Puli Temple

CHINA, Jiangxi, Yichun

Chan Master Liangjie established the temple during the rule of Emperor Xuanzong (reigned 846–859) of the Tang dynasty. It became the birthplace of the Caodong school of Chan Buddhism. When Liangjie died in 869, he was granted the posthumous title of Chan Master Wuben by Emperor Yizong (reigned 859-873), who built the Huijue Stupa. The temple was destroyed by warfare during the late Yuan dynasty (1271–1368) and was rebuilt during the late Ming (1368–1644) and early Qing (1644–1911) dynasties.
The temple buildings include the main temple gate, Heavenly King Hall, Great Hero Hall, and the sutra repository. Outside the temple there is the Huijue Stupa, together with a forest of stupas. The Huijue Stupa consists of inner and outer sections. The inner section is the original structure built in 869, while the outer section was built in 1979. The stupa is hexagonal and is 3.2 m high. It has carvings of corrugated tiles, tile caps, and flat edges along the eaves. Stone tablets on the stupa body have inscriptions verifying its name and date, and it is regarded as an ancestral stupa by disciples of the Caodong school. The forest of stupas is extensive and contains stupas of Puli monks dating from the Tang (618–907) to Qing dynasties. The well-preserved stupas are simple and each has a different design. The forest of stupas is listed as a Provincial Cultural Heritage Site.