Kunshan Huazang Temple

Kunshan Huazang Temple evolved from the original Huiju Temple sub-temple located in Ma'anshan, Kunshan. Huiju Temple was built in the 10th year of the Tianjian period of the Liang Dynasty (511 AD). The monk Huixiang from Wuxing was the founder of this temple. Huixiang was the teacher of Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan. Emperor Wu of Liang bestowed an iron incense burner, a silk-embroidered Buddha statue, two hectares of land, a mountain, and a thousand branches of wood to the temple. When Huixiang first came to Kunshan, he meditated in a stone chamber on the side of Ma'anshan, accompanied by two tigers, desiring to establish a monastery but was unable to. It is said that on that night, there was a violent storm, the trees roared, and the sound of chopping was heard far and near, which puzzled everyone. The next day, at dawn, the foundation of the hall was completed, and the foundation stones of the steps were laid, with the help of the mountain god. Initially, there was a main hall and a small hall. During the Huichang period of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty (841-846 AD), an edict was issued to destroy Buddhist temples across the country, and Huiju Temple was also affected. During the Xuanhe period of the Northern Song Dynasty (1119-1125 AD), Master Xin rebuilt the sub-temple of Huiju Temple on the northeast slope of Ma'anshan into a lecture temple for sages from all directions and renamed it "Huazang Lecture Temple." In the autumn of the 5th year of Chunyou of the Southern Song Dynasty (1248 AD), the monk Liang Gong rebuilt the Great Buddha Pavilion and named it "Shenyun Daxiongshi Hall." In the 13th year of Hongwu of the Ming Dynasty (1380 AD), the monk Daye moved "Huazang Lecture Temple" from the northern slope of Ma'anshan to the top of Xishan. In the 22nd year of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty (1594 AD), the monk Jimu rebuilt the mountain gate and the Hall of Heavenly Kings. At the top of the mountain, there is a Lingxiao Pagoda, also known as the Supreme Treasure Pagoda, which is said to have been built by Huixiang in the 10th year of the Tianjian period of the Liang Dynasty (511 AD) or during the Tang Dynasty. In the 3rd year of Dade of the Yuan Dynasty (1299 AD), the monks Yanfu and Xifan rebuilt the pagoda. In the 32nd year of Wanli of the Ming Dynasty (1604 AD), the monk Jimu renovated the Lingxiao Pagoda into seven stories. In the spring of the 44th year of Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1705 AD), Emperor Kangxi visited Ma'anshan and climbed Wenbi Peak, leaving a poem. The county magistrate rebuilt the site into the "Imperial Pavilion," with Yuanju Mountain House on the right, the Three Officials Hall to the west, called Xiaoyuntai, and the Zhenwu Hall at the peak of Wenbi, with the Dizang Hall beside it, the Wenxing Hall next to it, and the Chunfeng Pavilion in front of it. To the left of Baili Building is Hanshou Mountain House, with the Half-Hidden Building in the middle, Yuangjing Nunnery to the east, later renovated into the Guanyin Hall, and Wenlong Pavilion to the west, with beautiful scenery beyond description.