Lianxi Temple

Lianxi Temple

Lianxi Temple is a protected cultural heritage site of Wuhan.

Lianxi Temple is currently the only Buddhist "nunnery monastery" in Wuhan. It was founded in the late Yuan and early Ming dynasties, originally located outside Zhonghe Gate (now Qiyi Gate) in Wuchang at a place called Lüwayao. At that time, it was a thriving center for ordination and temporary monastic residence, known as a “monastery for all directions.” However, it was completely destroyed in the late Ming dynasty. During the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty, Elder Faron rebuilt the temple at its current site. In 1856 (the sixth year of the Xianfeng era), it was again destroyed by war, leaving only inscribed stelae on the abandoned site. Soon after, Monk Zhengfang erected a thatched hut to maintain incense offerings in spring. In 1889 (the fifteenth year of the Guangxu era), Monk Daoming, a medical monk from Sichuan, reconstructed the temple once more. He contributed his own savings of two thousand taels of silver and solicited donations from all quarters, acquiring assets such as paddy fields, mountain land, and trees, aiming to “restore the ancient appearance to properly enshrine the deities.” He successively rebuilt dozens of structures including the mountain gate, Buddha hall, guest hall, dining hall, corridors, and living quarters, as well as installed numerous Buddha statues and acquired scriptures and ritual instruments, gradually restoring the temple to its former scale as a “monastery for all directions.”

Most of the main buildings that exist in the temple today were constructed during that period. The temple name personally inscribed by Daoming in 1891 is still embedded in the mountain gate. Since then, the abbots of Lianxi Temple have passed through six generations: Daoming – Xinjing – Tikong – Caokun – Daogen – Cixue.

Lianxi Temple is renowned among the four major Buddhist monasteries in Wuhan as a lotus dojo. In 1911 (the third year of the Xuantong era), the temple was approved to house a collection of scriptures, which remained well-preserved until before the Cultural Revolution. It also housed rare treasures such as a black jade Guanyin statue and a purple gold alms bowl. Unfortunately, most of these precious cultural relics were lost during the Cultural Revolution. Lianxi Temple was also a base for Buddhist education. In 1928, under the leadership of Monk Tikong, funds were raised to establish the prestigious Huayan University. Distinguished monks such as Xingche, Jitong, and Tiru were hired as faculty, and over 30 disciples were trained within three years. These graduates spread across China and abroad, making it the highest Buddhist academic institution in the country at the time.

In 1959, the temple was listed as a key cultural heritage site of Hubei Province and placed under proper management. For a time, a crematorium was operated there, and incense offerings gradually flourished. During the Cultural Revolution, Lianxi Temple also suffered and the monastics were driven out. In 1983, the government implemented religious policies, allowing the temple to be revitalized. The crematorium and a local street factory were relocated, dispersed nuns were brought back, and in 1986, Master Cixue from Qinyin Temple in Hankou was appointed as the abbot, reopening the temple as a nunnery monastery open to the public. Currently, over 50 nuns reside in the temple, and a training program called the “Aidao Training Class” for young nuns has been established, with students coming from nearby provinces and cities.

In recent years, the municipal government and the city’s Buddhist association, among others, have invested over 600,000 yuan to restore five main halls and recast more than 30 Buddha statues. The newly renovated Lianxi Chan Temple features a tranquil environment and a classic, simple style. The rhythmic sound of wooden fish echoes alongside dim lamps and yellow scrolls, making it an ideal place for monastics to practice.