Linjiang Temple

Linjiang Temple

Linjiang Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Linjiang Temple, formerly known as Baoshou Temple, is located on the floating hill at the foot of Dajia Mountain in Qiandong Town, Raoping County. It sits backed by a range of peaks and faces Huangtong Ridge, with vast fields and Hui Village lying below. Surrounded by a tranquil environment where pine and bamboo grow interspersed, it is a renowned ancient temple. In 1988, it was designated as one of the county's cultural heritage protection units and was officially registered and opened to the public. The temple was established in the fourth year of the Chunxi era in the Song Dynasty (1177). Its architectural structure follows the style of an ancestral hall, featuring two facing sections with four halls, four rooms, and one central courtyard. The main structure covers an area of 315.8 square meters. The mountain gate is situated on the eastern hall, with an open plaza outside where vegetables and flowers are grown. On the other side of the plaza, there are guest rooms and a vegetarian dining hall. There are three guest rooms and one hall with one room in the dining hall. A stone plaque from the Song Dynasty inscribed with the three characters “Lin Jiang Si” (Linjiang Temple) still remains. Surrounded by thousands of slender bamboos and a clear lotus pond, the temple enjoys an elegant atmosphere described as “mist-enveloped” and “moonlit.” The upper hall houses the Mahavira Hall, where the Three Saints of the West are enshrined. Incense smoke lingers, bells and drums sound continuously, and sutras are chanted melodiously.

Legend has it that the temple was built by devotees from the Lin and Jiang families, hence its name “Linjiang Temple.” In the fifteenth year of the Chenghua era in the Ming Dynasty (1479), the year after Raoping County was established, the temple underwent a complete reconstruction. The temple’s scale was said to include ninety-nine halls and rooms, and its land holdings were documented as 397.92 mu (approximately 26.5 hectares), which led to the saying “Kaiyuan Temple in Chaozhou is to Raoping’s Linjiang Temple.” By the 26th year of the Kangxi era in the Qing Dynasty (1687), the time when the county magistrate compiled the local chronicles, the temple had fallen into disuse again. It experienced multiple cycles of prosperity and decline, and was renovated again in 1920, though its scale was far less grand than during its peak in the Ming Dynasty. Today, remnants of an octagonal stone pillar from the Song Dynasty can be found buried underground behind the temple, and multiple large column bases are located on both sides in front of the temple, serving as evidence of its former grandeur. In 1980, the presiding monk Shi Hongying raised funds from overseas Chinese and compatriots in Hong Kong to renovate the temple.

After renovation, the ancient temple regained its splendor. The Buddha statues are solemn, and the temple attracts a continuous stream of worshippers and visitors from all directions.

Source: Chaoshan Government Website

Qiandong Town: Located at the western gateway of Raoping County, Qiandong Town borders Huanggang Town (the county seat) to the east, Yunhong Town in Chenghai District and Tiepu Town in Xiangqiao District of Shantou City to the west, Zhangzhou Town to the south, and Gaotang Town and Zhangxi Town to the north. The town covers a total area of 136 square kilometers, including 25,500 mu of cultivated land, 88,000 mu of mountainous land, and 5,000 mu of tidal flats. With a total population of 98,161, it governs 25 village committees, 3 community neighborhood committees, and 2 fruit and forestry farms. In 2016, the town’s industrial output value reached 3.737 billion yuan, a 14.5% increase; there were 19 large-scale industrial enterprises with a combined output value of 3.0… More detailed information about Qiandong Town++