Baohua Mountain Yongtian Temple in Hengxian

Baohua Mountain Yongtian Temple in Hengxian

Baohua Mountain Yongtian Temple in Hengxian is a cultural heritage site protected by Hengxian County.

Baohua Mountain, also known as Nanshan, is the highest peak in southern Hengxian. Its main summit, Foguangding, rises 563.7 meters above sea level and boasts a majestic presence, often shrouded in auspicious clouds. The appearance of Buddha’s halo creates a breathtaking spectacle, making it a renowned Buddhist mountain in Guangxi and earning it the nickname “Little Mount Wutai” within China’s Buddhist community.

Yongtian Temple is located halfway up Baohua Mountain, also known as Shoufo Temple. It was built during the Shaoxing era of the Song Dynasty. In the 28th year of the Zhiyuan reign of the Yuan Dynasty, General Deng Yuanfu rebuilt it. It was further renovated during the Hongwu, Xuande, and Zhengtong eras of the Ming Dynasty. Legend has it that two monks once practiced here—one riding a flowered tiger and the other a white deer, both often seen by locals, hence they were called the Tiger and Deer Zen Masters. After Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty abdicated, he traveled under the name Yang Yingneng through the regions of Hunan, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Fujian before arriving in Guangdong. He spent fifteen years in seclusion at this temple without anyone knowing his identity. He inscribed the plaque “Shoufo Chanlin” (Shoufo Buddhist Grove) and also wrote “First Among Ten Thousand Mountains,” which was hung above the temple gate. Fearing discovery, he then left again. At the mountaintop stands the Chaoyan Pavilion, which houses a statue of Guanyin. It was built in the 33rd year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty by Deng Guocai, a local gentry member.

Historical records indicate that Baohua Mountain’s Yongtian Shoufo Temple flourished during the Tang Dynasty, once hosting hundreds, even nearly a thousand resident monks. Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty resided in the temple for 15 years—an occurrence unique in the history of Chinese Buddhism. The famous Ming Dynasty geographer and traveler Xu Xiake also made a special trip to study the temple, giving it high visibility and celebrity appeal both in China and abroad. Since ancient times, Baohua Mountain has also produced the renowned tea variety “Shengzhong White Hair Tea,” said to have been personally planted by Emperor Jianwen of the Ming Dynasty, and has long been famous both domestically and internationally.

According to the Guangxi General Gazetteer, in April of the second year of the Zhengde reign of the Ming Dynasty, the Hengzhou Monastic Authority was established at this temple (the Monastic Authority being an official title for monastic administration). During the Kaicheng era of Emperor Wenzong of the Tang Dynasty, the positions of Left and Right Monastic Registrars were first created. The Ming Dynasty later established the Monastic Records Bureau to oversee Buddhism, along with Monastic Regulation Bureaus in each prefecture, Monastic Records Offices in each district, and Monastic Assemblies in each county, all of which were abolished in the Qing Dynasty. Monks from across Guangxi would come here to study Buddhist rituals, often gathering by the hundreds to stay, learn, and worship. To feed so many people, the temple specially forged a massive iron cauldron and built a tall stove, channeling stream water into the kitchen for cooking. The stove was so high that a ladder was required to reach it. During the Hongzhi era, a large cauldron handle was unearthed—its inner diameter was so wide that a person could walk through it. This gives you an idea of just how enormous the cauldron was, and by extension, how thriving the temple must have been in those days.

Baohua Village: Located in the southern part of Naya Town, Baohua Village in Naya Town is 16 kilometers from the town government seat. The village administers 5 economic cooperatives, 25 villager groups, and has a population of 2,483. The village Party (general) branch has 5 sub-branches and currently 41 Party members. The village has 1,223 mu of arable land and over 14,000 mu of forested land. Key cash crops include tea and high-quality rice, while some households rely mainly on poultry farming and migrant work for income. In 2011, the per capita net income of the village was 2,900 yuan. In recent years, Baohua Village has thoroughly implemented the Scientific Outlook on Development and carried out the “Leading Goose” initiative... More details about Baohua Village++