, also called Bitter Bamboo. The scenery here was serene and beautiful, the surroundings refined and elegant, and it was praised by the ancients as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Songzi.

It is said that during the Shaosheng era of the Northern Song Dynasty, Huang Tingjian was demoted and sent to Qianzhou for his inaccurate recording of Emperor Shenzong’s Veritable Records. On his way from the capital to his place of exile, he passed through Songzi. When he reached Jiehe Town, he spotted a thatched hut and decided to stay there for the night. The abbot, whose Dharma name was Tonghui, warmly welcomed this visitor from afar, arranging food and lodging with great care. After dinner, Huang Tingjian took incense and candles to the front hall to pray. After three kowtows, he looked up and noticed an ink brush stuck upside down in the incense burner. Puzzled, he stepped closer for a better look and was suddenly shocked. Everyone else was equally astonished. Shortly after, Huang turned to Tonghui and said, “May I ask, Elder, where did this brush come from?” Tonghui replied, “This was fished out of the well by this humble monk.” Huang said, “This looks very much like a brush I once lost.” Tonghui said, “In that case, please take a closer look.” Tonghui removed the brush and handed it to Huang. Huang confirmed, “Indeed, look here, Elder—the two characters engraved here are my humble pseudonym.” Tonghui examined the brush and indeed saw faint traces of the characters “Shangu” (Huang’s literary name) at the end of the brush. “Where did you lose this brush, sir?” “In Hamapéi, Sichuan. One day, after writing, I washed the brush but accidentally dropped it into the well. I never expected to find it here today—it’s truly a strange occurrence!” Hearing this, everyone grew even more amazed. Tonghui thought, “An item lost in Sichuan, found again in Chu territory—could it be that my well is connected to the springs of Sichuan?” He then ordered a young monk to draw some water from the well. Huang tasted it and confirmed it had the same flavor as the water from Hamapéi. Tonghui held the brush out and said, “Since this is your brush, sir, it should be returned to you.” Huang replied, “I would rather offer it to you as a gift—please accept it with a smile!”

After seeing off the guest, Tonghui held the brush and walked to the well, gazing at the flowing spring and pondering to himself: “How could such a small, three-inch writing tool, a mere object of literature, have traveled through the underworld, journeyed thousands of miles across mountains and ridges, from Sichuan to Chu?” Unable to understand, he felt bewildered and absentmindedly stuck the brush into the moist ground beside the well. Unexpectedly, the brush took root immediately upon touching the soil, turning green in moments. In less than half an hour, sprouts emerged, and within days, it had grown into dense, leafy bamboo. This bamboo had five branches per joint, unique in form, unlike any other variety such as nan bamboo, osmanthus bamboo, golden bamboo, or water bamboo. Even stranger, while it thrived year-round in this place, it would immediately wither if transplanted elsewhere. Locals came to see it in droves, and because it had traveled such a long distance under hardship to reach this spot, they called it “Bitter Bamboo.” To honor the divine grace, Tonghui went on a pilgrimage to raise funds and restored the temple, naming it “Bitter Bamboo Temple.”

As years passed and seasons changed, five years went by before Huang Tingjian was pardoned and returned. Passing through Jiehe Town again, he saw that the temple had become grand, the pagoda stood tall, the sparse bamboos swayed, and the fine trees were lush—the scenery was completely different from before. Reflecting on the many hardships he had endured and the sudden restoration of imperial favor, he was overwhelmed with emotion and inspired to write a seven-character regulated verse to express his feelings. The poem reads:

Clouds rise—straw sandals tread on straw shoes,

Two hands stroke, drunken eyes open wide.

Bitter bamboo rustles, branches charm the wild,

Sweet spring moistens the brush, poetic flair applied.

Distant chants, crows sing in high chorus,

Pagoda’s shadow, wild geese return in flight.

Elder Tonghui knows me well,

The Gully poet has returned in light.

Bitter Bamboo Temple

Address: Songzi City, Jingzhou, Hubei Province

Jiehe Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Songzi City. Established as Songnan Commune in 1958, renamed Jiehe Market Commune in 1975, and became a town in 1987. Located in the central-southern part of Songzi City, 25 kilometers from the municipal government. Covers an area of 82.8 square kilometers, with a population of 43,000. Administers 26 village committees including Banpingqiao, Lilinzi, Xinsheng, Jiehe Market, Kuzhusi, Zengjiapo, Shuguang, Baiguo Tree, Huaqiao, Wengongshan, Dongshanpo, Huxingshan, Chashi, Meixihe, Xinxing, Xinzhou, Zhujia’dang, Fulin, Shizu, Dongsheng, Leiyingpo, Shuangqiao, Gaofeng, Jianxin, Niuchangling, and Wulichong; and 2… [Detailed information about Jiehe Town++]