Yongquan Temple (涌泉寺), the most prominent temple in Fujian Province, is situated halfway up Gushan Mountain at an altitude of 455 meters. Covering an area of about 1.7 hectares, it is fronted by Xianglu Peak and backed by Baiyun Peak. The temple complex is centered around the Mahavira Hall, with structures ascending the mountain slope, creating a harmonious and orderly layout.
Yongquan Temple was initially established in 783 AD, originally named Huayan Temple (华岩寺). According to legend, the site was once a deep pond inhabited by a harmful dragon. In 783, Pei Zhou, an official of the Tang Dynasty, invited Master Lingqiao to subdue the dragon. After reciting the Huayan Sutra by the pond, the dragon left, and the grateful residents built a temple on the pond’s site and invited Master Lingqiao to reside there. The emperor bestowed the name “Huayan Temple” upon it.
The temple faced destruction during the anti-Buddhist campaigns of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty. In 908, Wang Shenzhi, the king of the Min Kingdom, rebuilt it as the “National Teacher’s Hall (国师馆).” In 915, it was renamed Gushan White Cloud Peak Yongquan Zen Temple. During the Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhenzong honored it with the name “Yongquan Zen Temple.” The temple was renamed Yongquan Temple in 1407.
Throughout its history, Yongquan Temple endured two major fires during the Ming Dynasty, leading to subsequent reconstructions and expansions, which established its current scale. In 1699, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty bestowed a golden plaque with the inscription “涌泉寺 (Yongquan Temple),” which still hangs above the gate of the Heavenly King Hall.
During the Qing Dynasty, Yongquan Temple was the only officially designated ordination platform in Fujian Province. At that time, Taiwan was under Fujian’s jurisdiction, and Taiwanese monks were required to travel to Yongquan Temple in Fuzhou for ordination.
Table of Contents
- Basic Information
- Location and Transportation
- Highlights of Yongquan Temple
- Vlog about Yongquan Temple
- Other Attractions in Fuzhou Suburbs
Basic Information
| Estimated Length of Tour | 1 – 2 hours |
| Ticket Price | 40 RMB |
| Opening Hours | 6.00 – 18.00; Last admission: 17.00 |
| Telephone Number | 0086-0591-83669140 0086-0591-83921978 |
Location and Transportation
Yongquan Temple is located on Gushan Mountain in Jin’an District, Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, near the Guling Scenic Area. To get there, you can choose one of the following ways:
Bus: Take bus 28, 36, 70, 107, 108, 201, 302, 303, or M3 and get off at Gushan Stop (鼓山公交总站).
Metro: The closest metro station to Yonquan Temple is Gushan (鼓山) on line 2.
After reaching Gushan Mountain, you can either walk or take a cable car to Yongquan temple, which is about 2 kilometers away.
Highlights of Yongquan Temple
Mahavira Hall
Ascending the steps through the long corridor, visitors first encounter the Memorial Hall of the Min King and the Kalan Hall, leading up to the central Mahavira Hall. Initially constructed in 908 AD during the Five Dynasties period, the hall underwent reconstruction during the Song Dynasty. However, it was destroyed by fire during the Ming Dynasty and was later rebuilt in 1882 during the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty.
The Mahavira Hall enshrines statues of the Three Buddhas, flanked by eighteen Arhats. In front of the altar stands a large bronze incense burner, with two bronze boy attendants on either side. Behind the main altar are three iron-cast statues of saints from the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, weighing approximately 2,300 pounds and gilded with gold, making them shine brilliantly. In front of these statues is a long table made of mulberry wood, considered a treasure of the temple due to its survival through multiple fires.
The ceiling of the Mahavira Hall is adorned with 242 painted panels from 1882, featuring 129 Zen dragon motifs, 86 red-crowned crane motifs, and 27 images of elephants, qilins, white horses, and monkeys. These vivid and colorful patterns, illuminated by lanterns, create a magnificent and solemn atmosphere within the hall.
Thousand Buddha Pagodas
To the east of the Mahavira Hall stands the “Stately Kalpa Thousand Buddha Pagoda,” representing the Buddhas of the past, while to the west is the “Virtuous Kalpa Thousand Buddha Pagoda,” symbolizing the Buddhas of the present. Each pagoda is approximately 7 meters tall, with an octagonal base and nine tiers, made from layers of fired clay. The pagoda bodies are glazed in a brownish color and adorned with 72 figures of monks and warriors, each holding a clay bell.
The bases of the pagodas feature carvings of lotus petals, dancing lions, dwarfs, as well as inscriptions of the construction dates and the names of the artisans. The pagoda bodies are decorated with 1,038 Buddha statues, showcasing exceptional craftsmanship. These two pagodas, built in 1082 during the Yuanfeng era of the Song Dynasty, are rare examples of such large and exquisite structures, providing valuable insights into Song Dynasty architecture and pottery.
Sutra Collection Pavilion
The Sutra Collection Pavilion, built in the 16th year of the Shunzhi reign (1659), houses over 20,000 volumes of Buddhist scriptures. Among these are royal editions from the Kangxi to Qianlong periods of the Qing Dynasty, including the Ming Dynasty Southern Canon, the Ming Dynasty Northern Canon, and the Qing Dynasty Sanskrit Canon. Additionally, there are rare reprints from the Hōbunkan in Japan, including the Japanese Zōkyō and various miscellaneous canons. Notably, the pavilion contains over 600 volumes of palm-leaf manuscripts, including the “Buddha’s Shadow” paintings from the Kangxi period.
The most precious of these scriptures is the Yuan Dynasty publication “Yanyou Canon,” printed in the second year of Yanyou (1315) at Hou Mountain Bao’en Temple in Jianyang County. Additionally, the temple holds an important Qing Dynasty Buddhist work authored by Abbot Daopei, titled “Compilation of Essentials of the Avatamsaka Sutra,” consisting of 120 volumes divided into 48 books with 2,425 woodblocks. This work, a representative Buddhist text from the Kangxi period, is of great value.
Historical Artifacts
In front of the Mahavira Hall, the bell and drum towers house ancient bells and drums. Notably, the Diamond Prajna Bell, weighing approximately 2 tons, features 6,372 characters of the Diamond Sutra and is over 300 years old. Yongquan Temple also preserves various artifacts, including ceramics from the Tang Dynasty onwards, paintings and calligraphy from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Buddhist statues, and ritual instruments. Among these is a Song Dynasty clay statue of Guanyin, a white jade statue of Buddha, and bronze bells from Thailand, along with palm-leaf manuscripts from Myanmar and India.
In the temple’s kitchen, known as Xiangji Kitchen, four large iron pots forged from steel and iron over 900 years ago are still preserved. The largest pot has a diameter of 1.67 meters and a depth of 0.8 meters, capable of cooking 500 pounds of rice to feed a thousand people at once.
Notable Inscriptions
Yongquan Temple is renowned for its many inscriptions by famous figures. Along the path from Lingyuan Cave to Tingshui Study, which has the highest concentration of cliff inscriptions on Gushan Mountain, there are over 300 inscriptions from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. One of the most notable is a 4-meter-tall character for “longevity” (寿) attributed to the renowned scholar Zhu Xi, making it the largest ancient stone inscription in Fujian Province.
