Shui Yue Zen Temple

Shui Yue Zen Temple is located at the northwestern foot of the ethereal Peak, named for its elusive appearance amidst the clouds and mist, resembling a flower in a mirror or the moon in water, thus earning its name. The temple’s location, Shui Yue Valley, also derives its name from the temple.

Originally constructed in the fourth year of the Da Tong era during the Southern Dynasties Liang period (538 AD), it is a renowned Buddhist temple in the Jiangnan region, reputed to be the birthplace of the ‘Water Moon Guanyin’ statue, one of the thirty-six forms of the Bodhisattva Guanyin. The temple was abandoned during the Sui Dynasty but was restored in the early Tang Dynasty and renamed Ming Yue Chan Yuan. In the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Zhenzong bestowed the name Shui Yue Chan Yuan and a golden plaque with his imperial calligraphy.

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It was destroyed by war at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, but was reconstructed in the eighth year of the Xuande era of the Ming Dynasty (1433 AD) by the abbot Miaotan, restoring it to its former glory. After the end of the Qing Dynasty, the temple gradually fell into decline and was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. However, several historical records still remain, including the ‘Shui Yue Zen Temple Revival Record’ from the Ming Dynasty (with poetry by Bai Juyi and other literati on the back), the ‘Record of the Reconstruction of Shui Yue Zen Temple’s Mahavira Hall’ from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, and the ‘Record of the Great Compassion Pavilion at Shui Yue Temple’ written by Yuan Mei.

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In 2006, the Xi Shan Town Tourism Development Service Company reconstructed Shui Yue Zen Temple at its original site, re-sculpted Buddha statues, and re-carved the stele of Su Shunqin’s ‘Record of Shui Yue Chan Yuan in Suzhou Dongting Lake’, renovating the temple to its pristine condition. It was reopened to the public in 2007. The temple is open all year round from 08:00 to 16:30, with the exact business status subject to the day’s opening conditions.

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