Donghua Temple

　　Donghua Temple is situated on Donghua Mountain in Wufeng Town, Wan’an County, Jiangxi Province. Starting from the east gate of Wan’an County town, one travels through Longxi and Fukoukou to reach Jiaoyuan Reservoir. From the dam of the reservoir, a roughly 5-kilometer-long simple mountain road winds uphill, leading to the famous Donghua Mountain, where an ancient temple known as Donghua Temple is located.

　　Speaking of Donghua Temple, one must first introduce Donghua Mountain. Donghua Mountain is located southwest of Wufeng Town and Jiantou Town in Wan’an County, above Longwangtan in Wufeng Town, about twenty kilometers from the county town and at an elevation of 562.2 meters, covering an area of over 30 square kilometers. Though not particularly high in elevation or large in area, it boasts a long history and is filled with mythological allure. According to the *Wan’an County Annals*: “Taoism was introduced to Wan’an during the Three Kingdoms period by Ge Xianweng from Danyang, who brought his disciples and practiced alchemy on Xianfang Ridge. Later, his son Ge Hong also had a passion for Taoist arts and wandered to Xianfang Ridge. To this day, the sites of old alchemical furnaces and pools remain. It is said that there used to be celestial lamps here; in peaceful times, purple halls hover around the shrine, signifying the descent of deities. Later generations established a Taoist temple at this site, named Yuhua Mountain. To the south of the mountain lies a Thunder Altar, which responds effectively when prayed to.” This Ge Hong (284–364) was a Taoist theorist, philosopher, and alchemist of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. His son, Ge Xuan, was also skilled in the methods of immortal preservation. They rode horses to Donghua Mountain to practice alchemy, and to this day, remnants such as horse hoof prints, alchemy pools, incense caves, and alchemy stoves can still be found. Near the alchemy pool, there is also a stone boat, an eight-immortal table, and eight stone stools, said to belong to the Eight Immortals. One day, the demon king of Jiaoyuan Cave caused havoc, stealing elixirs, and was shot dead by a hunter with a shotgun. The little demons made a stone coffin to bury the demon king. Suddenly, a thunderbolt struck and split the stone coffin in two, and the demon king turned into a turtle. To this day, Donghua Mountain still has a stone coffin split in two by lightning and a remarkably lifelike stone turtle.

　　Such a “mystical” place was chosen by disciples of the Linji School of Zen Buddhism to introduce the religion and establish Donghua Temple. The Linji School is one of the five schools of Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism, belonging to the Nanyue lineage of the Southern School, founded by the Tang Dynasty monk Master Yixuan. It was named after the Linji Monastery on the banks of the Hutuo River in Raozhou, where he resided. It has a history of more than 1,100 years. Later, it was passed down through the disciples of Northern Song Dynasty’s Master Chuyuan (986–1039) and split into the Yangqi and Huanglong sects, also boasting a history of over 900 years. According to the *Wan’an County Annals*, Donghua Temple was “founded at the end of the Yuan Dynasty,” making it at least 600 years old. It flourished especially during the 20th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1755), when the number of monks peaked at ninety-nine. Today, on Donghua Mountain stand the Linji Hall and the Donghua Ancient Pagoda. Embedded in the pagoda are tombstones of eminent monks such as Yunyan, Wuai, Yinxiu, and Xianzhi, along with an inscription of a poem: “Wandering the clouds unstained by dust, yet shadows linger in the western village. Asked where to go, seek where the deep clouds are.”

　　Next to the Donghua Ancient Pagoda are the Mahavira Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Zhenjun Hall, Guanyin Hall, Scripture-Listening Hall, Dharma-Hearing Hall, and Dining Hall. The halls house statues of Amitabha Buddha, Shakyamuni Buddha, Medicine Buddha, as well as Ksitigarbha, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattvas. The Eighteen Arhats on both sides display diverse and vivid expressions. The walls are also adorned with paintings of Sangharama and Skanda. Couplets inside and outside the halls read:

　　With the bodhisattva’s compassion, wisdom will come to those who seek it; with the devotion of all beings, blessings will be granted to those who ask.

　　The Buddha shines upon the world from the Western Paradise, illuminating the vast realm; the Dharma flows eastward, saving billions of living beings.

　　The Eastern Compassionate Vessel invites the Buddha to reside and turn the Dharma wheel to save all beings; the Huashan Hermitage wishes the monks to attain enlightenment and dwell in the true Dharma, realizing the sacred path.

　　Standing in the temple and looking out in all directions, one can take in the vast expanse of mountains and valleys. To the east lies the vast Jiaoyuan Reservoir, with fishing boats coming and going, and the reflections of the lake and mountains creating a delightful scene. To the south are verdant pines and cypresses, blooming flowers, and shimmering bamboo groves. Within the lush greenery lies a fairy pool spanning 400 square meters, clear as a mirror with water so transparent you can see the bottom. To the west, the entire panorama of the county town is visible without obstruction, with the thousand-mile Gan River meandering through, twisting and turning as it drifts away. To the north are steep cliffs, overlapping mountain ranges, and peculiar peaks and rocks scattered in an orderly fashion. In the distance, the boundless mountains stretch out as far as the eye can see. Especially enchanting are the misty clouds and rosy hues on sunny days, the hazy mountain colors in the rain, the blooming flowers vying for beauty in spring, and the charming snowy landscapes in winter—truly a kaleidoscope of colors, too beautiful to fully capture. An ancient poet, Hu Shu, praised it, saying: “Standing tall amid the clouds, the sky is its canopy; the hazy sunrise paints the walls crimson.”

　　Thanks to its long history, rugged terrain, and beautiful scenery, Donghua Temple often attracts throngs of visitors, especially during temple fairs when it becomes even livelier. On December 1, 1995, the People’s Government of Wan’an County approved it as a site for religious activities. Since then, this extraordinary and serene sacred land has drawn monks from all directions and numerous tourists for sightseeing.

　　Note: The above article is excerpted from the 343800 Wan’an Forum, with slight updates.

　　On Saturday, I specifically climbed Donghua Mountain to revisit Donghua Temple. The mountaintop is narrow, and the temple is built on a small flat area. Surrounded by dense bamboo and trees, the range for composing shots is limited. Coupled with my aging Sony P71, which has served for many years, it’s really not suitable for taking wide-angle landscape photos. How could these few humble photos satisfy the intense homesickness of a traveler in a foreign land?