Haixing Chan Temple

Haixing Chan Temple

Haixing Chan Temple, commonly known as Shifo Temple, is located at the foot of Maoshi Hill on the eastern side of Beimen Neighborhood Committee along Shugang Road in Haimen Town, Chaoyang. Nestled against the mountain and facing the sea, it overlooks Lianfeng Peak to the front, neighbors the harbor to the south, borders the Lianjiang River to the north, and lies adjacent to the Guangzhou–Shanwei Expressway nearby, with the Mianhai Highway running across in front. The temple enjoys convenient transportation while retaining tranquility amid bustle, offering a serene environment. The Buddhist halls are built along the mountain, featuring upturned eaves and ridges, arranged in close order and staggered layout, showcasing a distinctive ancient-style architectural charm of a Chan monastery. Haixing Chan Temple currently covers an area of about 60 acres and is a newly developed, grand-scale Buddhist complex in Chaoyang, as well as a solemn place for devotees from all directions to worship and practice Buddhism.

In response to devotees’ invitation, Venerable Master Longdao came to Haimen Town to spread the Dharma in the early spring of 1996. Passing by Wushiku, he observed the Lianjiang River flowing toward the tides, heard the ocean sounds all around, and although the land was strewn with rubble, he sensed it to be a treasured site for a Chan monastery. Thus, the idea of establishing a temple here was born. When this intention spread, devotees offered their support, and construction began in March, involving mountain excavation and stone cutting. On the ninth day of the fifth lunar month, under a clear and sunny sky, as explosives were being used to break rocks, suddenly a heavy rain poured down, and amidst the rubble, a dignified stone-carved Buddha statue, over 30 centimeters tall, emerged (its birthday is celebrated annually on the ninth day of the fifth lunar month). Finally, on the fifth day of the first lunar month in 1997, after just seven months, a brand-new Buddhist hall with double eaves and double wing rooms was completed. During the mountain excavation, aside from discovering the Buddha statue, a peculiar bluish-black stone resembling the Maitreya Buddha was also found, which was then carved into the Wushi Buddha. It is now enshrined in the Heavenly King Hall and is considered one of the temple’s treasures and wonders.

The temple faces southwest and is oriented from the northeast, with a total investment of over 10 million yuan and a total construction area of more than 2,000 square meters (covering a land area of over 2,000 square meters). There are 99 stone steps leading up to the temple, which consists of the Mountain Gate, Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Shifo Hall, Scripture Depository, two-story monks' residence building, three-story laypeople's building, Ancestral Hall, Disaster-Relieving Hall, Dining Hall, and others.