Wanfu Temple is located at the foothills of Huangbei Mountain, about 70 kilometers away from Fuzhou City. It was built in 789 during the Tang Dynasty. Since then, Wanfu Temple has been destroyed and rebuilt for several times in history.
History of Wanfu Temple
In 789 of Tang Dynasty, Zheng Gan from Putian returned to Fujian after studying the Buddhism. When passing through the Huangbei Mountain, he appreciated the beautiful mountains and rivers, so he built the temple and named it as Banruo Temple.
In 792, the courtyard was added eastward to the temple, and the temple began to take shape. The court renamed it as "Jianfu Temple", also commonly known as "Huangbei Temple".
In 1390 of Ming Dynasty, the monks were able to rebuild the temple with the help of a priest. At that time, the temple was very popular among the pilgrims.
In 1555 of Ming Dynasty, the Japanese pirates invaded the coast of Fujian, and the temple was destroyed in war. In 1567, the monk Zhong Tian made a vow to rebuild the temple and he went to Beijing for Tibetan scriptures from the emperors. After eight years of the unsuccessful waiting, he died in Beijing. In 1614, the Ming Emperor Wanli gave the "Wanfu Temple" plaque.
In 1629, the east and west guest halls were built. In 1637, after years of hard work, the monk Yin Yuan built the Great Hall, Dharma Hall, Main Gate, Zhaitang Hall, Bell and Drum Tower, and more than 30 buildings. The monk Yinyuan is one of the famous monks from Wangfu Temple. He traveled to Japan in 1645 during Qing Dynasty and introduced numerous Chinese cultures such as architecture, sculpture, calligraphy, printing, medicine, and music to Japan. He also developed the Buddhism in Japan.
In 1928, the temple was badly destroyed by the torrents. In 1949, it experienced a big fire, and most of the cultural relics, especially Tibetan scriptures were burned. Later, The Fujian Buddhist Association established a construction committee to restore the Wanfu Temple.
After years of hard work, especially with the assistance of the overseas Chinese, the reconstruction project of the Wanfu Temple has been completed. The Main Gate, the Tianwang Hall, the Bell and Drum Tower, the Main Hall, the Fatang, and the Yinyuan Memorial Hall have all been renovated.