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| Xuedou Temple |
| 2005-03-26 10:15:45 |
 Xuedou Temple is near the Qianzhangya Waterfalls and in the valley of Xuedou Mountain. The Temple, so to speak, is "Embraced by green mountains on all four sides and girded by singing springs all round". According to the Annals of Xuedou Temple compiled in the Qing Dynasty, Xuedou Temple was first built in the Jin Dynasty (265-420) and relocated at the present site in the Tang (841), and for a time it was known as "Pubu Guanyin Temple" or literally "Bodhisattva Temple near Waterfalls." The temple was the favorite of several generations of emperors of the Song Dynasty, who issued successively some 40 imperial edicts to the temple to its great honor. In 999 in the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhao Heng named it "Xuedou Holy Temple". Story has it that in 1037, Emperor Ren Zong of the Song once had a dream in which he was touring Xuedou Temple and thanks to his dream, the temple was named "the Temple in the Dream". Since then the mountain has known as one of the five most famous mountains and the temple one of The Ten most famous temples of China. Since its establishment, the temple has undergone several destructions and reconstructions. In 1651 AD, for example, Monk Shiqi took the lead to rebuild the temple. In 1953 and 1962, the Chinese government allocated special funds for the thorough repairs of the buildings and for the decoration of the Buddha figures. In 1986, thanks to the donations from various social communities, the temple was rebuilt once more. The temple at present covers a construction area of over 20,000 sq meters and the total area of the temple is some 8.7 hectares.  In its long history, Xuedou Temple has enjoyed high reputation in the Buddhism world home and abroad, being a place where large numbers of eminent masters from various Buddhist sects practiced Buddhism. According to the Historical Archive of Xuedou Temple, the Temple has had the honor to be in the charge of five masters from the Fayan Sect, nine from the Yumen Sect, eight from the Caodong Sect, nineteen from the Linji Sect, and some more whose sects are now unknown. A very eminent one of these masters is Master Zhijue of the Later Zhou Dynasty (951-960), the third successor of the Fayan Sect, who is the author of the famous Buddhist masterpiece "Zong Jing Lu". Of the abbots of Xuedou Temple, Master Zhijian of the Southern Dynasty (1190-1194), the 12th Master of the Caodong Sect, was teacher of Master Rujing of Tiantong Temple and Master Rujing was in turn teacher of Master Daoyuan, the founder of the Caodong Sect of Japan. That is why the disciples of the Caodong Sect in Japan take Xuedou Temple as their holy temple. In 1930's, Master Taixu, then Head of Buddhism Association of China, was abbot of Xuedou Temple, at the invitation of Chiang Kai-shek.Xuedou Temple has close relations with the Chiang Kai-shek's family. Chiang's grandfather Chiang Yu-biao, his mother Wang Cai-yu, and his sister Chiang Rui-lian, were all devout Buddhists and they were frequent visitors to Xuedou Temple. His mother Wang Cai-yu was even pupil of Master Guoru of the Temple, and she even had a private room in the temple for her Buddhist practice. Mao Fu-mei, mother of Chiang Ching-kuo, was a devout Buddhist and she often came to Xuedou Temple to worship the Buddha. She once donated 800 dollars for the building of the 2.5 km road from the Gate Pavilion to the Temple. Chiang Kai-shek, during his three retirements for the political arena, came to the temple from time to time to pray and draw divination sticks for his political career. In he was young, Chiang Ching-kuo used to spend his summer vocations reading in the Xuedou Temple. In April of 1937, General Feng Yuxiang visited Xikou and wrote a scroll of "Fight the Japanese Invaders and Defend Our Country" as a present for Master Taixu, then Abbot of Xuedou Temple. Since 1986, numerous Buddhists and lay Buddhists from Taiwan, Hong Kong, as well as old acquaintances of the Chiang's family, have been to Xuedou Temple and made great donations for the re-construction of the temple. With its far and wide influence, in recent years, the temple has received scores of Buddhist delegates and tourist groups from foreign countries. Every year, Xuedou Temple has some several thousands of Buddhist worshipers and tourists. Suggested Itinerary: Front Gate--The Ancient Ginkgo Trees--Hall of Maitreya Buddha--Bell Tower--Grand Hall--Hall for Buddhist Practice--General Nanmu Trees--Hall of Jade Buddha--Hanlin Pine Tree. (Written by Wang Hongfu) |
