Yunmen Temple

CHINA, Guangdong, Shaoguan

Yunmen means Cloud Gate, and it is named after the mountain where the temple is located. The Yunmen school of Chan Buddhism originated here. In 923 during the late Tang dynasty, Chan Master Wenyan started construction of the temple, which was completed five years later. According to the Yunmenshan Gazetteer, over 500 people at a time would come to take refuge under Master Wenyan. The Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) saw the height of its popularity, but it declined after the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279). Rebuilt in 1943 by Master Xuyun, it was damaged during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), and renovations were started in 1982. It was listed as a key Buddhist temple in the Han region of China in 1983.
The temple covers an area of approximately 1.2 ha. The buildings occupy 7,000 sq m and include the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, Great Hero Hall, Dharma Hall, educational building, drum and bell towers, as well as a memorial hall and a relic stupa of Master Xuyun.
The three-bay wide main temple gate has a triple-eave roof with upturned corners. Historically valuable steles, such as the one dedicated to Chan Master Wenyan, who was honored with the title of Great Master of Daci Yunkuang Sheng Hongming, can be found in the stele passageway.