The historic Dongshan Temple

Dongshan Temple in Hepu, Guangxi is located on Dongxu Road, Lianzhou Town, Hepu County, Guangxi, 28 kilometers away from Beihai city. The temple was originally named Lingjue Temple and was founded by the Zen master Cheng of Song Baoshan. In the tenth year of Ming Yongle (1412), the monk Juejing renovated it. It was later renovated several times during the Ming Wanli and Qing Kangxi periods. The temple was once the palace of King Annan Li Rizun during the Changfu period of Da Yue, and is one of the oldest temples in Hepu. During the Ming Dynasty, it was rated as one of the 'Eight Sceneries of Lianyang'. Dongshan Temple has been revived and declined many times. Since 2001, it has been fully renovated and restored to its original appearance. The temple is divided into four sections, with a brick and tile structure. The first section is the mountain gate, the plaque 'Dongshan Temple' is written by the scholar Yu Jun, the font is thick and vigorous, the second section is the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the third section is the Great Hall of the Buddha, the architecture maintains the style of the Song Dynasty, the fourth section is the Guanyin Hall. Dongshan Temple is the earliest temple in Hepu. Over the centuries, the incense is strong, and there are many religious and legendary stories. Officials and literati who have visited Dongshan Temple in the past have also left many poems and articles. Here are a few examples. 🌟Legend of the Spiritual Bell The most distinctive large bronze bell, this bell not only ranks first in Lingnan in terms of scale, but also has spirituality. It is said that this bell was enlightened by a high monk who passed by Hepu. Whenever the bell rings, it shakes ten miles. The legend of the bell in Dongshan Temple is that it can fly out of the temple and fight with the dragon. 🌟Damo's Inscription Damo arrived at Dongshan Temple, heard the history of Dongshan Temple, and wrote the four characters 'Ji Shi Duo Xin'. It means that it is a very happy thing to be able to understand the exquisite principles of Buddhism with everyone in Hepu again. Damo also gave his handwritten 'Mizong Heart Sutra' to the abbot of Lingjue Temple. 🌟Ancient Temples and Ancient Poems As the earliest and famous temple in Hepu, Dongshan Temple has attracted many literati and officials to write poems. The most famous ones are Su Shi's 'Mang Shoes Do Not Step into the Fame and Fortune Field' and 'Playing with Hepu Monks' when he passed by the temple during the Northern Song Dynasty. In addition, there are stories about the origins of modern patriotic generals such as Feng Zicai and Chen Mingshu with the temple. Although Dongshan Temple is only a county-level cultural relics protection unit, there are many highlights and historical stories in it, which are worth our quiet appreciation and personal experience in the ancient temple. At present, the fourth section of the Guanyin Hall is being renovated and cannot be entered. Ticket: Free Opening hours: All day Transportation: Self-driving, online car-hailing Hepu·Beihai