Bamboo Forest Chan Temple

Constructed in the 7th year of the Zhenguan reign of the Tang Dynasty (632 AD), Bamboo Forest Chan Temple boasts a history of over 1,300 years. Having weathered centuries of vicissitudes and undergone three periods of decline and revival, the temple now covers an area of 80 mu with a construction floor space of 4,800 square meters.

Facing the Qujiang River and Lingshan River at its gate, the temple resembles a dazzling bright pearl set off by two winding dragons, radiating boundless radiance. The main hall, the Hall of Universal Salvation, sits facing south with its back to the north. Standing 17.86 meters tall, it spans five bays in width and three bays in depth. Boasting multi-layered lofty pavilions topped with yellow glazed tiles and gracefully upturned flying eaves, it features an exquisite, distinctive architectural style steeped in the timeless charm of ancient Buddhist shrines.

The stone steps leading up to the main hall are thirteen bluestone tiers known as the Thirteen Divine Turtle Steps, originating from the local Longyou folk legend of "the divine turtle carrying a top scholar". According to the tale, Liu Zhang, a native of Longyou who became the imperial top scholar in the Southern Song Dynasty, studied classics and poetry at the temple in his youth. Every midnight of the Dragon Boat Festival, a thousand-year divine turtle dwelling in Divine Turtle Cave would carry Liu Zhang across the Qujiang River and upstream along the Lingshan River to visit his mother in Sixia Village south of the county. A relief carving of Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl adorns the middle of the bluestone steps, symbolizing the two rivers encircling the ancient temple. Bluestone balustrades flanking the hall are carved with Buddhist-themed reliefs including Tang Monk and His Three Disciples. The bluestone gateposts on either side of the main entrance bear inscriptions: "Divine dragons dive deep in waters; carps leap over the Dragon Gate" and "Divine dragons descend to the mortal world, wandering among humankind". Other stone pillars feature a couplet composed by Grand Master Jiecheng: The Guxi and Lingyuan Rivers wind around the ancient temple; Buddhist chants linger at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. Morning bells and evening drums resound beside the bodhi trees through autumn; Dim oil lamps and ancient scriptures lead to quiet comprehension of Chan wisdom.

Sixteen robust Chinese cedar pillars support the spacious, serene main hall. Enshrined within is a bronze statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva cast from purple copper, weighing 6.5 tons and standing 5.3 meters high. Donated by lay Buddhist Xiao Qiang and his family from Guangzhou, the statue cost over 700,000 RMB to produce. The interior layout and decorations adopt an integrated artistic technique blending divinity, seclusion, tranquility, reflection, shadow and form, rendering the statue vivid and permeated with a mysterious aura that radiates benevolent virtue. Murals painted on the wooden beams feature restrained color palettes and profound symbolic meanings depicting the full spectrum of human emotions: joy, sorrow, delight, grief, sweetness, bitterness, sourness and hardship. They inspire visitors to abandon evil and embrace goodness, cultivate inner peace, broaden their minds, dispel worldly attachments, and attain the virtuous state of instant Buddhahood.