Kouchi An (Former Site of the Political Department of the Third Division of the Nanchang Uprising Army)

Kouchi An (Former Site of the Political Department of the Third Division of the Nanchang Uprising Army)

Kouchi An (Former Site of the Political Department of the Third Division of the Nanchang Uprising Army) is a cultural relic protection unit of Chaozhou City.

Kouchi An is located in Daohou Lane, Xiaping Road, Chaozhou City. Originally named Jisheng An (also known as Dayin An), it was first built during the Tang Dynasty. The *Hanjiang Ji* by Lin Dachuan in the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty records: “Kouchi An is to the left of the Southern City Academy, where Han Yu’s disciple, the eminent monk Dadian, stayed when he visited the region.” Inside the temple, the plaque of the Dadian Hall is inscribed with four characters: “Cōngmíng Hóngbó” (meaning "intelligent and erudite"). At the center is the Mahavira Hall, and in front of the steps are two ancient banyan trees. They grow without soil, sprouting directly from the stone steps, their trunks a dark iron-like color, exuding an ancient charm. It is said they have a history of several hundred years. Zhou Dunyi, the Transport Judge of Guangdong in the Song Dynasty, left a verse on the wall of the hall: “Gāozhī claimed himself as virtuous as Confucius, yet his essay *Yuandao* criticized Buddhism and Daoism. He didn’t recognize who the venerable Dadian really was — he sent several sincere letters and even left behind his robe.”

The Legend of Kouchi An

It is said that in the first month of the 14th year of the Yuanhe era of the Tang Dynasty (819 AD), Han Yu was demoted to the post of Prefect of Chaozhou for remonstrating against the imperial court’s reception of Buddhist relics, which angered Emperor Xianzong. On the day he arrived at the prefectural office, local officials and citizens lined the streets to welcome him. Seeing their warm welcome, Han Yu was deeply moved. Suddenly, a monk walked towards his horse. The monk was tall, handsome, square-faced, and broad-foreheaded—quite impressive from a distance—but up close, he was frightening. He had two prominent, jutting teeth that, at a glance, resembled the fierce arhats in temples. Han Yu was instantly displeased. However, since no one stopped the monk, and as a prefect, scolding him publicly would be inappropriate, Han Yu held his irritation and thought, “This must be some evil monk. If he deceives the people, I’ll have his two big teeth pulled out.” Upon reaching the prefectural office, Han Yu questioned the monk about his origin and learned that he was the revered Dadian from Jisheng An, known for his virtue and powerful spiritual abilities. (Some say Dadian was the abbot of Ling Mountain Temple in Chaoyang, overseeing both Jisheng An and Ling Mountain Temple.) The next day, just as Han Yu began presiding over official business, an attendant presented him with a small package, sent by the monk Dadian. When Han Yu opened it, he found two large teeth and a letter. The handwriting was dignified and steady, with the message: “Confucians take benevolence as their foundation; Buddhists also save all beings. Though our paths differ, our purpose is the same—let us meet by the seashore.” This puzzled Han Yu: “This monk truly has spiritual insight, knowing what I was thinking.”

Feeling remorseful, Han Yu said, “I hastily judged someone based on appearance and wronged a good man—that was wrong of me.” He then wrote the three characters “Kouchi An” (Temple of the Tooth-Knocker) in his own hand and ordered them to be delivered to Jisheng An. By then, however, the monk Dadian had already gone to Ling Mountain Temple in Chaoyang.

Since then, Jisheng An was renamed “Kouchi An.”

Later, Han Yu exchanged several letters with Dadian, visited him, and the two formed a deep bond. Months later, when Han Yu was reassigned to Yuzhou, he made a special trip to Ling Mountain Temple to bid farewell to Dadian and gave him a robe as a token of their parting. In memory of this, Dadian built a pavilion called “Liuyi Ting” (Pavilion of the Left-Behind Robe) in front of Ling Mountain. Kouchi An is one of the famous temples in Chaozhou. Through recent developments, it has grown into a sizable Buddhist site. Though not very large, it offers visitors a glimpse of the majestic atmosphere of a renowned temple.

Address: Xiaping Road, Xiangqiao District, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province

Type: Historical Site

Recommended Visiting Time: About 1 hour

Ticket Information:

Free admission.