Loufan Temple

Loufan Temple

Loufan Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Xinzhou City.

In the past, Loufan Temple was called Shengjingyuan (Sacred Well Monastery). A stele from the Ming Dynasty’s Dade era states that over thirty li from Yanmen Pass stood an ancient temple called Loufan Temple—the hometown of the eminent Eastern Jin monk Yuancheng. To its north lies Ruyue Mountain, to its east is Dafang, surrounded by flat plains and beautiful scenery, a place rich in natural beauty and spiritual energy. Legend says there was once a sacred well whose water emitted a miraculous fragrance capable of curing all diseases, drawing visitors from far and wide. A golden lingzhi mushroom appeared at the sacred well as an auspicious omen, heralding the birth of Huiyuan in the ninth year of the Xianhe era (334 AD) of Emperor Cheng of the Jin Dynasty. Thus, this monastery was established and named Shengjingyuan. Later, as the site was part of the ancient settlement of Loufan, it was renamed Loufan Temple.

Since its establishment during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Loufan Temple has withstood more than 1,600 years of history, enduring dynasties such as the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui, Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. Over the centuries, it suffered damage from wars and fires, with over a thousand years of reconstruction efforts now lost to history. Records only became available during the Ming and Qing dynasties. However, due to the passage of time and human destruction, many inscriptions on steles have become fragmented, making comprehensive research difficult. From the Kangxi and Qianlong eras through the Tongzhi period, successive generations of monks engaged in extensive fundraising, supported by donations from devout laypeople. The temple underwent several major renovations. Although it no longer retained the grandeur of the Jiaqing era, it continued to thrive with incense offerings and annual ceremonies. By the Republican era, continuous warfare and impoverished living conditions led to repeated damage to the temple, leaving it without the means for repair. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, during the Great Leap Forward, the temple was demolished and repurposed into schools and machinery factories, reducing this once-magnificent ancient monastery to near total ruin. Over the centuries, the temple experienced repeated cycles of prosperity and decline, leaving only a Qing-era mountain gate, a Ming-era stele commemorating the restoration of the statue of Yuancheng, an ancient sacred well, a Tang Dynasty Zunsheng banner, a Jin Dynasty Dagui Pagoda built under Emperor Shizong (Li Xiu), and several stone steles from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

After enduring thousands of years of trials, Loufan Temple finally saw renewal following the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party. At the hopes of local villagers and devotees, and with the support of government religious authorities, Venerable Miaojian, Abbot of Bishan Temple on Mount Wutai, Abbot of Beitaishan Summit, Abbot of Zhulin Temple, President of the Mount Wutai Buddhist Association, President of the Shanxi Buddhist Association, Vice President of the Buddhist Association of China, as well as a member of the Shanxi Provincial People’s Congress and the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, was invited to serve as Abbot of Loufan Temple. Venerable Miaojian, putting personal gain aside, appointed his distinguished disciple Jingzhu as head monk. Under Venerable Miaojian’s personal guidance, a traditional-style archway was erected at the entrance of the National Highway Jingyuan intersection, along with a cement-paved road. The chanting hall was expanded, and additional storage rooms, monastic quarters, and two stupas were constructed. That same year, heating systems were also installed. In early 2006, Venerable Miaojian further invested significant resources, overcoming pressure and through strenuous efforts, reclaimed over 40 mu of land previously owned by the township government, along with thousands of trees of various sizes. The following spring, a new hip-and-gable roofed Heavenly King Hall was built in front of Loufan Temple, along with bell and drum towers and a double-hanging flower gate. That summer, a double-eave hip-and-gable main hall was constructed along the central axis. In 2008, a hard-roofed wooden structure with east and west side halls totaling eighteen rooms was added, with all decorations completed by 2009. The painting project was nearly finished by early summer 2011.

With the strong support of Venerable Miaojian and the tireless efforts of Master Jingzhu, hope has been rekindled at Loufan Temple. The monastery now houses dozens of monks and nuns, as well as supports dozens of elderly, orphaned, and disabled individuals. We believe that the future of Loufan Temple will shine even more brilliantly.