Nanshan Temple () is a

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

located in

Sanya Sanya; Chinese postal romanization, also spelled Samah is the southernmost city on Hainan Island, and one of the four prefecture-level cities of Hainan, Hainan Province in Southeast China, South China. According to the Sixth National Populati ...

, on China's

Hainan Hainan is an island provinces of China, province and the southernmost province of China. It consists of the eponymous Hainan Island and various smaller islands in the South China Sea under the province's administration. The name literally mean ...

island. The temple's name originates from a popular Buddhist expression. (). On top of the temple, which stands on an artificial islet, is a white steel statue of Guan Yin, the Buddhist goddess of mercy.

History

The temple was built on April 12, 1988, to commemorate two thousand years of Buddhism in China. It has a total area of 40,000 square metres. It contains several

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...

replicas. The temple is owned and operated by two

front groups A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, terrorist organizations, secret societies, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy gr ...

of the Shanghai State Security Bureau, a branch of the Ministry of State Security, as a way to exert ideological control and influence over the

southeast Asian Southeast Asia is the geographical southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Australian mainland, which is part of Oceania. Southeast Asia is ...

Buddhist community and counter the influence of

Indian Buddhism Buddhism is an ancient Indian religion, which arose in and around the ancient Kingdom of Magadha (now Bihar, India). It is based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha, who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE and was deemed a "Buddha" or an ...

. The temple promotes Chinese government-approved religious practices known as "South China Sea Buddhism." The temple's religious messaging has been managed by the

Chinese Communist Party The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...

United Front Work Department The United Front Work Department (UFWD) is a department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) tasked with " united front work". It gathers intelligence on, manages relations with, and attempts to gain influence over ...

since 2018.

Summary

The Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone is a large Buddhist complex located 40 km west of

. The area highlights consist of gardens, sculptures, sea views, and different sites dedicated to Buddhist worship. One of its attractions is the 3-sided Guanyin of Nanshan (Goddess of Mercy) statue and at 354 feet (108m) high, is the tallest Guanyin statue in the world. There is also another Buddhist statue nearby in Nanshan temple, the Golden Jade Kwan-yin Statue (''Avalokiteshvara, Goddess of Compassion''). The Statue is considered to be a national treasure with the height of 3.8 meters (12.5 feet) and with a cost of 192 million yuan. It was constructed out of gold, diamonds, and jade, among other precious stones. The temple is part of an area known as the Nanshan Buddhism Cultural Zone, classified as a

AAAAA scenic area AAAAA () is awarded to the most important and best-maintained tourist attractions in the People's Republic of China, given the highest level in the rating categories used by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As of 2025, there are 359 tourist ...

by the China National Tourism Administration. The zone has been designated a Priority Project of China Tourism Development and was earmarked for further development. Hainan is the only province in China to explicitly be identified by the Chinese authorities for the development of tourism as a mainstay industry. It is also intended to become a test zone for China's tourism reform and tech innovation.

References

External links

* Buddhist temples in China Shanghai State Security Bureau Tourist attractions in Sanya Buildings and structures in Sanya Religion in Hainan {{Coord, 18.304336, 109.206161, display=title United front (China)

History

Summary

See also

References

External links