Zhongshan Xishan Temple

Zhongshan Xishan Temple

Zhongshan Xishan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Zhongshan Xishan Temple is located within Xishan Park in the urban area of Zhongshan, Guangdong Province. Originally named Renshou Chanlin, also known as Renshou Temple, it is also called Wufeng and First Peak. Built during the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, it was a gathering place for scholars and has a history of over 400 years. The temple occupies a land area of 1,671.85 square meters, with a built-up area of 1,363.46 square meters.

Xishan Temple faces south and has three courtyards, with a flush-gable roof and a post-and-lintel wooden structure. The front courtyard has side rooms on both sides, and the corridors on both sides of the courtyard have arched roofs. The rear courtyard has side chapels on both sides, and the third courtyard is a two-story building made of cement and red bricks, with the ground floor serving as monk quarters and the upper floor used for storing scriptures. The environment around Xishan Temple’s Wufeng is beautiful, attracting many visitors. During Buddhist festivals, the first and fifteenth days of the lunar month, and other special occasions, worshippers flock to the temple to offer incense. In the early years after liberation, monks still conducted ceremonies and prayers at the temple. From the 1950s to the 1970s, religious beliefs were criticized as feudalism, capitalism, and revisionism, and temples were taken over and repurposed.

In 1987, the government implemented religious policies, relocated the occupying entities, and returned Xishan Temple to its original use as a Buddhist site. On October 5, 1988, the temple officially reopened to the public. After discussions and coordination by the Municipal Religious Affairs Department, monks from other temples were relocated to Xishan Temple to live and practice together. These included Shi Qingzhen from Huanlin Temple, Shi Zhiming from Baiyi Ancient Temple, Li Yinxi from Huaiyuan Temple, and Shi Miaoyin from Xiaolan Yinxiu Temple. All were around 60 to 70 years old, and they were very pleased to be able to practice together.

Since then, Xishan Temple has flourished with incense, attracting a constant stream of worshippers. In the 1990s, two young monks, Jingcan and Jingwu (who later left the monastic life), were trained. Jingxiu became a disciple of Chunzhen in 1989 and spent some time studying at Nan Hua Temple in Shaoguan. After the passing of Abbot Chunzhen in May 1998, Jingxiu returned to Xishan Temple to take charge of all temple affairs.

Xishan Temple has long been cherished by locals as a historic site. However, since its last renovation, many years have passed. It has suffered from weathering, damage during the Japanese invasion when the region fell, as well as the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution’s ten-year period. This led to the deterioration of the courtyards, dispersal of monks, destruction of Buddha statues, loss of scriptures, cessation of incense burning, and the remaining structure being nothing but dilapidated main halls and three plaques inscribed with “Renshou Chanlin,” “Xishan First Peak,” and “Liumian Ancient Path.” The red cotton tree’s old shade and blessed land shine anew; though the mountain may be small, clouds still emerge from its peaks, and though the terrace may be high, trees still grow tall toward the sky. Only two couplets and the stone inscription of the rebuilt Laofeng Renshou Temple plaque remain.

Today, the Zhongshan Municipal People's Government respects the religious beliefs of local people and protects historical sites. In the spring of 1987, the Xishan Temple Renovation Committee was established, and special funds were allocated for the reconstruction. Upon hearing the news, the temple and overseas and Hong Kong-Macau devotees responded enthusiastically, donating generously to support the project. Former monks of the temple returned to lead the restoration efforts. In the summer of 1987, work began to renovate the Mahavira Hall and the Pagoda of Many Treasures, and new golden statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Maitreya Buddha, Guanyin, Ksitigarbha, Sangharama, and Skanda were created. Zhao Puchu, President of the Buddhist Association of China, happily inscribed the plaques for the Mahavira Hall and “Ten Thousand Virtues and Majesty.” By the midsummer of 1988, the first phase of the restoration project was completed. In this prosperous and peaceful era, Xishan Temple continues to shine with Buddhist light and the sounds of bells and drums, praying for national peace, prosperity, and the flourishing of the local community. This stone inscription is erected to pass on the legacy to future generations.

The temple now houses the Sangharama Hall, Skanda Hall, Mahavira Hall, Cundi Hall, Guanyin Hall, Sixth Patriarch Hall, Earth Store Hall, and Pagoda Hall, all quite magnificent. During the “0” period, cultural relics were lost, and monks left. However, a couplet at the entrance, “Red Cotton Old Shade, Blessed Land Shines Anew,” and the horizontal plaque “Renshou Chan Temple” (with bold and powerful calligraphy, said to have been written by the Qing Dynasty famous calligrapher Zhang Yutang using his fist—later referred to as “fist writing”) were fortunately preserved intact.

Address: No. 242, Sun Wen Middle Road, Zhongshan City

Type: Temple

Recommended visiting time: 1–2 hours

Opening hours: Open all day

Shiqi District Subdistrict: Shiqi District is located in the center of the city’s urban area, covering a total area of 49.72 square kilometers, with a registered population of 169,400 and a non-registered population of 40,900. It governs 19 community residents' committees. In 2006, in line with the work requirements of “scientific development, standardized management, and humanized work,” the district comprehensively advanced economic, political, cultural, and social development, achieving new successes in regional economy and various undertakings. The annual gross domestic product reached 6.595 billion yuan, an increase of 18.06% over the previous year; the total industrial and agricultural output value was 7.518 billion yuan, an increase of... Detailed information about Shiqi District Subdistrict++