China's Key Temples: No. 77: Nangshan Cishou Temple, Putian, Fujian

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on October 28, 2013.)

This new hall (殿) at Nangshan Cishou Temple (囊山慈寿寺) in Putian, Fujian (福建, 莆田市), shows a very
high standard of workmanship. Note the open doorways, where the doors haven't yet been installed.

October 28, 2011 - My only full day in the city of Putian, across the straits from Taiwan, would be a busy one. I hoped to see three temples in the day; but as all were located in or near the city (none were in the far-off mountains) I was pretty sure I could do it.

Following my practice of visiting the farthest temple first, I took a taxi the 15 kilometers or so north to Cishou ("Compassionate Life") Temple. The temple was beautifully situated on a mountainside, but there was a huge amount of construction going on. I'm sure by now it's magnificent, as this was two years ago today (two-and-a-half as I edit this for the website).

Passing through an older gate, I immediately encountered a newer one, as well as a new Three Sages Hall off to the side. The main compound, including the Main Hall, seemed to be original; but a shiny new Guanyin Hall and side halls were being built behind it.

The old compound itself was quiet as a church (except for the construction racket). The statuary halls included fine representations of Guanyu, a hero from "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms," and local ancestral monks. In the main hall were the usual Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats.

But watching the work on the Guanyin compound behind was a real treat. The workmen were using hand tools, giving the feeling of medieval cathedral construction to the whole process.

Moving back down the hillside, I went into the unfinished Three Sages Hall, where two women were hand-painting the intricate décor on the walls.

Even though my visit was "disrupted" by this activity, I was left with a sense of amazement at the vast hours of delicate labor that go into the creation of these monuments.

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