广东 韶关 南华禅寺 【Nanhua Temple】

#Guangdong #Shaoguan
Nanhua Temple, located by the Caoxi River in Maba Town, Qujiang District, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, about 24 kilometers south of downtown Shaoguan, is celebrated as the "Top Temple in Eastern Guangdong." Established in 502 AD during the Liang Dynasty and originally named Bao Lin Temple, it was later renamed Nanhua Chan Temple in 968 AD by the Song Dynasty’s Emperor Taizu. Known for its association with the Sixth Patriarch Huineng and the Southern School of Chan Buddhism, the temple complex spans over 12,000 square meters and includes significant structures like the Caoxi Gate, Liberation Pond, and Mahavira Hall, most of which were rebuilt after 1934 by Master Xu Yun. Recognized as a key Buddhist site by the State Council in 1983 and listed as a national key cultural relic in 2001, Nanhua Temple was also designated a "Cross-Strait Exchange Base" in 2017.