Qingtian Fushan Qingzhen Chan Temple

　　  The main buildings of the temple are arranged along a central axis, including in sequence: the Mountain Gate, Bell and Drum Towers, Life Release Pond, First Courtyard Gate, Second Courtyard White-Robed Chancellor Hall, Third Courtyard Guanyin Hall, side rooms, and on the west side, auxiliary halls such as the Lady Hall. The total area covers approximately 10,000 square meters. The Mountain Gate is a brick-and-concrete antique-style building with a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, first constructed in 1985. The plaque above the gate, inscribed with “Blessing the Overseas Chinese Hometown,” was written by Sha Menghai in 1991. To the left and right of the Mountain Gate are the Bell and Drum Towers, each square in plan with sides of 8.2 meters, featuring triple eaves and a pyramidal roof. Each tower houses a large bell and drum respectively. In the center courtyard is the Life Release Pond, with a “Auspicious Bridge” built over it. The pond covers an area of about 200 square meters and was built in 1987. The First Courtyard Gate has a width of seven bays (20.9 meters) and a depth of three pillars (4 meters), with a five-rafter system and a central pillar dividing the double-step beam. The Second Courtyard White-Robed Chancellor Hall is 22 meters wide and 11.25 meters deep, with eleven rafters, double-step beams front and back, and an octagonal six-tier caisson ceiling in the central bay. It has a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, with ridge and vertical roof ornaments featuring mythical creatures, and upturned eaves. The hall enshrines a statue of the White-Robed Chancellor. The side rooms are 7.6 meters wide and 5 meters deep, with railings and benches along the eave corridors. The Third Courtyard Guanyin Hall is three bays wide (18 meters) and 14.9 meters deep, with a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof. The hall houses statues of Guanyin and the Eighteen Arhats. Between the Second and Third Courtyard courtyards lies a Life Release Pond built in the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1872), covering an area of about 60 square meters. Adjacent to the west side of the White-Robed Chancellor Hall is the auxiliary Lady Hall, which has three sections: the first section is 14.4 meters wide and 9.3 meters deep, with a double-eaved hip-and-gable roof, the central bay housing a statue of Maitreya, with the Four Heavenly Kings on either side; the second section is 19.7 meters wide and 7.3 meters deep, with the central bay enshrining a statue of Sakyamuni, and arhat murals on the sides; the third section is the Guanyin Hall, 19.7 meters wide and 12.1 meters deep. The Qingzhen Chan Temple is richly decorated with carved beams and painted rafters, resplendent and magnificent, embodying a strong religious and cultural character.

　　  The Qingzhen Chan Temple was first established in the late Song and early Yuan dynasties. Initially, it had two main halls. During the Yuandade era (1297–1307), the auxiliary “Lady Palace” hall was built on the right side; in the eighth year of the Ming Jiajing reign (1529), the front hall was added; during the Qing Qianlong reign, the main hall was renovated; in the Jiaqing reign (1796–1820), the women’s guest quarters were expanded. In the 11th year of the Xianfeng reign (1861), the Taiping Army captured Qingtian and burned down the front hall, which was rebuilt in the first year of the Tongzhi reign. In the 31st year of the Guangxu reign (1905), the East and West Gateways were built; in 1927, the Bell and Drum Towers were constructed. In 1985, walls were erected, the East and West Gateways were removed, the Mountain Gate was built, the Life Release Pond was dug, a garden was created, and the scale was further expanded. The Bell and Drum Towers were also incorporated into the temple complex, forming a unified architectural ensemble.

　　  The Qingzhen Chan Temple is located at the foot of Mian’niu Mountain in Fushan Township, facing south with its back to the north. On the east and west sides are villagers’ residences, and about 150 meters south of the temple’s open space stands the single-arch Lè’ān Bridge, built from blue stone. The bridge is flanked by railings, with floral and bird relief carvings on the railing panels and lotus petal designs on the balusters, echoing the Qingzhen Chan Temple from afar.

　　  The Qingzhen Chan Temple keeps dozens of giant candles burning year-round, weighing 600, 1,000, 1,200, or even 2,000 jin (approximately 300 to 1,000 kg), commonly known as “Thousand-Jin Candles.” These Thousand-Jin Candles are eternal lamps and longevity candles. A pair of candles burns continuously for 365 days and nights, illuminating a whole year—an extraordinary sight in China. The making of these candles is overseen by a special folk religious organization called the “Twenty-Four Worship Society” (which holds worship ceremonies on the first and fifteenth of each month, twenty-four times a year). Every year during the temple fair on the 19th of the second lunar month, devotees purchase Thousand-Jin Candles, which are then offered in grand processions with colorful floats and music, and a ceremonial lighting ritual is held at an auspicious time.

　　  The Qingzhen Chan Temple primarily enshrines Li Bi, the Chancellor of the Tang Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Dezong, he was appointed as the Central Secretariat Director and concurrently Chancellor (equivalent to Prime Minister). Because he often wore white robes, he earned the revered title of “White-Robed Chancellor.” Legend has it that a fellow official surnamed Chen, who was framed by treacherous ministers and thrown into the imperial prison, was saved by Li Bi at the risk of his own life, thus escaping danger. In his later years, Chen retired to his hometown in Qingtian and wrote about this event to pass on the story to future generations, forever commemorating the kindness of the White-Robed Chancellor Li Bi. Since then, many temples dedicated to the White-Robed Chancellor have been built in the Qingtian and Yongjia regions, among which the Qingzhen Chan Temple in Fushan is the largest, attracting nearly 200,000 pilgrims annually and exerting considerable influence in southwestern Zhejiang.

　　  Address: Zhuan Village, Fushan Township, Lishui City

　　  Admission

　　  20 RMB