Nanxi Guanyin Temple

Nanxi Guanyin Temple

Nanxi Guanyin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Guanyin Temple: Located in Honglian Village, Jiangnan Town, it is one of the Buddhist activity sites in Nanxi District. The main hall covers an area of 402 square meters, with auxiliary buildings spanning 626 square meters. There are four resident monks.

The temple was first built during the Daoguang reign of the Qing Dynasty and has a history of 150 years. On the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, as well as on the 19th days of the second, sixth, and ninth lunar months each year, thousands of lay practitioners and other devotees from the district and nearby counties come to the temple to participate in Buddhist activities.

Guanyin Temple was originally named Feilai Temple. Its exact founding date is unknown due to the passage of time. A stone tablet indicates that the temple was rebuilt during the second year of the Qianlong reign in the Qing Dynasty. Situated in Yibin City, known as the "First City on the Yangtze River," it is the earliest among the three major Buddhist activity sites in Nanxi District, Yibin.

Legend has it that an old monk, inspired by the Bodhisattva, trekked over mountains and rivers along the river until he arrived here. Upon seeing the location—nestled against mountains and water, with green reeds swaying like waves in the wind—he recognized it as a sacred site for spiritual practice and began building a simple shelter. During the clearing process, an ancient tomb was discovered, after which a series of strange occurrences took place. One day, a giant bell descended from the sky and covered the tomb. According to the master, the bell’s ring weighed 138 jin (approximately 69 kg), hence the name Feilai Temple ("Flying-in Temple").

As time passed, two elderly monks, Yuan Chu and Yuan Qing, came to the site one after another. A few years later, three more monks arrived to practice at Guanyin Temple. Due to the Cultural Revolution, three of them were forced to return home. Two monks remained to uphold the Buddha's teachings. By then, the temple had already suffered severe damage. After the reform and opening-up, the monks and devotees planned to rebuild the temple. According to veteran lay practitioners, at that time, the temple only had a hanging image of the Three Saints of the West and a damaged statue of the Buddha. Rolling up their sleeves, the monks and devotees began rebuilding Guanyin Temple brick by brick.

In 1996, Master Shang Zhihe was invited to the temple. In 1998, Master Shang Jiaoyi joined. In 2000, Master Shang Jiaoyu became a monastic here (now the abbot of Guanyin Temple), taking the Dharma name Yikong.

The Dharma does not arise alone but depends on conditions; the Way does not manifest falsely but responds to karmic connections.

Time flies swiftly. Nearly 30 years have passed. The temple now requires large-scale renovation. Countless devout Buddhists, who have silently contributed to promoting and upholding the true Dharma throughout history, have poured their hearts into this cause. Generation after generation has devoted their efforts—not for fame or profit, but to ensure that the Buddha’s teachings endure through the Dharma-ending age and that the true Dharma remains forever.