Deyun Temple

CHINA, Yunnan, Dayao

The temple is located on Miaofengshan (Wonderful Summit Mountain), 25 km from Dayao city and 2,341 m above sea level. Both Miaofengshan and monk Deyun are mentioned in the Avatamsaka Sutra, and the temple is named after that monk. Its date of construction is unknown but records state that it was rebuilt in 1626 during the Ming dynasty by Master Cheyong and a lay Buddhist named Tao Ting. The temple was later rebuilt and expanded during the rule of Emperor Jiaqing (reigned 1796–1820). During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) the temple was severely damaged but gradually it was restored. It is listed as a Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.
The principal structures are the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, Great Hero Hall, Avalokitesvara Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, bell and drum towers, Relic Stupa of Master Cheyong, and the stele forest. Despite the rustic appearance of the exterior, the interior is completely filled with halls that are magnificently decorated with painted beams, carved doors and windows.
According to a stele inscription, Master Cheyong was a famous patriarch of the Linji and Caodong schools of the Chan school in Yunnan. He revived the Chan school at the end of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). The temple has been praised as the Great Hero of East Asia, the Leader of Huayan, and the Famous Old Temple of Yunnan.