Nanyue Zhusheng Temple

Nanyue Zhusheng Temple

Nanyue Zhusheng Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Hunan Province.

Zhusheng Temple: Located on East Street of the ancient town, about half a li from Nanyue Grand Temple, it is said to have been built during the Tang Dynasty. The current temple was reconstructed during the Qing Dynasty’s Kangxi reign. Major structures include the Guan Yu Hall, Mahavira Hall, Medicine Buddha Hall, Dharma Hall, Abbot’s Quarters, Guanyin Hall, and Arhat Hall. The Arhat Hall features 500 intricately carved stone arhats inlaid on both walls, showcasing notable artistic value.

Zhusheng Temple has a long history. According to the Nanyue Zongsheng Ji (Comprehensive Victory Record of Nanyue), Emperor Yu of the Xia Dynasty built the Qingling Palace here to enshrine Emperor Shun. During the Tang Dynasty, the eminent monk Chengyuan (712–802) founded a Buddhist monastery here named Mituo Platform Temple. Chengyuan followed the Pure Land sect of Buddhism, also known as the Lotus Sect, which centers on chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha to seek rebirth in the Western Pure Land. To this day, the Pure Land sect recognizes thirteen patriarchs, namely: Huiyuan, Shandao, Chengyuan, Fazhao, Shaokang, Yanshou, Shengchang, Zhixu, Shixian, Xingwei, Shixian, Jixing, and Yinguang. Chengyuan is revered as the third patriarch of the Pure Land sect, and his enduring legacy mainly stems from propagating the Pure Land teachings in Nanyue.

In the fifth year of the Tang Dynasty’s Huichang era (845), Emperor Wuzong (Li Yan), who disfavored Buddhism and instead revered Taoism under the influence of the Taoist priest Zhao Guizhen, ordered the suppression of Buddhism. With Zhao’s encouragement, the emperor destroyed 44,600 temples and forced 260,500 monks and nuns to return to lay life. This event is known as the Huichang Buddhist Persecution, or the Third Disaster of the Buddhist Law. The Mituo Temple was ruined during this catastrophe.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period (930–960), Ma Yin, who controlled Hunan and declared himself the King of Chu, saw Lady Yang Ziying, a high-ranking imperial consort, donate funds to rebuild a temple on the site of the former Mituo Temple. Ma Yin named it “Baoguo Temple.”

By the Song Dynasty, the Zhao imperial court once again embraced Buddhism, leading to its revival. During the Taiping Xingguo era (968–976), Emperor Taizong Zhao Guangyi issued an edict renaming the temple “Shengye Temple.” In the first year of Xuanhe (1119), Emperor Huizong, a Taoism devotee, decreed the construction of “Shenxiao Palaces” nationwide. Local officials often repurposed major temples for this, and Shengye Temple was converted into a Shenxiao Palace overseen by an appointed official. It was later restored as a temple. During the Xuanhe era, the Tiantai sect monk Fazhong traveled across renowned sites to reach Hengyang and Xiangjiang. The Hengzhou censor Feng Ji invited him to take charge of what would become Zhusheng Temple, supporting Fazhong in a comprehensive restoration of the temple structures, creation of Buddha statues, and management of temple properties. The temple flourished anew. The eminent scholar, educator, and philosopher Zhu Xi, who served four emperors — Gaozong, Xiaozong, Guangzong, and Ningzong — along with the philosopher and educator Zhang Shi, visited Nanyue and took rest at Shengye Temple.

Over the more than 160 years of the Yuan Dynasty (1206–1368), Shengye Temple underwent multiple renovations and tree plantings around the complex, and its Buddhist activities remained vigorous.

During the Ming Dynasty, Shengye Temple was repaired several times. In the eighth year of the Chongzhen era (1635), Abbot Foding oversaw a major renovation of the temple buildings and Buddha statues.

In the early Qing Dynasty, Zhusheng Temple was further renovated and rebuilt, becoming a grand and thriving monastery. In the 44th year of Kangxi’s reign (1705), Zhao Shenqiao, the governor of Hunan, planned to welcome Emperor Kangxi on his southern tour and undertook large-scale construction, transforming the site into a magnificent temporary imperial palace. However, as the emperor did not come, it was renamed Zhusheng Temple. After Kangxi, successive abbots such as Dan Yuan, Qian Can, and Foge expanded and beautified the temple, attracting a continuous stream of worshippers. Locals summarized the “Ten Scenic Spots of Zhusheng”: Noon Pavilion Sun Measurement, Twin Pavilions Soaring to the Sky, Pine Waves under Moonlight, Verdant Cypresses Caressing Clouds, Monkeys Aware of Meditation, Geese Accustomed to Scriptures, Incense Smoke from the Altar, Self-Sounding Mountain Bells, Cloud Light over the Mountain, and Waterfall Flowing into the Kitchen — showcasing its breathtaking scenery.

In the 44th year of the Qing Kangxi era (1705), Governor Zhao Shenqiao of Hunan heard that Emperor Kangxi was planning a southern tour, so he oversaw large-scale construction, expanding the site into a grand temporary palace. As the emperor never came, it was renamed Zhusheng Temple. After the Yongzheng era, abbots such as Danyuan, Qian Can, and Foge further enhanced the temple’s grandeur, drawing endless streams of worshippers. People summarized the “Ten Scenic Views of Zhusheng”: Central Pavilion Sun Measurement, Twin Towers Piercing the Clouds, Pine Waves under Moonlight, Emerald Cypresses Brushing Clouds, Monkeys Knowing Meditation, Geese Accustomed to Scriptures, Incense Haze from the Altar, Mountain Bells Sounding by Themselves, Cloud Light over Mount Heng, and Waterfall Flowing into the Kitchen, reflecting its stunning beauty.

During the Republican era, Monk Kongye held a “Tiantai Sect School” at Zhusheng Temple. In 1929, the renowned Hunan monk Lingtao (1898–1950) established the “Nanyue Buddhist Training Institute” here, nurturing a group of monastic talents.

On May 7, 1937, out of concern for the nation’s future and dedication to resisting foreign aggression, Buddhist and Taoist followers in Nanyue, inspired by Ye Jianying — then deputy director of the Kuomintang-Communist Cooperative Nanyue Guerrilla Cadre Training Class — established the patriotic “Nanyue Buddhist-Taoist Relief Association” at Zhusheng Temple. At the meeting, Ye Jianying gave a speech titled “To Save All Beings, One Must Knock on the Hard Door of Reality,” greatly encouraging the monastic community. The association not only sent three monks to the guerrilla training class but also organized monastic training sessions teaching military basics and medical care for the wounded. Later, they formed two outreach groups — the “Buddhist Youth Service Corps” and the “Buddhist Mobile Work Corps” — which traveled to cities like Changsha and Xiangtan to promote anti-Japanese salvation efforts, awakening public resistance against invasion and for national defense. Figures like Guo Moruo, Zou Taofen, and Tian Han offered strong support for the patriotic actions of Nanyue’s Buddhist and Taoist communities. Zou Taofen published the association’s founding declaration and charter in his magazine “National Resistance.” Tian Han praised them in verse: “Not clad in silk but in robes of service, daring to stir trouble in the human realm; lamenting how spring in Xiaoxiang fades too soon, sitting entranced before the flowers, forgetting to leave.”

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, Zhusheng Temple became the center of Buddhist activities in Nanyue. The “Nanyue Buddhist Association,” established in 1956, was headquartered here. Monks upheld the fine tradition of “combining farming with meditation,” organizing Buddhists for labor and achieving self-sufficiency. During the Cultural Revolution, Buddhist activities were halted, and Buddha statues, scriptures, and ritual instruments were lost, though the temple structures remained intact. Starting in 1979, with the implementation of religious freedom policies, monks gradually returned. In 1980, Zhusheng Temple was handed over to the Nanyue Buddhist Association for management. State funding enabled comprehensive restoration, and in May 1985, a grand ceremony was held for the consecration of the Buddha statues, marking a major event in Nanyue.