Hong Kong Tung Lin Nunnery

Hong Kong Tung Lin Nunnery

Tung Lin Nunnery is located on Fu Yung Shan in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. Established in 1952 by Venerable Ding Xi, the nunnery is nestled within dense woods, offering a serene and secluded environment dedicated to the practice of Pure Land Buddhism. Upon entering the mountain gate, you will see the Tung Lin Elderly Home, founded in 1970.

The Mahavira Hall, completed in 1998, features majestic architecture with curling eaves that seem to take flight. The lower level houses the Great Compassion Hall, enshrining a thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva statue. The upper level is dedicated to the Three Saints of the Saha World: Sakyamuni Buddha in the center, Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva on the left, and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva on the right, with the Eighteen Arhats enshrined on the side walls. Behind the Great Compassion Hall, through a small garden filled with fragrant flowers, stone steps lead to the Blissful Treasure Hall. Beside the steps stand lotus pillars, and inside the hall are statues of the Three Saints of the Western Paradise. A crystal lotus lamp in front of the statues continuously rotates, symbolizing the unceasing turning of the Dharma wheel. Below the right side of the hall is the Longevity Extension Hall, while the upper level is the Guanyin Pavilion. Adjacent to it on the lower level is the Memorial Hall of Master Yinguang, the thirteenth patriarch of the Pure Land tradition, which houses his relic stupa. The upper level is the Scripture Depository, containing the Qing Dynasty large-character "Dragon Canon" totaling 7,168 volumes, as well as other Buddhist scriptures such as the "Pinqie Canon." Behind the Longevity Extension Hall is the Treasure Hall, also used for storing sacred texts.

The monastics at Tung Lin Nunnery currently specialize in the Pure Land practice and serve as a merit-based monastery for monks from all directions. In addition to holding ceremonies on the birthdays of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the temple focuses primarily on the practice of Buddha-recitation. The temple’s mountain gate is inscribed with the words “Tung Lin Nunnery.” The couplet reads: “The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is entered through this gate; Amitabha Buddha is right before your eyes.” This concise couplet encapsulates the founding purpose of the nunnery.

Founding History

The founding abbot of Tung Lin Nunnery, Venerable Ding Xi (1895–1962), was originally from Haicheng in the northeast. His family name was Yu, and his ancestors were engaged in farming and scholarship, enjoying a relatively comfortable life. Both his parents were devout Buddhists. From a young age, the Venerable enjoyed sitting in the lotus position, visiting temples, and studying scriptures. At the age of eighteen, he joined the Buddhist Preaching Hall as a speaker and often discussed the Dharma with friends Wang Futing (who later became a monk, known as Venerable Tanxu) and Lu Bingnan (who later became a monk, known as Venerable Leguo). In 1924, Venerable Ding Xi traveled to Mount Putuo in Nanhai to receive full ordination under Venerable Dayuan of Fayu Temple. He later returned to reside at Liuyun Temple in Shanghai. In 1929, after Venerable Dizhen conferred the Thousand Buddha Precepts, Venerable Ding Xi was unanimously elected as the second abbot of Ultimate Bliss Temple. He also received the Tiantai School’s orthodox Dharma lineage from Venerable Dizhen, becoming the forty-fourth generation of the Tiantai School, and later received another Dharma transmission from Venerable Bao Yi, making him the forty-second generation of the Linji School. The Venerable emphasized the Tiantai teachings in his lectures but practiced Pure Land Buddhism himself, with a particular focus on monastic discipline. Many lay disciples sought ordination under him. In 1946, he moved to Bohai Temple in Nanguan, Fengtian (now Shenyang), where he established a Buddha-recitation hall and led daily practices without interruption. In 1949, at the invitation of Venerable Tanxu, he and Venerable Leguo came to Hong Kong to assist Venerable Tanxu in founding the South China Buddhist Studies Institute, where Venerable Ding Xi served as the main lecturer for three years. After the first class of monastic students graduated, they planned to live in hermitages to deepen their practice. In 1952, Venerable Mao Rui, abbot of Nan Tianzhu Temple in Tsuen Wan, lent them a vegetable plot in his eastern garden to build a simple residence. With donations from devotees, a meditation room was constructed, initially named Tung Lin Retreat. This was inspired by the story of Huiyuan, the founding patriarch of the Pure Land tradition, who built Donglin Temple on Mount Lu during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Venerable first sent Venerables Sheng Huai, Dacheng, and Jingzhen to purchase materials and begin construction. He and the three monks each contributed 500 dollars, followed by Venerables Yongxing and Miaojing, who donated 200 dollars each, and then Venerables Jitao and Yile, who donated 400 dollars each. With the help of lay supporter Wu Yunzhai and other patrons, the project was largely completed. Unfortunately, on the fifth day of the eighth lunar month that year, a flash flood destroyed nearly half of the structure. Upon hearing the news, many offered support, and the initial construction was restored by the end of the year. The following year, the retreat was renamed Tung Lin Retreat House. Later, an additional plot of over a thousand square feet behind Zhulin Chan Temple was acquired, along with eight thousand square feet of land behind Tung Lin for the construction of the Mahavira Hall (now the Blissful Treasure Hall).

Since the land for the nunnery was donated by various parties, there were concerns about unified ownership. To address this, Venerable Ding Xi planned to register Tung Lin Nunnery with the government and establish a board of directors. The permanent board members included: Ding Xi, Mao Rui, Jitao, Sheng Huai, Yile, Yongxing, Shengzhao, Zhikai, Dacheng, Xichen, Ma Kuankuan, Jingzhen, and Miaojing. The nunnery was registered with the Hong Kong Buddhist Federation, stating that all assets belonged to donors from all directions, with no rights of inheritance for descendants or relatives, and that the property would forever belong to the resident monastics of Tung Lin Nunnery. In 1962, the government officially approved the establishment of the Tung Lin Nunnery Limited Board of Directors, marking the formation of a formal Buddhist organization. This move set a precedent for Buddhist temples in Hong Kong. The current abbot of Tung Lin Nunnery is Venerable Jingzhen, the sixth in the lineage.

Currently, the monastics at Tung Lin Nunnery specialize in Pure Land practice and serve as a merit-based monastery for monks from all directions. Regular ceremonies include those for the birthdays of Sakyamuni Buddha, Medicine Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Cundi Bodhisattva, the Ullambana Festival, Skanda Bodhisattva, and Sangharama Bodhisattva.

Transportation Guide

Address: Fu Yung Shan Road, Tsuen Wan District, Hong Kong

Getting There: Take New Territories Minibus Route 85