Linhe Ganlu Temple

Linhe Ganlu Temple

Linhe Ganlu Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

I. Temple Origins

Ganlu Temple is located in Hadanuo’er Village, Xinhua Town, Linhe District, Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 49 kilometers from the city center and 9 kilometers from Xinhua Town. It lies to the west of Hadanuo’er Fifth Community, east of Hadanuo’er Sixth Community, south of Yinxin Highway, and north of a field irrigation channel. The temple currently covers an area of 163.5 meters from east to west, 217 meters from north to south, with a total area of 35,479.5 square meters, equivalent to 53.27 acres, making it one of the larger Han Chinese Buddhist temples in western Inner Mongolia. Originally named Guanyin Thatched Hut Temple, it is commonly known as Changsu Temple. In the 15th year of the Republic of China (1926), it was built by Pei Jinzhui, the son of Pei San, a farmer from Fengjiageda Village in the local area.

Pei Jinzhui was born in the 28th year of the Guangxu reign (1902). Influenced by his family’s Buddhist faith since childhood, he followed his parents in worshiping Buddhism. As soon as he was old enough to understand, he showed no interest in worldly pleasures, willingly living a life of plain clothing and vegetarian diet. He walked with his eyes straight ahead, often sitting in meditation and chanting the Buddha’s name. Elders often said Pei Jinzhui was someone who remembered his past life. At the age of nineteen, his parents arranged a marriage for him, but he refused to be tainted by worldly life and was determined to transcend the mundane. On the night before his wedding, he quietly left home and became a monk at Haichao An Temple in Hequ County, Shanxi Province, taking the Dharma name Jicheng. Due to his secular surname Pei, he was known as Monk Pei.

In the 15th year of the Republic of China (1926), he heard that Baotou, Guyang, and the Hetao region were suffering from famine. The sixth-generation abbot of Haichao Chan Temple, seeing his deep faith and firm resolve, transmitted the Dharma to him. He instructed Pei to return to his hometown to build a temple, house monks, propagate the Dharma, and save sentient beings, while also visiting his parents and siblings to repay their kindness. Thus, following his master’s teachings, he made the journey alone on foot. After more than a month of hardship and travel, on a day in May, he arrived near Hadanuo’er Village (now the site of Ganlu Temple). There, he found a large catalpa tree too big for four people to embrace, surrounded by thorny shrubs and red willows. While resting under the tree, he suddenly heard the cries of a wild rabbit nearby. Approaching the sound, he discovered a snake coiled around the rabbit in the grass. Monk Pei was astonished—elders often said, “A snake coiled around a rabbit brings prosperity.” Building a tomb here would bring honor to the ancestors and prosperity to the family; constructing a temple would ensure flourishing incense offerings and the emergence of eminent monks. He believed this must be an auspicious place, so he settled there, building a simple hut and enshrining a statue of Guanyin, naming it Guanyin Thatched Hut.

Monk Jicheng endured many years of hardship. His devotion moved the local devotees, who helped him build three earthen cave dwellings. However, due to poor foundations, they collapsed after being soaked by flooding caused by Shen Er from the village. The following year, Shen Er gathered other devotees and invited mason Qin Er to rebuild seven earthen caves. They also commissioned Song, a renowned local sculptor skilled in painting, to create Buddha statues for the shrines. But seven caves could not meet the needs of the growing congregation. Thus, Monk Pei decided to build a brick-and-wood temple. He began traveling far and wide to raise funds. During this effort, two interesting stories unfolded.

In the 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934), summer arrived with scorching heat and drought. One day, Monk Jicheng went to the home of Li Shuangjia to beg for alms. Wealthy locals like Li Shuangjia and Zhou Erma asked Monk Pei to pray for rain, promising to donate 20 dan of millet and 200 pounds of sesame oil if his prayers were answered. Filled with compassion and urgency to save the people, Monk Pei sat on the Dharma platform and chanted sutras for three days. His sincere devotion moved Guanyin Bodhisattva, and three days later, a great rain fell. The locals were not only overjoyed but also astonished. This story became a cherished local legend, known to all. The villagers called this rain “the Bodhisattva’s Sweet Dew.” From then on, “Guanyin Thatched Hut” was renamed “Ganlu Temple” (Sweet Dew Temple). According to Han Chinese Buddhist precepts, ordained monks and nuns must maintain a vegetarian diet for life. Thus, all Han Chinese temples in the area are commonly called Changsu Temple (Constant Vegetarian Temple) by locals. For example, Ciyun Temple in Xinhua Town is also known as Little Changsu Temple.

Yang Wu from Erlenggeda Village (now Wuyuan County, formerly Yanjiang County) was a powerful and wealthy figure in the Hetao region, with close ties to then-County Magistrate Cui. For years, he suffered from lung disease and hemoptysis due to overwork, and despite treatment by local doctors, his condition did not improve. Desperate, he visited Ganlu Temple to seek help from Monk Jicheng. Though only in his early thirties, Yang Wu was pale and emaciated, tormented by illness and confusion. His strong will to live led him to kneel and plead with the old monk to cure him. Ancient masters of high virtue were said to possess the “Five Wisdoms”: Buddhist doctrine (Inner Wisdom), philosophy (Reasoning Wisdom), music (Sound Wisdom), craftsmanship (Artisan Wisdom), and medicine (Healing Wisdom). Through the monk’s skillful guidance and targeted treatment, the dying man was revived. This miracle deeply impressed Yang Wu, who became a firm believer in the Dharma and the monk’s spiritual power. He vowed devoutly: “To repay the Buddha and Bodhisattvas for saving my life and to support the master in establishing a Buddhist sanctuary, propagating the Dharma, and saving sentient beings.”

II. Continuation of the Dharma Lineage

Since ancient times, monks have left their secular families, and great masters build temples but do not reside in them. Thus, in the 24th year of the Republic of China (1935), Monk Jicheng entrusted the temple affairs to Monk Miaoding, making him the second abbot. Jicheng himself boarded a boat at the ferry crossing, traveling upstream along the Yellow River through Ningxia and Lanzhou, then via Qinghai and Tibet into India to pay homage to the sacred birthplace of the Buddha. From then on, he lived by the words: “A single bowl of alms from a thousand homes, a solitary journey of ten thousand miles. For the path of life and death, I wander and beg through the seasons.”

That same year, Yang Wu, who had taken refuge in Buddhism, became a devout follower. Hearing that his master had gone on a pilgrimage, he felt deep remorse. To fulfill his vow of gratitude, he organized forty-eight wealthy households to contribute significant funds. Under the leadership of Monk Miaoding, they hired masons, carpenters, and tilers from Shanxi, sourced local materials, and fired bricks and tiles. They purchased timber from Wulashan Mountain and undertook major construction. Over five years, a grand and solemn temple took shape. The central structures included the Mahavira Hall and Skanda Hall, flanked by bell and drum towers, a dining hall, a scripture depository, monk dormitories, and a mill. The statues enshrined in the halls were clay but entirely gilded, shining brilliantly and majestically. When the Mahavira Hall statues were consecrated, grand Buddhist ceremonies were held, including the transmission of the Threefold Ordination and the Feeding of Hungry Ghosts. By then, the temple had acquired over 100 acres of temple land, employing five people to farm it. Resident monks balanced spiritual practice with farming and other labor. A primary school was also established to educate local children, with monks studying both scriptures and secular knowledge. Income from land and donations supported the monks’ livelihoods, school expenses, and temple maintenance. The temple covered over twenty acres, with two large tree groves of five acres each outside, featuring eighteen large willow trees. At its peak, the temple housed over twenty monks. The eminent monk Zongcai, now residing in the United States, once served as the temple’s head during this period, marking an unprecedented flourishing. This era reflected a time of thriving Buddhism, culture, and economy in the region.

After Monk Miaoding completed the temple, he served as abbot for a year before passing the role to his disciple, Monk Jueman. Jueman, secular surname Wang, whose secular name is not widely known, was from Baotou. Years later, Jueman left the temple for Xi’an’s Wolong Temple. In 1945, a 20-year-old soldier named Zhang Guoqiang, originally from Longxi, Gansu, lost his sight due to eye disease. He requested to become a monk at Ganlu Temple (Changsu Temple) and took Jueman as his master, receiving the Dharma name Changmao and the monastic name Foyuan. Locals called him “Blind Monk.” He was the longest-residing monk at Ganlu Temple, staying for over thirty years, though he never formally received higher ordination due to various reasons.

After the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1950, the temple was occupied by a military unit and turned into a prisoner dormitory. During the Cultural Revolution, the temple’s Buddha statues were removed, and the bell and drum towers were demolished. The morning bells and evening drums, once soothing to the soul, were silenced. The monks lost their former dignity, left the temple, and returned to secular life as farmers, becoming self-sufficient laborers. No devout worshippers were seen paying homage to the Three Jewels. Only Blind Monk Foyuan remained, homeless, living at Changshu Temple under the Five Guarantees welfare system. As the Cultural Revolution swept the nation, religious faith and ancient traditional culture were branded as superstitions and feudal nonsense, leading to their eradication. All temple halls and buildings were razed, leaving only broken, winding remnants. The large willow trees inside and outside the temple were felled, their wood used by the farm school for desks and chairs. Valuable cultural relics, such as plaques, ritual instruments, scriptures, Buddha statues, and especially a precious Tibetan-language version of the *Kangyur*, were burned. These losses remain unforgettable in people’s memories.

III. Revival of the Sacred Site

After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Party corrected past errors, and the State Council reinstated the policy of religious freedom. Starting in 1983, devout Buddhists began holding ceremonies on the 19th day of the second lunar month, Guanyin’s birthday, at the surviving ruins of Ganlu Temple. Gradually, various Buddhist activities resumed. After the 1985 Guanyin Ceremony, some donations were collected. Monk Foyuan and local devotee Wang Sier discussed rebuilding the Changsu Temple’s main hall. Foyuan offered to contribute over 6,000 yuan he had saved over thirty years, entrusting Wang Sier to oversee the construction. With the help of lay practitioners like Ding Er (later ordained as Miaofu), Ding San (later Miaoren), Chen Geng (later Miaojin), Feng Shuangxiao, and Wang Fengshan, along with many donors, the construction team built a three-room brick-and-wood main hall on April 26, 1986. The hall enshrined the Three Western Saints. Four rooms each were added for monks, storage, and living quarters. Thus, Changsu Temple emerged from the ashes of history, resuming its vitality with uninterrupted incense offerings. Guided by his disciples, Foyuan circled the hall three times, touching every surface with trembling hands. Overwhelmed with emotion, he wept. Kneeling before the Buddha, he chanted “Amitabha” all day. Five days later, he passed away peacefully, having fulfilled his lifelong wish and found his final rest.

In 1996, with approval from the Linhe Municipal Government, Changsu Temple officially regained its name, Ganlu Temple. After Foyuan’s passing, the sacred site lacked an abbot. To preserve it, Ding Er and Ding San went to Shanhua Temple in Datong, Shanxi, in the spring of 1987 to take refuge under Master Zangbao, receiving the Dharma names Miaofu and Miaoren. In 1988, they were ordained at Nan Hua Temple in Shaoguan, Guangdong. Returning to Ganlu Temple, they maintained the site despite their advancing age, performing daily rituals, farming, and enduring hardship. Eventually, they could no longer sustain it.

In 1990, devotees in the Hetao region initiated efforts to revive the temple. Miaoren traveled to Shanhua Temple in Datong to request Master Sanyi to send a qualified monk to assist in rebuilding Ganlu Temple. Despite being over eighty, Master Sanyi, accompanied by his disciple Miaowen, personally visited Ganlu Temple for inspection. Also present was his younger brother, Layman Susi. At the time, Master Sanyi served as President of the Shanxi Buddhist Association and Vice Chairman of the Datong CPPCC. The Datong government repeatedly urged his return, and his advanced age made the living conditions difficult. Yet, to ensure the reconstruction’s success, he stayed until winter before returning to Shanhua Temple.

In 1991, entrusted by his master, Miaowen arrived alone from Shanhua Temple in Datong to take on the monumental task of restoring Ganlu Temple. Initially, conditions were harsh—no coal for winter heating, extreme cold, and the need to reform un-Buddhist practices like animal sacrifices for vows, fortune-telling, and using incense ash for healing. To guide devotees toward proper practice, Miaowen not only taught diligently but also invited Master Zangbao from Shanhua Temple to give sermons and oversee the construction of a three-room Amitabha Recitation Hall, organizing Seven-Day Chanting Retreats. To support Miaowen, Master Zangbao sent Masters Miaoxin and Miaoxu to assist. To expedite reconstruction, Miaowen invited Master Zangwen from Guangzhou’s Guanyin Temple for guidance. A disciplined monk since childhood, Master Zangwen had studied under eminent masters like Zhenkong, Cizhou, Xuyu, Qingding, and Nenghai. He advocated: “Build temples to house monks, house monks to practice the Dharma, and practice the Dharma to attain enlightenment.” Under his influence, Miaowen upheld strict discipline, practiced diligently, and led with respect and harmony. He adhered to the principles of “adapting to circumstances without attachment,” planning short-term while keeping long-term goals in mind. He balanced Dharma practice with legal compliance, treating everyone with compassion and approachability, working tirelessly and earning widespread praise.

IV. Infrastructure Development

In 1992, a 550-meter perimeter wall was built, along with the Jade Buddha Hall (280 sq m), housing seven white marble Buddha statues from Quyang County, Hebei. Ten monk dormitories (400 sq m) and a dining hall (200 sq m) were also constructed. In 1993, responding to devotees’ requests, the regional and municipal religious bureaus invited Masters Miaowen and Miaoxin to manage temple affairs. The Datong authorities agreed, with the condition of balancing both sites. In 1994, the Dharma Hall and Heavenly King Hall (500 sq m) were completed. In 1995, the Amitabha Recitation Hall and Ruyi Dormitory (310 sq m) were built. In May of that year, Master Miaowen was reassigned by the Datong United Front Work Department to attend a national training program for Han Chinese Buddhist clergy in Beijing. After completing the program, he returned to Ganlu Temple. During his absence, Master Miaofu, suffering from an illness that prevented eating, devoted himself to chanting and passed away forty days later. After his funeral, fearing family interference, Master Miaoren left one day, claiming to visit Linhe for medical treatment, and was never heard from again.

In 1996, Master Sanyi of Shanhua Temple passed away, a great loss to Chinese Buddhism and Ganlu Temple. After his funeral, Master Zangbao resigned as abbot of Shanhua Temple. Upon learning this, Miaowen invited his master to Ganlu Temple to lead practice and further develop the site. To provide space for female practitioners, in 1997, laywoman Liu Yuyue donated her courtyard for a nunnery. Construction began on July 4 for the Two-Sex Monastery’s Main Hall (2,128 sq m), along with a dining hall, monk dormitories, and storage (684 sq m). In 1998, the Mountain Gate Hall was built, featuring murals of the 500 Arhats painted by National Second-Class Artist Sun Zhongping.

In April 2002, Ganlu Temple commissioned the League Architectural Survey and Design Institute to design the Mahavira Hall. Over three years, under the guidance of Masters Zangwen, Zangbao, and Lingyi, Master Miaowen oversaw construction, often working tirelessly despite immense challenges.

After three years, the magnificent Mahavira Hall was completed in June 2004, with a total cost of over 2 million RMB.

Ganlu Temple has now taken shape. The layout is rigorous and unique, blending Tang and Song Buddhist styles with Ming and Qing imperial architectural elements. Facing south, the central axis features three main halls. The front gate, a five-bay single-story structure with upturned eaves and carvings, leads to a courtyard with 14 side rooms. Stone lions (2.5 m tall) flank the gate, which bears the plaque “Ganlu Temple” calligraphed by Liu Bingsen, Vice President of the Chinese Calligraphers Association and Buddhist Association. Beyond the gate stand twin pavilions inspired by the Temple of Heaven, with ornate brackets. The second hall, the Avalokiteshvara Hall, is a single-story structure mimicking Ming architecture, enshrining the Thousand-Armed Guanyin with exquisite craftsmanship.

The third hall, the Mahavira Hall, is double-eaved with a hip-and-gable roof. Its dense brackets and hanging bells create a harmonious soundscape. The central plaque, inscribed by Zhao Puchu (former CPPCC Chairman and Buddhist Association President), reads “Mahavira Hall” in bold, elegant script. Inside, the Huayan Trinity—Sakyamuni Buddha (4.5 m), Manjushri (east), and Samantabhadra (west)—are carved from camphor wood, standing 4.5 m tall with 4 m bases and 8 m halos. Flanking them are 2.5 m-tall Eighteen Arhats, vivid and dynamic. Behind the Buddha is the Sea Island Guanyin, surrounded by the Fifty-Three Visits of Sudhana, all crafted by Ningbo’s Ciyun Fine Carving Factory. Side halls include a dining hall, Sangharama Hall, Scripture Hall, and Patriarch Hall. The eastern wing houses a lecture hall with a Burmese jade Buddha and a collection of scriptures. The western wing features an Amitabha Recitation Hall for meditation.

The rear Jade Buddha Hall enshrines Sakyamuni (white marble), flanked by Ananda and Kashyapa, with Medicine Buddha (east) and Amitabha (west). The hall’s back wall depicts the Eight Great Deeds of Sakyamuni, while side walls show the Sixteen Arhats. Monk dormitories surround the courtyards, shaded by trees and winding paths.

V. Buddhist Activities

Buddhist temples have, for thousands of years, served as embodiments of the Triple Gem, practice grounds for monastics, and bonds connecting devotees. After a decade of self-development, Ganolisi Temple has largely completed its various functional facilities, becoming a proper and lawful place where monastics have a home to return to and Buddhist activities flourish. Monastics rise at four in the morning to begin their morning chanting sessions, reciting scriptures and mantras such as the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the Great Compassion Mantra, and the Heart Sutra, praying for the well-being and disaster relief of parents, teachers, patrons, and believers. In the evening at five, they hold the evening service to pray for the liberation of all beings across time and space—lonely spirits, fallen soldiers, and martyrs who sacrificed their lives. In short, the Buddhist philosophy is to accomplish all tasks with the mindset of “not seeking personal comfort, but wishing all sentient beings to be free from suffering.”

Aside from these daily practices, there are also fixed schedules for study and individual work assignments. Throughout the year, almost every month features the birthdays, ordination days, or enlightenment anniversaries of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, all of which are marked with different Buddhist activities. The most grandiose occasions are during festivals and holidays when worshippers flock to the temple to offer incense and pay reverence to the Buddha. The first day of the Lunar New Year is the birthday of Maitreya Bodhisattva. On this morning, the temple holds celebratory rites, including the Universal Prayer Service and the Heavenly Feast Ceremony. In the morning, major offerings are made in various halls to pray for world peace, national stability, favorable weather, and the prosperity and safety of the people. In the afternoon, there is also a tower-sweeping ceremony and ancestor worship. Especially on the 19th of February, Guanyin’s Birthday, and the 19th of September, Guanyin’s Ordination Day, Ganolisi Temple organizes a three-day Guanyin Disaster Relief and Blessing Assembly every year. A detailed plan must be formulated by the temple’s management committee, submitted for approval by relevant authorities, and only then can the various Buddhist events proceed. During these assemblies, eminent monks gather from near and far, and devout worshippers flock in droves. Tens of thousands of merchants and traders also come, prompting early organization of goods, prior delineation of stalls, and exceptionally lively commerce, with each temple fair generating over 3 million yuan in trade volume. Government departments also take advantage of the large gatherings at the temple fair to conduct various science and technology outreach programs related to breeding, planting, and market information. Ganolisi Temple provides strong support in terms of venue, accommodation, and other aspects. Under the correct leadership and management of Party committees and government authorities at all levels, the Guanyin Temple Fair at Ganolisi Temple has become a platform for cultural exchange, material trade, and technological promotion. This not only boosts local economic development but also ensures the temple thrives with incense and flourishing Buddhist activities. At the same time, it represents a concrete manifestation of the Buddhist community serving local socioeconomic development.

VI. Cultural Exchange

Venerable Miaowen entered the monastic path as a child, is devoted to both his country and Buddhism, and has a deep love for traditional Chinese culture. In 2005, he successfully organized and hosted the First Guanyin Birthday Calligraphy and Painting Art Festival at Ganolisi Temple. In 2009, he established the Ganolisi Temple Calligraphy and Painting Art Exhibition Hall, housing over 600 works of calligraphy and painting by artists from across the nation, attracting numerous art enthusiasts and worshippers to visit. The Miaoyi Library, with a collection of nearly ten thousand volumes, provides reading convenience for those interested in literature and history. From south to north, the temple successively houses the Guest Hall, the Scripture Reading Room, and other facilities. On the Ghost Festival in 2010, to support the cultural department’s application for intangible cultural heritage status at the autonomous region level, Ganolisi Temple successfully excavated and revived the nearly half-century-lost folk event—the Nine-Curve Yellow River Lantern Procession (commonly known as the Lantern-Walking Festival). Starting in 2009, Ganolisi Temple has successfully held two consecutive Water-Land-Dharma Assemblies for the Benefit of All Beings in the Three Realms, achieving unprecedented grandeur—rare large-scale Buddhist events in Inner Mongolia’s Chinese Buddhist circles in nearly a century. The temple also treasures one hundred meticulously mounted Ming Dynasty silk scroll paintings of Water-Land Rituals, copied by Beijing fine-brush painters, which are exquisitely presented and have received high praise from members of the Buddhist community. Venerable Miaowen, abbot of Ganolisi Temple, along with monastic and lay followers, fully implements the Party’s religious policies—benefiting all beings, glorifying the nation—and strives to build the temple into a widely revered sacred Buddhist site, a pure land for practice, a cultural garden, and a tourist destination.

VII. Postscript

The revitalization of the sacred site relies on the strength of a thousand Buddhas, achieved through ten years of painstaking effort. For over a decade, Venerable Miaowen has worked tirelessly, pouring his heart and soul into uniting devotees and promoting the Dharma. He has fully implemented the Party’s religious policies, guiding religious believers to actively participate in the construction of both material and spiritual civilizations, emphasizing the conduct of standardized Buddhist rituals. In areas such as poverty alleviation, aiding the disabled and students, disaster relief donations, maintaining social stability, and promoting local economic development, he has undertaken many meaningful initiatives. But this is only a good start. The more important task of promoting the Dharma and related efforts in the future remains long and arduous. Plans are in place to complete the construction of the Dharma Hall, Scripture Depository, Abbot’s Quarters, and Buddhist Academy within the next ten years. Under his leadership, Ganolisi Temple will become a renowned Buddhist site in western Inner Mongolia and a tourist attraction that cultivates people’s sentiments, comprehensively serving the harmonious development of Bayannur.

Source: Linhe District Tourism Bureau