Hong Kong Tung Lin Niefo Hall

　　Tung Lin Niefo Hall is situated on Fu Yung Shan in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong. The temple was first established in 1952 by Venerable Ding Xi. Nestled within dense woodlands, the tranquil and secluded site serves as a dedicated practice ground for Pure Land Buddhism. Upon entering the mountain gate, you’ll find the Tung Lin Elderly Care Home, founded in 1970.

　　The Mahavira Hall, completed in 1998, boasts majestic architecture with soaring upturned eaves. The lower level houses the Great Compassion Hall, enshrining a Thousand-Armed Guanyin statue; the upper level is dedicated to the Three Saints of the Saha World—centered on Shakyamuni Buddha, with Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva on the left and Guanyin Bodhisattva on the right, while the walls on both sides feature statues of the Eighteen Arhats. Behind the Great Compassion Hall, past a small garden fragrant with incense, stone steps lead to the Ultimate Bliss Treasure Hall, flanked by lotus pillars. Inside the hall, the statues of the Three Saints of the Western Paradise are enshrined, with a rotating crystal lotus lamp in front of the Buddha that symbolizes the continuous turning of the Dharma wheel. To the right of the hall, the lower level is the Yan Shou Hall, and the upper level is the Guanyin Pavilion. Adjacent on the right, the lower level houses the Memorial Hall of Master Yinguang, the 13th Patriarch of the Pure Land tradition, which contains his relic stupa. The upper level is the Scripture Depository, housing the Qing Dynasty large-character edition of the "Long Zang" comprising 7,168 volumes, along with multiple other Buddhist scriptures such as the "Pinjia Zang." Behind the Yan Shou Hall is the 0 Hall, also a place for storing sacred texts.

　　The monastics of Tung Lin Niefo Hall specialize in Pure Land practice and serve as a merit-based monastery for bhikkhus from all regions. Aside from ceremonies on the birthdays of various Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, the temple focuses solely on the practice of Buddha-recitation. The temple’s mountain gate bears the inscription “Tung Lin Niefo Hall.” The couplet reads: “The Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss is entered through this gate; Amitabha Buddha is right before your eyes.” This concise verse encapsulates the founding purpose of the Niefo Hall.

　　Founding History

　　The founding patriarch of Tung Lin Niefo Hall, Venerable Ding Xi (1895–1962), was originally from Haicheng in the northeast. His secular surname was Yu, and his family, who valued both farming and scholarship, lived a moderately prosperous life; both his parents were devout Buddhists. From childhood, the Venerable enjoyed sitting in meditation, visiting temples, and studying scriptures. At the age of 18, he joined a Buddhist preaching hall as a speaker and often discussed Dharma with his friends Wang Futing (who later became a monk, known as Xuyun) and Lu Bingnan (who later became a monk, known as Leguo). In 1924, Venerable Ding Xi went to Mount Putuo in Nanhai to receive full ordination under Dharma Master Dayuan at Fayu Temple, after which he returned to reside at Liuyun Temple in Shanghai. In 1929, following the transmission of the Thousand Buddha Precepts by Master Dixian, he was unanimously elected as the second abbot of Ultimate Bliss Temple. Venerable Ding Xi also received the orthodox Tiantai Dharma lineage from Master Dixian, becoming the 44th generation of the Tiantai school, and later received transmission from Abbot Bao Yi, becoming the 42nd generation of the Linji school. The Venerable emphasized Tiantai teachings in his sermons but practiced Pure Land Buddhism, with a particular focus on monastic discipline—many lay followers sought ordination under him. In 1946, he moved to Bohai Temple in Nanguan, Fengtian (now Shenyang), where he established a Niefo Hall and led practitioners diligently every day. In 1949, at the invitation of Xuyun, he and Leguo came to Hong Kong to assist in founding the South China Buddhist College and served as principal lecturers for three years. After the first class of monastic students graduated and planned to live in hermitages to deepen their practice, in 1952, Venerable Mao Rui, abbot of Nantianzhu Temple in Tsuen Wan, lent them a vegetable plot in his eastern garden for a dwelling, and devotees raised funds to build simple quarters, initially named Tung Lin Pure Abode. This was in homage to the Eastern Forest Temple built by Huiyuan, the first patriarch of the Pure Land tradition, on Mount Lu during the Eastern Jin Dynasty. The Venerable first sent Venerables Sheng Huai, Da Cheng, and Jing Zhen to purchase materials and begin construction, contributing 500 dollars each, followed by 200 dollars from Venerables Yong Xing and Miao Jing, then 400 dollars each from Venerables Ji Tao and Yi Le, with support from lay devotee Wu Yunzhai and other patrons, allowing the project to be largely completed. However, on the fifth day of the eighth lunar month that same year, a flash flood destroyed nearly half the structure. Responding to the news, many offered help, and repairs were completed by the end of that year. The following year, the site was renamed Tung Lin Pure Abode. Later, an additional foundation of over a thousand square feet was donated from behind Zhulin Chan Temple, which also gifted over eight thousand square feet of land behind Tung Lin for constructing the Mahavira Hall (now the Ultimate Bliss Treasure Hall).

　　Since the land for the Niefo Hall was donated by various parties, there were concerns about unified ownership. Venerable Ding Xi thus planned to register Tung Lin Niefo Hall with the government and establish a board of directors. The permanent board members at the time included: Ding Xi, Mao Rui, Ji Tao, Sheng Huai, Yi Le, Yong Xing, Sheng Zhao, Zhi Kai, Da Cheng, Xi Chen, Ma Guangkuo, Jing Zhen, and Miao Jing. The temple was registered with the Hong Kong Buddhist Federation, declaring that all assets belonged to benefactors and that descendants had no right of inheritance—the property would forever belong to the resident monastics of Tung Lin Niefo Hall. In 1962, official government approval was granted to establish the Tung Lin Niefo Hall Limited Board of Directors, marking the formation of a formal Buddhist organization. This move set a precedent among Buddhist temples in Hong Kong. The current abbot of Tung Lin Niefo Hall is Venerable Jing Zhen, the sixth in the lineage.

　　Currently, the monastics of Tung Lin Niefo Hall specialize in Pure Land practice and serve as a merit-based monastery for bhikkhus from all regions. Regular ceremonies include those for the birthdays of Shakyamuni Buddha, Medicine Buddha, Amitabha Buddha, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Guanyin Bodhisattva, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, Manjushri Bodhisattva, Samantabhadra Bodhisattva, Cundi Bodhisattva, the Ghost Festival (Ullambana), Skanda Bodhisattva, and Sangharama Bodhisattva.

　　Transportation Guide

　　Address: Fu Yung Shan Road, Tsuen Wan District, Hong Kong

　　How to get there: Take New Territories minibuses route 85