Hailshan Longfu Temple

Hailshan Longfu Temple

Hailshan Longfu Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Situated southeast of Shitou Village and southwest of Shanggang Village on Hailshan Island (Hai Shan), at the foot of Yanlou Mountain in Hailshan Town (Island), Longfu Temple was established over a thousand years ago during the Jin Dynasty (265–420), and is recorded as the earliest temple or nunnery built in the Chaoshan area. After many cycles of rise and fall, it was extensively renovated from 1986 to 1994 under the supervision of Venerable Shi Guanghui. The renovated temple is grand and majestic in scale, and was designated as a county-level key cultural relics protection unit on October 21, 1988. It was also registered and opened to the public in the same year.

Nestled on Hailshan, historically known as “Penglai,” and having been linked in the Song Dynasty by monks who brought incense worship to Yongfu Temple in Jingzhou Town (historically called “Yingzhou,” now connected by land), which lies across the sea, the two temples are jointly referred to as the “Ying-Peng Twin Blessed Temples.” Longfu Temple, located on Huangmang Mountain in Jianzhou Fort, Xinning County, was built during the Jin Dynasty, fell into disrepair in the Song Dynasty, and was later rebuilt through fundraising efforts led by local elder Chen Cuiwu and the resident monk Kaiyi, to serve as a venue for scripture lectures. During the excavation, three copper statues were unearthed, currently housed in the temple, each standing over two feet tall and depicting the God of the North. It is the earliest temple in Raoping County and among the oldest in the Chaoshan region. According to surviving stone inscriptions, during the Chunyou era of the Song Dynasty (1241–1252), upon the initiative of the monk Kaiyi and with land donated by Liu Zhizheng, the founding ancestor of the Huanglong Village, the temple was expanded on the ruins of the former site. During foundation digging, a stone plaque bearing the three bold characters “Longfu Temple” from the Jin Dynasty was discovered. These are said to be the handwriting of Wang Xizhi, the Sage of Calligraphy from the Jin Dynasty. Also unearthed was an inscribed stone pillar with the couplet’s upper line: “Hailshan’s scenic charm remains timeless,” but the lower half of the pillar was never found. A local scholar then composed the matching line: “Longfu Temple’s gate renews what once was old,” completing the balanced pair. In the spring of 1750 (Gengwu year of the Qianlong reign), Monk Jinghui led fundraising efforts to renovate the temple, constructing three halls, six courtyards, and nine skywells, including three main shrines, each flanked by three halls and six rooms, all enclosed within perimeter walls, covering a total area of about three acres, making it the largest temple in the county at the time. From 1987 to 1994, under the leadership of the presiding Venerable Shi Guanghui, the temple underwent comprehensive renovation with the generous support of patrons and overseas Chinese, totaling over one million yuan. The project included building a new mountain gate archway, reconstructing the scripture depository, and redesigning the main hall in an imperial palace style, resplendent and magnificent with glazed tiles. All major Buddha statues, Bodhisattvas, and the Eighteen Arhats were remolded in gold, presenting majestic and serene visages. The temple faces east and sits west, with a total floor area of over 1,000 square meters.

The temple is surrounded by a beautiful environment. Beside it stand two ancient banyan trees with root-covered trunks, below which lies a uniquely shaped massive rock known as the “Immortal Riding a Crane.”

Front Hall. Also known as the Heavenly King Hall, it is the first structure visible upon entering the mountain gate, flanked by four tall and imposing Vajra Guardians. In the center of the skywell between the front and middle halls is a double-layer, four-hanging-style roof that resembles an inverted boat, hence its nickname “Inverted Ship Roof.”

Middle Hall. Divided into two sections: the front part houses a statue of the God of the North (Xuan Tian Shang Di) along with an incense table and the Goddess of Mercy of the South Sea (Nan Hai Guan Yin); the rear part enshrines a statue of the Guardian Vajra (Wei Tuo Pu Sa) with an incense table.

Rear Hall. Also called the Mahavira Hall, it is an imperial-style structure with exquisitely carved decorations, upturned eaves, and a majestic aura. The rooftop ridge is inlaid with porcelain figures of “Two Dragons Paying Homage to the Sacred Flame,” crafted masterfully by Cai Jiayu, a renowned local artisan from Raoping County. The corridor in front of the hall holds a rectangular incense table. Between the main hall and the corridor are colorfully carved railings and exquisitely designed window panels.

Scripture Depository. Located at the very rear and on higher ground, it offers a view of the layered halls of the entire temple, surrounded by swaying flowers and trees, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere.

The Qing Dynasty’s “Chronicles of Chaozhou Prefecture” states: “Longfu Temple is located on Huangmang Mountain in Xinning’s Xinnin District, built during the Jin Dynasty,” and was renovated twice during the Song and Ming Dynasties before falling into ruin. In the spring of 1750 (15th year of Qianlong), it was rebuilt again. In 1986, Venerables Shi Guanghui and Shi Dingyin, along with others, raised nearly one million yuan to conduct a full-scale restoration. The temple features an imperial-style structure with three main halls, a large courtyard, and nine skywells; the rear section consists of a two-story main hall and an eight-room scripture depository. With flush-gable roofs and a post-and-lintel beam structure, the entire temple complex is richly carved and adorned with upturned eaves, making it the largest temple in Raoping County. The temple's Buddha statues are all gilded; the ancient bronze plaque in the Guanyin Hall features a relief titled “The Flying Xuan Wu,” weighing over 140 kilograms; there is also a bronze Buddha gifted by the Thai Supreme Patriarch; the scripture depository houses hundreds of volumes of scriptures, including 100 volumes of the “Mahapitaka” donated by Taiwan’s Master Hsing Yun. The main gate of the temple bears the three bold characters “Longfu Temple,” said to be the handwriting of Wang Xizhi from the Jin Dynasty. Zhao Puchu, President of the Buddhist Association of China, Wu Nansheng, Chairman of the Guangdong Provincial Political Consultative Conference, and calligrapher Qin Esheng have all contributed inscriptions for the temple’s name plaques, signs, and couplets. In 1988, it was listed as a county-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Source: Chaozhou Government Website

Hailshan Town: Historically known as Penglai, Hailshan Town is located at the southern frontier of Raoping County and is the only island town in Chaozhou City. During the Ming Dynasty, it belonged to Xinning’s Jianzhou Fort. In 1928, the 17th year of the Republic of China, Hailshan District was established. In January 1950, Hailshan District was formed again, and in 1957 the district was abolished and replaced with two townships: Hainan Township and Haibei Township. In May 1958, these two townships merged into Hailshan Township, which was renamed Hailshan People’s Commune on September 18 of the same year. In November 1983, the commune was restructured into a district, and in November 1986 it became an administrative town under the jurisdiction of Shantou City. Since 1992, it has been governed by Chaozhou City.

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