Ruins of Guangfa Temple

Ruins of Guangfa Temple

The ruins of Guangfa Temple are a cultural tourism attraction.

During the Song Dynasty, in Ningfeng Township, Tanzhen County (now Teng County), there lived Qisong, described as having “poetry akin to that of the great Du Fu” and whose works “still shine over the land of Wu after a thousand years.” Qisong was appointed by Emperor Shenzong of Song as the Chief Monk of the Bureau of Monastic Affairs (equivalent to the current president of the Buddhist Association of China), and during the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, he was bestowed the title of “Master of Ming Teaching.” The Guangfa Temple, where Qisong studied and practiced Buddhism (its ruins are located near the Guanyin Lotus Throne of Taiping Lion Mountain), once became the national center for Buddhist studies and the most revered temple among followers.