South Putuo or Nanputuo () is a famous
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
temple founded in the
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 ...
in the Chinese city of
Xiamen
Xiamen,), also known as Amoy ( ; from the Zhangzhou Hokkien pronunciation, zh, c=, s=, t=, p=, poj=Ē͘-mûi, historically romanized as Amoy, is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Stra ...
.
It is so named because it is south of the Buddhist holy site
Mount Putuo in
Zhejiang Province
)
, translit_lang1_type2 =
, translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese)
, image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg
, image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains
, image_map = Zhejiang i ...
.
Location
The South Putuo Temple is located on the southeast of Xiamen Island. It is surrounded by the graceful sea and the Wulao Peaks behind the temple. The Wulao peaks is a small mountain range that rises on the island. It enjoys a picturesque view of Xiamen and the surrounding district of Haicang,
Gulangyu
Gulangyu, Gulang or Kulangsu is a pedestrian-only island off the coast of Xiamen, Fujian Province in southeastern China. A UNESCO World Cultural Heritage, UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, the island is about in area, and is reached by an 8 ...
and
Zhangzhou
Zhangzhou (, ) is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and (with Quanzhou) surrounding the prefecture of Xiamen.
Nam ...
City. South Putuo Temple has many deep caves and verdant woods. It is adjacent to
Xiamen University
Xiamen University (XMU; ) is a public university in Siming, Xiamen, Siming, Xiamen, Fujian, China. It is affiliated with the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Ministry of Education of China. The university is part of Pro ...
and
Lu River.
History
During the final years of the
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 ...
, Buddhist monks who inhabited the place had established it into a sacred Buddhist temple. It used to have different names. The temple was dismantled during Yuan dynasty and reconverted into a Buddhist temple in Ming dynasty. In 1684, around the beginning of the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and an early modern empire in East Asia. The last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the ...
, general
Shi Lang
Shi Lang (1621–1696), Marquis Jinghai, also known as Secoe or Sego, was a Chinese admiral who served under the Ming dynasty, Ming and Qing dynasty, Qing dynasties in the 17th century. He was the commander-in-chief of the Qing fleets which dest ...
donated generously to rebuild and expanded the temple buildings, where a shrine hall for
Guanyin Bodhisattva was installed and worshipped. The general named the temple after the Buddhist sacred site
Mount Putuo of
Zhejiang Province
)
, translit_lang1_type2 =
, translit_lang1_info2 = ( Hangzhounese) ( Ningbonese) (Wenzhounese)
, image_skyline = 玉甑峰全貌 - panoramio.jpg
, image_caption = View of the Yandang Mountains
, image_map = Zhejiang i ...
, which is considered the abode of Guanyin. In 1924, Master Hui Quan was appointed the first abbot of the South Putuo Temple and he set up
Minnan Buddhist College in 1925. Several prominent scholarly monks like
Hong Yi and
Yin Shun taught in the college. The temple suffered much damages by the red guards during Cultural Revolution and was converted into a factory. The temple underwent further renovation in the 1980s and the first abbot after cultural revolution was elected in 1989.
See also
*
Chinese Buddhism
Chinese Buddhism or Han Buddhism ( zh, s=汉传佛教, t=漢傳佛教, first=t, poj=Hàn-thoân Hu̍t-kàu, j=Hon3 Cyun4 Fat6 Gaau3, p=Hànchuán Fójiào) is a Chinese form of Mahayana Buddhism. The Chinese Buddhist canonJiang Wu, "The Chin ...
*
Mount Putuo
*
Taixu, former abbot (1927-1933)
References
External links
Xiamen City Community Website(厦门社区网, includes business listings, jobs, blogs, picture galleries, and other services)
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:South Putuo Temple
Buddhist temples in Xiamen
Buildings and structures in Xiamen
Guanyin temples