China's Key Temples: No. 94: Shangchantang Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on May 5, 2014.)

A ceremony was being conducted in the main (and only) hall (大雄宝殿) at Shangchantang
Temple (上禅堂) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽, 九华山). I watched it for nearly two hours.

June 22, 2012 - Going down the trail from Roushen Hall, I quickly reached my next destination: Shangchan ("Upper Chan [Zen]") Hall.

The public area of the temple consists of just one main hall and a small courtyard behind it. But I was in for a remarkable treat. A memorial ceremony was being conducted on behalf of a laywoman. She sat to the side, and was occasionally called into the chanting by six monks in front of the main altar. I watched for nearly two hours, with one short break to visit the courtyard.

Meanwhile, a parade of tourists passed through the hall, chatting loudly, talking on their phones, even smoking… But as I sat quietly the whole time, I won the friendship of the old monk who tended the hall. He brought me a magazine about the great monk Ren De, who had passed away in 2001.

After the ceremony, I asked permission to take a few photos of the beautiful statuary in the hall. Not only was I permitted, but I was scolded for not shooting some of the "highlights," like a lantern dating back to the Ming Dynasty--"FOUR HUNDRED YEARS!" the old monk shouted.

The rear courtyard held a spring (called "Golden Sands") which was rigged to send forth its water through a vase held by a statue of Guanyin. There were also some nice bas reliefs, as well as a view of the mountains beyond.

Reluctantly leaving Shangchan Tang and the kind monks who maintained their piety despite the distractions, I continued down past several small temples until I reached the main road where my hotel was located. Turning away from it, I poked into a few other temples, large and small, before retiring.

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