Julong Temple is located in Fengxi Township, Mingxi County, Sanming City, Fujian Province, 6 kilometers away from the county seat. Julong Temple is a thousand-year-old temple with a history of 1,292 years, which has made important contributions to the history of Buddhism in China. It is one of the four ancient temples in Cao Dongzong of Buddhism in Fujian Province, with the same name as Yongquan Temple in Gushan, Fuzhou, Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou and Guanghua Temple in Putian.
In the ninth year of the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (Li Longji) (AD 721), Daojun and Daoheng, the eminent monks of the Tang Dynasty, came to Fengxi Township to gather in Feng Long. They saw that the mountain here was a treasure trove of geomantic omen where Kowloon gathered, and they were all known as a cave in Kowloon, which was a good place to gather disciples to give lectures and promote Buddhism. Here they founded temples to give lectures, practice and spread Buddhism. The temple was built here 187 years earlier than the Yongquan Temple in Gushan, Fuzhou. According to Fengxi's "Chenshi Genealogy", "Chenshi Shiro has three sons, Chang Wanjin, the second Yongding and the third Zhansheng. The three brothers built kilns, chiseled ponds and burned tiles in the mountains. After burning tiles, stop the kiln. Mountain name Waziping. " "Zu Derong and Jin Bao built a small temple in Ping for the people to pray for protection, and the temple was named Waziping." Famous monks live here to practice and help the world with a hundred herbs, which is quite popular among the people. Wanli's Guihua County Records and Mingxi County Records of the Republic of China contain: "The temple was built in the ninth year of the Tang Kaiyuan (721), with two temples, the earliest, spacious and gorgeous, and it is the highest temple in this county, with more than 4 monks." At that time, there were no counties in neighboring Ninghua, Qingliu, Mingxi, Changting, Liancheng, Yong 'an, Datian, Youxi and Sanming. The two counties of Jiangle and Suicheng (including Jianning and Taining) in the north have been dismantled and merged, and this place belongs to Shaowu or Shaxian County, which remains to be verified. In the seventh year of Tianshun in Ming Dynasty (1463), the temple was rebuilt. Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty rebuilt this temple in the third year, and later renamed it "Julong Temple". Ten believers who survived in the temple funded the reconstruction of the donation list stone tablet. All dynasties have a history of repair and destruction.
At the height of the Republic of China in 17-27, there were more than 3 abbots and monks. Known as the largest temple in the last four houses in Fujian Province. Pilgrims come to worship in Mingxi, Ninghua, Jianning, Taining and Jiangxi. In the 2th, 24th and 27th years of the Republic of China, there were several large-scale conversion and three altars cleansing ceremonies, and more than 4-1, monks and nuns were ordained from the county and other neighboring counties and at home and abroad. In 22 years of the Republic of China, Master Jianrong set up an altar in the temple to give lectures, and more than 3 monks from all over the country went to listen to the lectures. There are many famous monks in this temple, such as Master Yuan Che (who was the Secretary-General of the Chinese Buddhist Association), Master Guang Xian (who was the abbot of Fushou Temple in new york, USA, and the president of the American Buddhist Association) and Master Sheng Hui (who was the abbot of Yongquan Temple in Fuzhou). At present, the president of the American Buddhist Federation and the first abbot of Ruiguang Temple in Bululun District, new york City, Master Ruifa (common name Liu Xiaorong) also became a monk in Julong Temple when he was young. He once received a bachelor's degree in social work program at York College of the City University of new york.
during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, the monks of the temple were scattered abroad, and by 35 years of the Republic of China, there were still 116 permanent monks in the temple. In 1958, all monks went down the mountain for training. From 1959 to June 1966, there were only 4-5 monks in the temple. During the Four Old Years of the Cultural Revolution, monks in the whole temple were forced to return to secularism, and the Buddha statues and scriptures were burned and the temple was demolished. After 1978, the religious policy was implemented. In 1984, Shi Guangyong, the former monk of Julong Temple (later the abbot of the temple) rebuilt the temple on the original site and molded the Buddha statue. By 22, more than 5 rooms, such as Daxiong Hall, Guanyin Hall, Tibetan Classics Pavilion, Zhaitang and Liaofang, had been built, with a construction area of 2,295 square meters, which often set each other off in contrast to the 339 buildings and restored the old appearance according to the ancient site. The temple was opened to the public in December 1985. On January 5, 1987, Master Guangxian returned from the United States, and accompanied by Master Yuanche, he went to the temple to worship his ancestors, and wrote a poem: "Julong Temple is on the top of Shoushan Mountain, and the people in the country are called Yazhiping. When the ancient temple reopened, the empty boundary was clear, and Farei shook the Sanskrit sound again. Cui Huai Qian Zhang Yunfu practiced, showing three arches and making screens. North American children and grandchildren are facing the ancestral tower, and they know that they have won all over the world. " In 1991, Zhao Puchu, president of the National Buddhist Association, wrote the inscription "Daxiong Hall". In 23, many young monks were added to the temple, which was reorganized and the whole team was built, which made the temple look brand-new.
according to a brief history of Sanming, it is mentioned in its article (religious development): "In the long history, this temple has not only played a leading role in the development of Buddhism in Mingxi, but also had a certain impact on the development of Buddhism in the whole western and northwestern Fujian." Ninghua county annals. The Religious Chapter states: "Cao Dongzong of Buddhism spread from Jiangxi to Xichan Temple in Fuzhou, Yongquan Temple in Gushan, Baoguo Temple in Jianning and Waziping Julong Temple in Mingxi, and later to Ninghua." Many temples in Mingxi were built by Julong Temple's disciples, such as Hanxian Juesheng Temple, which was built by the great disciple of the third generation of Julong Temple in Song Dynasty, and Gaiyang Juling Temple, which was built by a monk named Yu from Julong Temple who came down to preach Buddhism at the end of Song Dynasty. The disciples of the temple also spread Buddhism to Ninghua, Jianning, Jiangle, Changting, Shicheng, Guangchang, Jiangxi and northern Guangdong successively, which promoted the development of Buddhism in these areas. Therefore, Buddhist temples in western Fujian, southern Jiangxi and northern Guangdong regard Fengxi Julong Temple as the birthplace. Buddhists from Zhejiang, Anhui, Hubei, Hunan, Taiwan Province, Hongkong, Singapore, the United States (new york) and other places also sent people to the Julong Temple for pilgrimage or send letters to greet them.
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