Santai Zunshe Temple

Santai Zunshe Temple

Santai Zunshe Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Zunshe Temple is located on Zhanshengba on the eastern bank of the Fu River in Zhansheng Township, Santai County. Zhanshengba enjoys convenient transportation—travelers can head north to Mianyang or south to Santai via the Mian (Yang)–Santai Highway. The Mian (Yang)–Suining Expressway runs through the area, creating unprecedented opportunities for the development and utilization of the temple’s cultural and tourism resources.

Legend has it that Zunshe Temple was first built during the Southern Song Dynasty by disciples of the Yanshan Sect of the Zen school of Buddhism. In the 13th year of the Yongle reign during the Ming Dynasty (1415), the Main Buddha Hall was rebuilt. In the 28th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1689), under the guidance of the Línjì Sect monk Ruìyán, who served as the abbot at the time, the Scripture Depository was expanded. In the 5th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1740), the Sangharama Hall was reconstructed. In the 18th year of the Republic of China (1929), warlord Tián Sòngyáo forcibly requisitioned over sixty acres of fertile land belonging to the “temple estate” of Zunshe Temple to fund the construction of the “Tongbao Road,” leaving only “seven or eight acres of barren hillside around the temple” for its own use. From then on, Zunshe Temple fell into decline.

According to the “Republic of China Santai County Annals,” monk Ruìyán of Zunshe Temple was an outstanding Buddhist master in early Qing Dynasty Santai, “who regarded it as his mission to uphold the traditions and blaze new trails.” This reflects the temple’s significant status and influence at the time. In October 1999, the People’s Government of Mianyang designated Zunshe Temple as a cultural relics protection unit.

Protected Area: 17 meters east from the drip line of Guānshèngdiàn (also known as the Sangharama Hall), 6 meters west from the drip line of the Scripture Depository to the drainage ditch, 10 meters south from the drip line of the Main Buddha Hall, and 10 meters north from the drip line of the Main Buddha Hall.

Construction Control Zone: Extending 20 meters beyond the protected area—east to the playground of the Zhansheng Township Elderly Care Home, west to the self-cultivated fields of Zunshe Temple, south to the drainage ditch outside the Elderly Care Home, and north to the farmland of Group Six in Qingpi Village.

The extant ancient architectural complex of Zunshe Temple from the Ming and Qing Dynasties covers a land area of 3,605 m², with a building area of 934.255 m². From south to north, its main structures are the Sangharama Hall, the Main Buddha Hall, and the Scripture Depository.

The Sangharama Hall, commonly known among locals as Guānshèngdiàn (Guangong Hall), is a wooden structure with a single-eave, hanging-hip roof. It features a width of 8 pillars across 7 bays and a depth of 4 pillars across 3 bays. Inscriptions in ink beneath the golden purlin read “Renovated in the middle of winter, the 5th year of the Qianlong reign, Great Qing” along with annotations like “Yǎngshān Patriarchal Lineage,” clearly visible. “Yǎngshān” refers to a place south of Yichun County, Jiangxi Province, where eminent Tang Dynasty monk Huìyī built a Buddhist monastery. This later became known as the Yǎngshān School—one of the southern lineages of the Chan school of Buddhism, sharing roots with the Línjì School through the lineage of Huìnéng, Huáiràng, Mǎzǔ, and Bǎizhàng. The first 20 characters of the 40-character “Yǎngshān Sect Lineage” recorded on the golden purlin differ slightly from the “Weiyang Sect Lineage” noted in the “Buddhist Handbook,” while the latter 20 characters are not recorded elsewhere, making this an exceptionally valuable historical document. The central bay faces south and houses a polychrome statue of Guan Yu, God of War, reading the Spring and Autumn Annals by candlelight. To his right stands Guan Ping holding a seal, and to his left, Zhou Cang with a sword. In the side bays are sculptures of Guan Yu’s steed, the Black Stallion, and a red horse. In the northeast and northwest corners of the left side bay are polychrome statues of the Medicine Buddha facing east and the Wenchang deity facing west. Since Guan Yu came to be worshipped as a deity, many temples have featured him as the principal figure in the front hall, with the hall renamed Sangharama instead of the traditional Heavenly Kings Hall.

The Main Buddha Hall is a wooden structure with a single-eave, hip-and-gable roof. It spans 4 pillars across 3 bays in both width and depth, with ridge beasts installed along the main ridge. At the center sits a finial. The roof is covered with gray tube tiles, featuring soft and graceful curves, with upturned eaves appearing ready to take flight. The gable ridges are adorned with glazed animal heads. The eaves are decorated with a mix of dragon and lotus-patterned tiles and drips. Thirty-two brackets are arranged under the eaves. The beams and rafters are extensively painted. Inscriptions beneath the central purlin read: “Renovated on the 7th day of the 1st month in the 6th month, the 13th year of the Yongle reign, Great Ming (1415),” still legible. The central bay houses polychrome statues of the trikaya (three bodies) of Sakyamuni Buddha: the Dharma Body (Vairocana, in the center), the Enjoyment Body (Rushana, on the left), and the Emanation Body (Shakyamuni, on the right). On the east and west sides are eighteen arhat figures, and at the back of the hall faces north and stands a statue of Skanda. As the oldest surviving ancient wooden structure in the county, and one of the better preserved early Ming buildings in the province, the Main Buddha Hall represents a transition between Song-Yuan and Ming-Qing architecture, rendering it a site of great research value.

The Scripture Depository is a wooden structure with a double-eave, hip-and-gable roof. It spans 5 pillars in width and 4 in depth, with a corridor 3 meters wide, covering a total floor area of 275.97 m². Beneath the purlins and beams in the central and side bays are numerous ink inscriptions with historical significance across various dimensions. An inscription under the golden purlin beneath the front slope of the central bay reads: “Constructed and renovated in the 10th month of the 28th year of the Kangxi reign, Great Qing (1689), the 7th day of the 1st month. Scripture Depository built by the 37th-generation legitimate successor of the Línjì School, Dharma lineage descending from Mount Nanyue—Jìngfú, along with disciples Dàodào, Chéng, Wù, Xìn, and grand-disciples Déyún, Líng, Yì, with support from Yányán, Míngxīn, Gǔchéng.” Beneath the golden purlin above the front slope: “Wáng…, Grand Secretary and Joint Provincial Surveillance Commissioner concurrently serving as Governor of River Conservancy and Commander of Military Affairs, Vice Minister of the Censorate with additional first-rank honors, the great patron of merit for donating the Scripture Collection, along with the entire household.” Beneath the central purlin: “Long Live the Emperor, Long Live, Long Live!! May the Crown Prince enjoy boundless blessings, longevity, and eternal prosperity!! May all civil and military officials and dignitaries throughout the realm forever protect the throne, the Dharma, the Buddha, and the Sangha.” Beneath the golden purlin above the rear slope: “Acting Prefect of Tongchuan Prefecture, Méng, Magistrate Lǐ, Confucian Studies Instructor Tián and Xu, Acting Regional Commander in charge of Defender Affairs Jiāng, Battalion Commander Xuē, Company Commanders Shǐ and Jù.” Beneath the golden purlin below the rear slope: “Commander-in-Chief garrisoning Xining, Lintong, and other regions of Shaanxi, overseeing Han, Tibetan, and Hui forces, Left Regional Commander with additional third-rank honors, Lǐ Huī.”

The Scripture Depository is the hall where the Buddhist Mahāyāna Canon, or “Great Treasury of Scriptures” (大藏经), is stored. The Canon consists of the Sūtra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma Pitakas, compiling theoretical teachings by Sakyamuni and his successors to guide disciples’ practice. The Chinese version of the Mahāyāna Canon was first engraved in Chengdu during the Kaibao era of the Northern Song Dynasty. The version kept at Zunshe Temple was donated by Wáng Xīnmìng of Tongchuan in the 27th year of the Kangxi reign, Great Qing (1688) on the Zhōngyuán festival in the 7th month. The central bay on the second floor of the Depository is where the scriptures are stored—over 1,000 volumes divided into six cabinets. In the 1950s, most of the scriptures were transferred to the Sichuan Provincial Library, with a small portion kept at the county cultural relics management office. The Scripture Depository stands as a testament to the local gentry Wáng Xīnmìng's concern for cultural development back in the Qing-era Santai. Due to its riverside location with high groundwater levels, the foundation and columns required special anti-sinking and moisture-proof reinforcement, resulting in unusually large and sturdy column bases—a rarity among provincial wooden structures. Having endured over 300 years, the beams and pillars remain upright with no sinking or leaning, preserving their original grandeur.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units