Bailu Temple

　　   According to the Ming Dynasty's "Comprehensive Gazetteer," Tang Dynasty scholar and official Pei Xiu lectured here, and a white deer once appeared holding a flower while listening. Legend has it that Pei Xiu, a renowned prime minister of the Tang Dynasty, was demoted and served as the military governor of Jingnan. During his time in Yiyang, he stayed for a while on a lush, tree-covered mountain by the river. Learned and multi-talented, Pei Xiu had a deep interest in Buddhism. Late at night, he would read scriptures by candlelight on the mountain. The resonant chanting attracted a celestial white deer, which would come to listen every evening the chanting began. But one night, the secret of the deer’s presence was discovered, the divine moment was lost, and the white deer never returned. The villagers believed the spot where the deer listened to the scriptures was an auspicious feng shui site, so they named the mountain Bailu (White Deer) Mountain and built a temple at its foot, naming it Bailu Temple.

　　   In ancient times, Bailu Temple flourished with incense and enjoyed great fame. Especially remarkable was the temple’s ancient bronze bell, weighing one thousand kilograms, whose sound was deep and far-reaching—hailed as the king of bells in the ancient city. At night, the tolling of the monks’ bell echoed across the fifteen-li-long stone-paved streets of the old town. The melodious and ethereal chime stirred the heart and moved the soul. The “Evening Bell of Bailu” became one of the Ten Scenic Spots of ancient Yiyang.

　　   The ancient Bailu Temple underwent many trials and tribulations and was eventually completely destroyed. The current Bailu Temple was rebuilt in 1987 after religious policies were reinstated. With government approval, public fundraising, and generous donations from Venerable Fo Yuan, a former abbot of Bailu Temple, the new temple was constructed on the back hill of Bailu Mountain. Nestled against the mountain and facing the street, the grand mountain gate features imposing red walls and an arched entrance, radiating magnificence. The newly built Mahavira Hall houses glistening Buddha statues, colorful Buddhist banners and scrolls, and the sounds of wooden fish resonate along with the drifting incense. On either side of the main hall are a bell tower and a drum tower, where efforts are underway to craft a giant bell and drum. The grandeur of the “Evening Bell of Bailu” will soon return to the ancient city.

　　   In the first-floor “visitors’” resting area, guests can enjoy vegetarian tea and fruit, or visit the temple’s vegetarian dining hall to sample vegetarian meals. Dishes crafted from tofu, dried vegetables, melons, and fruits are ingeniously shaped to resemble chicken, duck, fish, and meat—delicately presented and delicious in flavor.