Shashui Temple

Shashui Temple

Shashui Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Shashui Temple, located beside Shenxian Ridge in the ancient Zhuji Lane and along the Shashui River, was once one of the most renowned temples in Lingnan. Constructed in the first year of the Deyou era of the Song Dynasty (1275), it has a history of over 700 years.

The temple faces west and sits to the east, with its main gate directly facing the majestic Junzi Ridge. The winding Shashui River meanders southward in front of the temple.

The temple complex spans over 2,000 square meters and features a brick-and-wood structure laid out in a terraced, axial-plane design. It includes three halls, two towers, meditation rooms, and more. The front hall is the Heavenly King Hall, which has two stories—the upper floor serves as the scripture depository. To the left of the main hall stands a bluestone stele inscribed with the names of donors from 44 villages, including Zhuji Lane, who contributed to the temple’s construction. A courtyard separates the front hall from the middle hall. The middle hall enshrines the deity Guan Yu, flanked by his guardians Guan Ping on the left and Zhou Cang on the right. The middle hall connects to another hall via a small courtyard. The rear hall, called the Pilu Pavilion, houses over a hundred statues including Buddha Shakyamuni, Guanyin Bodhisattva, arhats, and various heavenly deities, among which three are gilded. On either side of the temple are a bell tower on the left and a drum tower on the right, both imposing and majestic. A bronze bell hangs in the bell tower, its sound said to carry for dozens of miles. The drum tower holds a large drum, which is struck in response to the bell. The temple grounds are shaded by ancient trees, blooming with flowers and lush greenery, with green tiles and red eaves creating a resplendent sight. Meditation rooms and vegetarian dining halls are arranged in sequence, surrounded by corridors. The temple's architecture forms a harmonious whole, exuding grandeur and majesty.

Every year on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the “Chao Fang Festival” (also known as the Water-Land Dharma Assembly) is held. Tens of thousands of villagers from nearby ten villages flock to the temple to offer incense and worship the Buddha. The ceremonies last seven days and nights, celebrated with great enthusiasm and solemnity, deeply moving all who attend. At night, the “River Lantern Release” takes place—a unique ritual of worship among Zhuji Lane villagers. Locals craft paper boats, place camphor inside, light them, and set them adrift on the Shashui River. At this time, the river shimmers with lights, candles glow against the night sky, creating a magical and joyful atmosphere.

To the front right of the temple lies a well known as the “Chao Fang Well.” Its water is clear, cool, and inexhaustible all year round. Legend has it that vegetables boiled with this water will not turn yellow even after prolonged cooking. It is also said that whenever a crisis befalls Zhuji Lane, a purple mist rises from the well. For this reason, villagers always pay respects to the Well God after worshipping the other deities.

A pair of stone lions is placed in the front hall of the temple. Legend has it that during the late Song Dynasty, due to the incident involving Concubine Hu, the imperial court ordered a massacre in Zhuji Lane. Concubine Hu fled and hid in the temple. When discovered by officials, the abbot pleaded for her life but was struck on the head by a soldier’s sword. As the abbot’s head hit the ground, white blood flowed from it, and at the same moment, the head of the nearby stone lion also fell off. Instantly, the sky darkened, thunder roared, wind howled, and sand and stones flew—accompanied by pouring rain. For over 700 years, the tale of the “headless lion” has been passed down to this day.

Since its establishment, the temple has hosted visits from eminent monks and notable figures. Eminent monks such as Master Hanshan of the Ming Dynasty, Dan Gui and Tian Ran Gang of the Qing Dynasty, and Master Taixu of modern times have all traveled here. In recent years, eminent monks from renowned temples in Lingnan—including Venerable Benhuan of Guangxiao Temple and Venerable Foyuan of Nanhua Temple—have also visited the temple’s former site.

Shashui Temple is one of the important ancient structures in Zhuji Lane. Due to the passage of time and changing circumstances, the temple had fallen into ruin. At the end of 1994, the Preparatory Committee of the Descendants’ Association of Zhuji Lane in Nanxiong planned to rebuild Shashui Temple, a project that has garnered attention and support from notable figures in the Buddhist communities of Hong Kong, Guangzhou, and Shaoguan.