Xingfu Temple

Xingfu Temple is located on the northern slope of Yushan Mountain in Changshu City, Jiangsu Province. It is a key Buddhist temple in the Han region designated by the State Council and a cultural relic protection unit. During the Yanxing to Zhongxing period of the Southern Qi Dynasty (494-502), Ni Deguang (who once served as the governor of Chenzhou) donated his house to build a temple, initially named "Dabe Temple." In the fifth year of the Datong period of the Liang Dynasty (539), the temple was extensively renovated and expanded, and renamed "Fushou Temple." As the temple was located next to Polong Run, it was also known as "Poshan Temple." In the ninth year of the Xiantong period of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Yizong bestowed the name "Xingfu Zen Temple," making it one of the famous temples in Jiangnan. In the 37th year of the Qianlong period (1772), a pavilion was built, and a stone stele was erected in Xingfu Temple, which remains intact to this day. The famous verse "A winding path leads to a secluded place, where the Zen room is surrounded by flowers and trees" was written about this place. There is another temple with the same name in Japan, and another in Haining, Zhejiang.