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Ganzhou Shouliang Monastery
Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China
In the early 10th century, Lu Guangzhou, the local defense commissioner of Baisheng Army, suffered a serious illness. A monk named Daocheng saved the entire family. Lu Guangzhou offered gold as a reward, but Daocheng only asked for a piece of land the size of a monk's robe. Lu Guangzhou donated his eastern courtyard, which was used to build Luxing Yanshou Temple, later renamed Shouliang Temple during the Xiangfu era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1008-1016).
Shouliang Temple is adjacent to Jianchun Gate, facing the gray bricks of the Song Dynasty city wall. Its unique layout, facing northeast from southwest, makes it appear particularly crowded in the ever-expanding city. Visitors stroll among the century-old banyan trees, their leaves rustling against the backdrop of red prayer flags. On the three gates and four stone pillars are engraved the inscription of Master Yinguang, a physical record of his 1933 essay advocating for the temple's reconstruction.
The history of this temple can be described as a cycle of destruction and revival. In 1282, a great flood submerged the temple in river mud. During the chaos of the late Yuan Dynasty, the temple was reduced to ashes. In the early Ming Dynasty, the monk Rong'an rebuilt the temple, and Xie Jin inscribed its restoration monument. In 1915, another flood swept through the temple, but the six-meter-tall iron Guanyin statue cast by Lu Guangzhou—then the largest iron Buddha statue in Jiangxi—remained standing. This iron giant survived the flood but was melted down in 1970.
Today, a new six-meter-tall wooden Guanyin statue stands in the main hall. The fresh scent of newly carved wood replaces the cold aura of the ancient iron. This temple, the headquarters of the Ganzhou Buddhist Association, continues a thousand-year history. A local saying, "First came Shouliang Temple, then came Ganzhou City," reminds visitors of this profound connection. The temple bells still echo on the nearby Gongjiang River, carrying the memories of generations of monks who built the temple.