Dongshan Ancient Temple

Dongshan Ancient Temple

Dongshan Ancient Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Dongshan Ancient Temple is located in Wufeng Mountain, Wushi Town, Pingjiang County, Hunan Province. Surrounded by green mountains and towering ancient trees, the temple boasts an elegant environment and beautiful scenery. Five peaks encircle the temple, standing tall as symbols of the emergence of five Buddhas who relieve sentient beings from suffering.

According to the *Hunan Provincial Gazetteer* and the *Pingjiang County Annals*, Dongshan Ancient Temple was first built in the fifth year of the Yuanhe era during the Tang Dynasty, boasting a history of over a thousand years. At that time, the temple was home to many eminent monks, including the highly enlightened Master Ruhui of Dongshan Temple. During its peak, the temple housed over 500 monks, making it the largest monastery in northern Hunan. For various reasons, the temple had been occupied by a school for decades until May 1988, when the school relocated. With approval from provincial and county authorities, the original ancient temple was restored and designated as a key provincial-level protected Buddhist site. Led by Master Benzhi and with the support of devoted monks and lay followers, efforts were made to reclaim the entire temple property, reviving this millennia-old sacred site as one of the key Buddhist centers in northern Hunan.

The temple currently has over thirty resident monastics who engage in diligent practice—laboring during the day and chanting or meditating at night. Due to the age and dilapidation of the buildings, funds were raised to rebuild the Mahavira Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Bell and Drum Towers, dining hall, and living quarters, along with crafting new Buddha statues, at a total cost of over one million yuan. Additionally, plans are underway to create statues of the Five Hundred Arhats, construct a scripture depository, and establish a practice center for nuns.

The founding patriarch of Dongshan Ancient Temple was Monk Miaolian. Historically, the temple was also home to the renowned abbot Master Ruhui. According to inscriptions in the temple, its lineage follows a dual practice of Chan (Zen) and Pure Land Buddhism. The two most significant reconstructions in the temple’s history occurred in the fourth year of the Tongzhi era during the Qing Dynasty and in 1988. Important cultural relics include an ancient maple tree from the Song Dynasty, nearly a thousand years old, and two stone steles documenting the temple’s brief history and records of benefactors. The temple also houses a uniquely shaped incense burner, recognized as a national second-class cultural relic.

The most celebrated figure associated with the temple’s revival is Master Benzhi. Born Cao Xiuyun in Honghua Township, Miluo County, Master Benzhi lost his father at a young age and grew up in poverty with his three siblings. After graduating from junior high, he returned to farming but developed the aspiration to ordain at age sixteen, though his family strongly opposed it. He gradually studied Buddhist scriptures and vowed to attain liberation within three years. On the night of November 15, 1980, while chanting before the Buddha, he suddenly saw a large lotus flower drifting from the west, approaching closer until it nearly touched his head. He rushed to his room, retrieved a surgical knife, and after taking a solemn vow, performed self-castration. At that moment, torrential rain and thunder ensued. As he was carried to the hospital on a stretcher, the rain abruptly stopped. Over the four-mile journey, the rain resumed only after they arrived. Those who carried the stretcher reported an extraordinary fragrance along the way, and the operating room was filled with sandalwood incense. Master Benzhi remained fully conscious throughout. The *Hunan Daily* documented this event—one of only two such acts of extreme devotion by Chinese monks in recorded history.

In December 1980, at just nineteen, Master Benzhi traveled to Yunmen Temple in Ruyuan County, Guangdong Province, founded by Zen Patriarch Yunmen Wenyan, where he ordained under the guidance of Master Foyuan. He assisted in restoring the temple grounds, dedicating himself to rigorous practice and enduring hardship. Over several years, he helped raise millions of yuan to renovate Yunmen Temple into a renewed sanctuary. In 1988, responding to repeated earnest requests from lay practitioners in Pingjiang, Hunan, he returned to his homeland to rebuild temples, tirelessly working to alleviate the suffering of others. He treated countless patients with patience and compassion, healing both body and mind. Master Benzhi currently serves as Vice President of the Yueyang Buddhist Association in Hunan Province, a member of the Yueyang Municipal Political Consultative Conference, President of the Pingjiang County Buddhist Association, and Abbot of Dongshan Ancient Temple.

Wushi Town: The territory of Wushi Town is located in the western part of the county, bordering Xinshi Town of Miluo City. During the Qing Dynasty, it was part of Fuhua Township’s 16th District. In the early Republican era, it belonged to Yongsui District and later to Sui’an Township in District 4. In the early years of the People’s Republic of China, it was merged into Pingsui Township under District 14. By the late 1960s, it became Lishan District, which included four townships: Lishan, Sanhe, Shifeng, and Xiangjia. In 1995, following district and township consolidation, the former Xiangjia Township was split off to become a separate town, while the other three townships merged to form Wushi Town, named after the ancient place name Wugongshi where the town government is located.

Wushi Town is traversed by the Miluo River and lies at the junction of Pingjiang, Changsha, and Miluo counties/cities, earning it the reputation of being a “... Wushi Town detailed information++”