Dongshan Zhengjue Temple

　　Ganzhou's Dongshan Zhengjue Temple is situated in the valley of Dongshan Mountain outside the county town, about 300 meters from National Highway 323 and approximately 100 meters from Mudan Pavilion Park. The Dongshan area boasts stunning landscapes, lush forests, and a tranquil environment. From the mountaintop, visitors can enjoy a distant view of two towns facing each other like a matched pair of jade discs, with bridges spanning the river like rainbows — a scene celebrated as "Dongshan Soaring Green," one of the Ten Scenic Spots of Nanan. The resonant morning and evening bells drift gracefully across the Zhang River and echo through the skies of both towns. Visiting the temple to pray not only soothes the soul but also offers a bird’s-eye view of the ancient city’s beauty, making it the best scenic spot in the county.

　　Zhengjue Temple was once known as Zhengjue Temple. It was originally built during the Song Dynasty, renovated during the Tai Ding era of the Yuan Dynasty (1324–1328), and expanded in the early Yongle period of the Ming Dynasty (1403–1405). It flourished during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In the early Republican period, only the Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Hall, and a Buddhist pagoda remained at the temple, which was then renamed Xianweng An and converted into a nunnery. The site preserves stone carvings from the Ming Dynasty, statues of Vajra Bodhisattva, and Qing Dynasty steles.

　　　After 1988, Buddhist devotees spontaneously built simple halls on the original temple site in the valley for monastic and lay worshippers to conduct Buddhist rituals, and the number of worshippers gradually increased. In 1993, monks Zhenzheng and Jizhong raised funds to restore the halls and revive Buddhist activities. By the end of 1994, the Yuantong Treasure Hall was completed, along with four monk dormitories. In March 1996, the Mahavira Hall was built and opened to devotees. Later additions included the Heavenly King Hall, Patriarch Hall, Sixth Patriarch Hall, an outdoor giant Buddha statue, and a liberation pond.

　　The current Zhengjue Temple faces west and covers an area of 4,500 square meters, with a construction area of 1,200 square meters. Built along the mountain slope — which has an approximate gradient of 45 degrees and extends about 100 meters in depth — it consists of two main halls and four monk dormitories. The stone steps leading up to the temple are coated with cement, and beside them flows a perennial spring with cool, sweet water. At the center of the entrance stands a five-tiered pagoda-shaped treasure tripod, 4.5 meters high, 1.1 meters in diameter, and weighing 1.5 tons. To the left of the tripod is a small hall housing a stone-carved Vajra Bodhisattva. Behind it is the Yuantong Treasure Hall, beneath the left eave of which hangs a bell, and beneath the right eave, a drum. At the center front of the hall stands a three-tiered iron incense burner, 2.5 meters high and 1 meter in diameter. The Yuantong Treasure Hall has two levels: the upper level has three rooms — the central one being the scripture depository, with storage rooms on either side. The lower level is the main hall, where a 4.2-meter-tall statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva is enshrined, flanked by the Boy of Wealth and the Dragon Girl. The Buddhist platform is 1.04 meters high, 3.15 meters long, and 1 meter wide, and is intricately carved with ornaments. The hall contains four 4.2-meter-high red pillars, and its side walls are fitted with 81 nine-grade lotus lamps and longevity lamps arranged in tiers. The upper part of the hall door features red lattice windows, and above the lintel hangs a plaque inscribed with “Yuantong Treasure Hall,” written by lay devotee Zhao Dajin. The hall is a brick-concrete structure, 11.5 meters deep, 14.5 meters wide, and 15 meters high, covering an area of 170 square meters. Its roof is covered with brown glazed tiles, featuring a single-eave winged corner design, with symmetrical dragon-and-pearl ornaments on the roof ridge.