Linwu Donglin Nunnery is a cultural relic protection unit in Linwu County.

Donglin Nunnery is located in Linwu County, Hunan Province. It was built during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty.

According to legend, Mr. Chen Changdao's wife and sister were vegetarians and worshiped Buddha all year round. They often wanted to become a monk. Due to the deep love between sisters, they could not bear to be separated, so they built this nunnery, named it "Yue'an", and sculpted a peacock audio and image.

His sister stays here every month with green lights and yellow candles, morning bells and evening drums, chanting sutras until she is reborn in the Pure Land.

It was renovated and expanded during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, but it was burned down by fire during the Yongzheng period. Because the Bodhisattva statues often had strange appearances, the abbot, Master Ni Huiming, was so surprised that he built a thatched cottage next to the Buddhist niche and worshiped the Buddha as before.

During the reign of Emperor Qianlong, believers in Nanfu raised funds to rebuild and add statues of Tathagata, Lantern, Maitreya, Wei Tuo, Eighteen Arhats, and Twenty-Four Heavens on both sides.

There are 28 resident monks, smoke is lingering, and bells are ringing. As a result, the number of visitors paying homage is increasing day by day.

During the Daoguang period (1850), Mr. Chen Mingjiao of Nanfu Village built the mountain gate alone and wrote a plaque "Donglin Scenic Spot". From then on, the name of Yue'an was replaced by Donglin'an.

In 1944, the Japanese invaders harassed the temple, but the pure land still existed. The abbot Ni, headed by Master Hongyang, still returned to the nunnery to live permanently.

During the "Cultural Revolution", everything in the nunnery was destroyed, and all resident nuns settled in the production team for thirteen years. After the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, the religious policy was implemented and the Buddhist disciples such as the Master and the disciples were promoted.

Return to Donglin.

In 1985, under the leadership of Master Hongyang and with the strong support of believers, the Buddha statues in the hall were rebuilt.

In the same year, Master Hongyang, his disciple from Hong Kong and his disciples who converted from various places in Guangdong, generously donated money to help each other, donated Buddhist instruments and Buddhist temple ornaments, and donated huge sums of money to build a new two-story dormitory building and build a simple road from Nanfu to Donglin'an.

The scenic spot of Donglin'an has begun to take shape.

In 1986, Zhao Puchu, president of the Buddhist Association of China, wrote a couplet for Donglin Nunnery, "The East is shaking, the universe is great, and the sun and the moon are long in the forest." The 18 resident bhikkhunis were all deeply inspired.

In 1988, Master Miao Hua of Lantau Island, Hong Kong donated money to build the archway, and in 1992, the mountain gate and Dongping were built.

In order to promote Buddhism, Master Yang led his fellow practitioners and disciples to pay equal attention to agriculture and Zen, and to green the barren mountains.

In 1995, with the support of eminent monks such as Master Linggen of Taiwan and Master Xianggang of Hong Kong and the majority of believers, the Mahavira Hall and Maitreya Hall, which were on the verge of collapse, were restored, and the Buddha statues of Sakyamuni, Wei Tuo, Ananda, Kassapa, etc. were rebuilt.

Donglin nunnery, which has been built for more than 600 years, has been given a new look.

The buildings in Guan'an are both ancient and modern, complementing each other; the flowers in the courtyard are blooming in all seasons, which is pleasing to the eye; the main hall is full of splendor and lifelike, and it is really a solemn pure land.

Looking outside the nunnery, you can see the beautiful peaks of Zhoushan Mountain, shaded by green trees, fragrant flowers and chirping birds.

Various fishes in the release pond are swimming and dancing against the waves of Longquan water, which is beautiful and spectacular.

There are constant visitors all year round, and there is a poem praising it: "The sound of bells in the morning and the sound of drums in the evening, and the fragrance of yellow candles and orchids never leave the sky." Donglin Nunnery has become a Buddhist resort in Linwu County.

There are currently 12 resident nuns in the nunnery. They have been greatly benefited by the party and the country. They are determined to love the country and religion, promote Buddhism, and make greater contributions to the construction of two civilizations.

The current supervisor of Donglin Temple is Master Jianyong, a native of Linwu County, Hunan Province. He became a monk in 1990 and studied under Master Hongyang. He is also a member of the CPPCC of Linwu County, Hunan Province.

Donglin Temple (nunnery) address: Nanfu Village, Fenshi Township, Linwu County, Chenzhou City, Hunan Province Tel: 0735-6355098 Edited by Yu: 424302 Information source: County Tourism and Overseas Chinese Affairs Bureau