Nanhua Temple

Background

Nanhua Temple stands in the Caoxi area of Maba Town, Qujiang District, Shaoguan, Guangdong, about 22 kilometres from central Shaoguan. With hills behind and water in front, its Hall of Heavenly Kings, Mahavira Hall, sutra library, Sixth Patriarch Hall and Lingzhao Pagoda are laid out along a central axis. The Mahavira Hall was first built in the Yuan dynasty (1306); its three gilded statues of Shakyamuni, the Medicine Buddha and Amitabha each stand more than 8.3 metres tall, and the hall also holds about 500 clay arhat figures. The temple was founded in 502, the first year of the Tianjian era of the Liang dynasty, by the Indian monk Zhiyao Sanzang, and Emperor Wu of Liang gave it the name Baolin Temple. In 677, the second year of the Yifeng era of the Tang dynasty, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng settled at Caoxi and taught here, and the Southern School of Chan spread from this place. In 968, the first year of the Kaibao era of the Northern Song, the court ordered the whole temple restored and named it Nanhua Chan Temple, the name it still bears. Hanshan Deqing revived the temple in 1600, the 28th year of the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty; from 1934 the monk Xuyun led a major restoration, and apart from the Lingzhao Pagoda and the Sixth Patriarch Hall, most of today's buildings were rebuilt after that. The temple covers more than 42.5 hectares.

Local customs

• Follow the central axis from the main gate to the Hall of Heavenly Kings and the Mahavira Hall to see the three great Buddhas and the arhat figures
• pay your respects to the image of Huineng in the Sixth Patriarch Hall and view the Lingzhao Pagoda
• then walk in the woods behind the temple and listen to the temple bell.

Travel tips

• The temple is large and takes about half a day at a relaxed pace
• check the official information for ticket prices. There are many steps, so wear flat shoes
• in summer there are plenty of mosquitoes by the river, so bring repellent.
• Nanhua Temple is about 22 kilometres southeast of central Shaoguan
• take a bus from near Shaoguan Railway Station or a taxi. From Guangzhou, take a high-speed train to Shaoguan and transfer
• coaches also run from Guangzhou to Shaoguan. You can visit all year round
• spring and autumn are pleasant, summer is rainy and winter is mild.