Lion Temple

Lion Temple

The Lion Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Lion Temple (Stone Buddha Temple)

The Lion Temple in Qingshan (Shi Bei), Xixiang Township, Jiangzhou Town, Raoping County, also known as the Stone Buddha Temple due to its natural stone Buddha and seated stone Guanyin statue, is widely renowned. It originated during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279). Starting in 1994, Venerable Qingxu (also known as Damao) took residence and began constructing the temple on the hillside, which was largely completed by the summer of 2003. Nestled against the mountain and facing the sea, the temple boasts a majestic presence. A major road leading into downtown Jiangzhou runs right in front of the temple entrance, making it very convenient for visitors to pay their respects or for tourism purposes.

Local elders recount that during the late Southern Song Dynasty, amid war and chaos, a northern monk wandered here and, upon seeing this green oasis by the sea, felt compelled to settle down. He built a thatched hut and carved sacred images out of stone, striking a bell and chanting scriptures as he practiced his faith. Locals called it the “Stone Buddha Temple.” During the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), a massive tidal surge brought rolling waves to the shores of Qingshan, destroying the hut and submerging the statues, leaving only legends behind.

Time passed and circumstances changed. In 1956, land reclamation transformed the landscape of Qingshan. In 1990, Venerable Dinghui (1912–1992), the abbot of Dinghui Jing Temple in Xianzhou Township, Qiandong Town, passed by and suddenly heard the sounds of bells and drums but found no temple in sight. The following year, locals unearthed a natural stone Buddha and a seated stone Guanyin statue just three inches below the ground—an extraordinary discovery. Amazed, they enshrined the statues with great reverence. In March 1994, at the request of the local community, Venerable Qingxu came to establish the temple here.

The temple faces west and covers an area of 15 acres, enclosed by a rectangular wall measuring 200 meters in length and 150 meters in width. The total floor area of the temple buildings exceeds 2,000 square meters, including a grand mountain gate, the Mahavira Hall, the Five Guanyin Hall building, and the Stone Buddha Hall.

This ancient temple full of legend, together with the nearby magnificently rebuilt Yongfu Temple, forms two radiant jewels of Buddhist architecture in Jiangzhou, attracting much admiration and attention.

Source: Chaozhou Government Website

Jiangzhou Town: Jiangzhou, anciently known as Yingzhou, was first established in the late Tang Dynasty and is one of the officially recognized towns in Guangdong Province after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Located in the southern coastal region of Raoping County and west of the 300 Gates Port in Chaozhou City, the town covers a total area of 42.6 square kilometers, with 10.5 kilometers of coastline and 26.4 square kilometers of sea area. Rich in marine resources, it leads the county in the scale of seawater aquaculture, especially its well-known cultivated oysters (commonly called “big oysters”), which are plump, delicious, and popular both domestically and internationally, earning the town the reputation of the “Home of Big Oysters.” The town’s land area is 16.2 square kilometers, including a 4-square-kilometer town center area... More detailed information about Jiangzhou Town++