Hong Kong Lung Shan Temple

Hong Kong Lung Shan Temple

Lung Shan Temple is located at the foot of Lung Shan in Fanling. Originally named Longxi Nunnery, the "Reconstruction Inscription of Longxi Temple" states: "Longxi was an ancient divine site. When clouds gathered, rain would follow, as detailed in the county records, and it was known as the Divine Mountain. The stream that flowed from it was called Longxi. People from the Jin Dynasty built a temple here to respond to the divine presence." This suggests that Longxi Nunnery may have been first built during the Jin Dynasty. Another account says the nunnery was built in the late Yuan or early Ming Dynasty and was later renovated in the Qianlong Ji Mao year. It was constructed by nearby villagers for the purposes of "building a temple to worship the gods and establishing an ancestral hall to honor their forebears."

A Scenic View of Luofu

Later, due to the passage of time and damage from unrest and neglect, the nunnery fell into ruins. In 1986, with strong support from local gentry, elders, and devotees, reconstruction began. After seven years of planning and construction, a brand-new seven-story temple was completed on December 19, 1993, and was officially named Lung Shan Temple.

There is an hourly shuttle bus from Fanling Railway Station to Lung Shan Temple. Covering an area of over 20,000 square meters, the temple stands seven stories high, symbolizing the "Seven-Level Pagoda." The reconstructed Lung Shan Temple boasts a magnificent exterior and is hailed as one of the "Thirty-Eight Scenic Views of Luofu." The fifteen-meter-high, seven-meter-wide statue of Guanyin on the temple’s outer wall alone is a marvel of craftsmanship. The statue is made up of over 300 ceramic pieces, each weighing 50 kilograms, and is the exquisite work of Guangdong ceramic sculptor Mei Wending. Below the statue lies a large-scale inscription of the Heart Sutra. On the left side of the temple, ancient stone carvings from Longxi Nunnery are preserved, and from some of the partially damaged and blurred inscriptions, the history behind the reconstruction of Lung Shan Temple can be traced.

The ground floor hall is the Thousand-Handed Guanyin Hall, with a gold-lacquered plaque inscribed with calligraphy by Zhao Puchu, President of the Buddhist Association of China. The hall enshrines the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva. The front hall on the second floor is the Mahavira Hall, which houses statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, and the Medicine Buddha of Longevity, along with the deities Sangharama Bodhisattva, Skanda Bodhisattva, and the Patriarch Huineng. The rear hall on the second floor serves as a Dharma lecture hall. The front hall on the third floor is the Amitabha Hall, enshrining the Three Saints of the West and providing space for merit-making ceremonies. The fourth floor includes the Merit Hall, Ancestral Hall, and Scripture Repository. The fifth floor houses the Abbot’s quarters, reception room, and dining hall. The sixth floor is the office of the Lung Shan Management Company. On the rooftop is the Si En Pavilion, where, from a height, the temple is seen nestled among mountains, with the Green Dragon on the left, the White Tiger on the right, a ceremonial table in front, and a solid backdrop behind—thus regarded as a rare geomantic treasure.

Everlasting Buddha’s Light

The current abbot of Lung Shan Temple, Venerable Jizhao, assumed his position on March 30, 1998, becoming the second abbot after Venerable Xincheng. Venerable Jizhao was ordained at the age of 25 and later received full monastic precepts from Venerable Jidu on Mount Wutai in Shanxi. He returned to his hometown to establish Yuanming Lecture Temple and, in 1990, formed the Yuanming Charity Relief Group to engage in widespread public welfare activities.

In August 1994, Venerable Jizhao came to Hong Kong and resided at Western Monastery, later becoming a disciple of Venerable Yongxing, the abbot of Western Monastery. With deep compassion, in addition to presiding over various sutra recitation ceremonies, Venerable Jizhao, with the support of the management company, worked diligently to expand the temple as a refuge for all beings. A model within the temple shows that the overall architectural vision for Lung Shan Temple includes structures such as a Temple of Heaven Hall, Mahavira Hall, elderly care facility, and monks’ dormitories, indicating an ambitious scale.

Transportation Guide

Location: Pok Wai Tsuen, Liu Shui Heung, Lung Yeuk Tau, Fanling, North District, Hong Kong

Getting There: By taxi