Huazang Temple

Kunshan Huazang Temple evolved from the sub-temple of Huiju Temple, which was located at Ma'anshan in Kunshan. Huiju Temple was built in the tenth year of the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty (511 AD). The monk Huixiang was the founder of the temple. Huixiang was the teacher of Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan. Emperor Wu bestowed an iron incense burner, silk-embroidered Buddha statues, and also granted two hectares of land, a mountain, and a thousand branches of wood. When Huixiang first came to Kunshan, he practiced Zen meditation in a stone chamber on the side of Ma'anshan, with two tigers as his attendants, wishing to establish a monastery but unable to do so. Legend has it that on that night, a violent storm arose, the woods roared angrily, and the sound of chopping wood could be heard from afar, which people found strange. At dawn the next day, the foundation of the hall was completed, and the steps and foundation stones were laid, believed to be with the help of the mountain god. Initially, there were a main hall and a smaller hall. During the Huichang era of Emperor Wuzong of Tang (841-846 AD), an edict was issued to destroy all Buddhist temples, and Huiju Temple also suffered this fate. During the Xuanhe period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1119-1125 AD), the sub-temple of Huiju Temple on the northeast foothills of Ma'anshan was rebuilt by Master Xinfu into the Ten Directions Sages' Lecture Temple and renamed 'Huazang Lecture Temple'. In the autumn of the Chunyou period of the Southern Song Dynasty (1248 AD), the monk Lianggong rebuilt the Great Buddha Pavilion, named 'Shenyun Daxiong Hall'. In the thirteenth year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1380 AD), the monk Daya moved the 'Huazang Lecture Temple' from the northern foothills of Ma'anshan to the summit of Xishan. In the twenty-second year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1594 AD), the monk Jimie rebuilt the mountain gate and the Hall of Heavenly Kings. At the summit, there is a Lingxiao Pagoda, also known as the Supreme Treasures Pagoda, said to have been built by Huixiang in the tenth year of the Tianjian era of the Liang Dynasty (511 AD), and others say it was built during the Tang Dynasty. In the third year of the Dade era of the Yuan Dynasty (1299 AD), the monks Yanfu and Xifan rebuilt the pagoda. In the thirty-second year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1604 AD), the monk Jimie renovated the Lingxiao Pagoda into seven levels. In the spring of the forty-fourth year of the Kangxi era of the Qing Dynasty (1705 AD), Emperor Kangxi visited Ma'anshan and climbed the Wenbi Peak, where he composed a poem and left an inscription. The magistrate then rebuilt the site as the 'Imperial Pavilion', with the Yuanju Mountain House to the right, turning west to the Three Officials Hall, known as the Little Yuntai, with the Zhenwu Hall at the summit of Wenbi Peak, the Earth Store Hall to the side, the Wenxing Hall adjacent, and the Chunfeng Pavilion in front. To the left in front of the Baili Tower is the Hanxiu Mountain House, with the Half-hidden Tower in the middle, the Yuanjing Hermitage to the east, later renovated into the Guanyin Hall, the Wenlong Pavilion to the west, and the scenery is indescribably beautiful. In the tenth year of the Xianfeng era of the Qing Dynasty (1860 AD), all but the Lingxiao Pagoda were destroyed by war. In the twenty-third year of the Republic of China (1934 AD), the locals repaired the Lingxiao Pagoda, but unexpectedly, during the repair of the seventh level, the 'August 1st Incident' broke out, and later the pagoda was bombed by Japanese planes, suffering damage. In the twenty-sixth year of the Republic of China (1937 AD), Japan invaded China, the mountain temple was bombed, and the mountain was occupied by the Japanese army. After victory, the monks built three bungalows, which were maintained until the liberation in 1949. In June 1992, the Kunshan Municipal People's Government approved the reconstruction of Huazang Temple, located on the southern foothills of Ma'anshan, west of Cuiwei Pavilion, covering an area of five acres. In August 1997, Huazang Temple was once again relocated and rebuilt to the south of Ma'anshan, north of Ma'anshan Road, and east of the west gate of Tinglin Park, with a building area of 3,000 square meters. Huazang Temple was completed in October 2001. On June 5, 2004, a consecration ceremony was held, with a thanksgiving speech delivered by the Venerable Qiufeng. In front of the temple, there is the Bosheng Bridge spanning a creek, and the temple buildings all have the architectural style of the Song Dynasty, majestic and spectacular, with golden yellow glazed tiles on the roofs, including the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Great Buddha Hall, the Guanyin Hall, the Earth Store Hall, etc., on a grand scale.