The Monument Commemorating the Reconstruction of Gusu Mountain Temple

The Monument Commemorating the Reconstruction of Gusu Mountain Temple

The Monument Commemorating the Reconstruction of Gusu Mountain Temple is a protected cultural heritage site of Hebei Province.

The Monument Commemorating the Reconstruction of Gusu Mountain Temple

The Monument Commemorating the Reconstruction of Gusu Mountain Temple is located in Guo'erzhuang Village, Wu'an City. The two tablets were engraved during the Tang and Yuan dynasties respectively, and are relics of the former Gusu Mountain Temple (also known as Changshou Temple). The Tang Dynasty tablet stands 1.95 meters tall, 0.93 meters wide, and 0.95 meters thick, with an arched top. The tablet’s header features a Buddha niche, 0.57 meters wide and 0.50 meters high, depicting one Buddha and two Bodhisattvas. On both sides of the niche are line-engraved offerings to the Buddha, while the lower part contains the main text. The tablet's body is inscribed within ruled square grids, featuring semi-cursive and regular script, totaling 30 lines with 47 characters per line, comprising 1,410 characters in all. It primarily records the Buddhist devotee Wu Wuxiang’s efforts in commemorating the reconstruction of Gushan Temple. On the reverse side of the tablet, at the top, is a line-engraved seated Buddha image and two standing Bodhisattvas. On the right side, large characters read “Granted decree: five hectares of temple land, along with carts, oxen, donkeys, and horses.” To the south of this tablet stands another Yuan Dynasty monument, engraved in the seventh month of the 19th year of Zhiyuan (1282), standing 1.9 meters tall, 0.84 meters wide, and 0.23 meters thick, with a dragon-head capital. Its header is inscribed with the seal script “Record of the Reconstruction of Changshou Temple.” The main text is in regular script, with 23 lines of 42 characters each, documenting the reconstruction efforts led by the Buddhist devotee Xigong and Guo Xin.

The original Gusu Mountain Temple no longer exists, leaving only its ruins. The Tang Dynasty tablet stands in the former temple courtyard, with a crack in the center of the header and the inscriptions partially damaged and faded beyond recognition. The base of the tablet is buried underground, and its shape is unknown. The Yuan Dynasty tablet has now split into two pieces but the text remains clear. It is currently a key cultural relic protected at the provincial level in Hebei Province.

Further Reading:

· Second Batch of Protected Cultural Heritage Sites of Hebei Province