Yuetemple and Pagoda Forest

Period: Jin Dynasty Location: North of Bo'ai County Seat

Yuetemple and its Pagoda Forest lie at the southern foot of the Taihang Mountains, five kilometres north of Bo'ai County, Jiaozuo City. The temple complex faces south and clings to the mountain slope. It is backed by the towering Taihang Mountains and overlooks the Huaichuan Plain as well as the ancient course of the Qin River. To its east stands the ancient Lingyan Temple, and the Danshui River flows on its west. Nestled on Bright Moon Mountain, it has long been a renowned scenic and cultural relic site.

According to the stone inscription Record of Daming Chan Courtyard on Bright Moon Mountain kept in the temple: "In the ninth month of the third year of the Zhenglong reign, the monk left Jixi Courtyard in Dongming County of the Southern Capital. He crossed rivers and traversed clouds until he reached Qinhuai Prefecture, where numerous monks gathered. He stayed there and built an abbey with an inscribed stone tablet. Later he roamed to this mountain. Gazing afar, he saw an unobstructed pure scenery and named this place Bright Moon Mountain."

It can be confirmed that the temple was first founded in 1158, the third year of the Zhenglong reign of the Jin Dynasty, originally named Qingfeng Nunnery. In 1181, the twenty-first year of the Dading reign, the imperial court bestowed the new name Daming Chan Courtyard. In 1458, the Wuyin year of the Tianshun reign of the Ming Dynasty, it was renamed Baoguang Temple by imperial decree. In the Qing Dynasty, it acquired the present name Yuetemple (Moon Temple) for the mountain’s crescent shape. The temple has a history of more than 830 years spanning the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Yuetemple and the Pagoda Forest enjoyed widespread fame since ancient times and occupy an important position in the history of Chinese Buddhism. Surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing south, the main buildings are arranged along a central axis, divided into the East Courtyard, West Courtyard and Central Chan Courtyard.

The scenic spots include eight major sights: General Cypress, Star-viewing Platform, Guanyin Pavilion, Kemi Spring, Lord Cang Cave, Qingfeng Hall, Interlocking Wells and Phoenix Terrace. There are also eight minor sights: Golden Rooster Crow, Imperial Tablet Pavilion, Wind-facing Wall, Shallow Well, Scripture Repository, Dragon Water Spout, Seven-star Pagodas, Bell and Drum Towers, plus four natural wonders. Dense pines and cypresses cover the surrounding mountains with rolling peaks, secluded grottos and resplendent halls, forming a classical garden complex.

Built along the mountain terrain, the temple and pagoda forest cover over 10,000 square metres. Due to wars and natural weathering, only a few ancient structures remain intact: one Wind-facing Wall, two Imperial Tablet Pavilions, one Scripture Repository and eleven brick pagodas. Other buildings including the Mountain Gate, Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Buddha Hall, Guanyin Pavilion, Dragon Courtyard and Jade Buddha Hall have all been reconstructed on the original foundations.

The surviving historic buildings such as tablet pavilions and the pagoda forest feature unique designs with great cultural and architectural research value. The stele Record of Daming Chan Courtyard on Bright Moon Mountain records the founding date and historical evolution of Yuetemple in detail. The Scripture Stele of Baoguang Temple documents the origin and development of Chinese Buddhism, together with missionary activities at Honglu Temple in Luoyang and Baoguang Temple, serving as precious material evidence for the study of Buddhist history in China.

The Pagoda Forest of Yuetemple ranks among the rare surviving ancient pagoda clusters in Henan Province. The elegant shapes and exquisite brick carvings provide valuable first-hand materials for the research of brick pagoda architecture. The Seven-star Pagodas are especially precious. Their layout is modelled after the Big Dipper, integrating astronomical science with artistic design, which vividly reflects the ancient development of Chinese astronomy.

The architectural complex boasts diverse building styles with a well-planned layout nestled between mountains and rivers. It is an invaluable physical specimen for the study of large-scale ancient Chinese monasteries.

On November 21, 1986, the People's Government of Henan Province designated the site as one of the Second Batch of Provincial Key Cultural Relic Protection Units.