A beggar monk built the largest temple in Nanjing

Hongjue Temple was not originally in my plan for traveling to Nanjing. It was only because the time at 4 o'clock on a Monday afternoon was too awkward that I thought about finding a nearby high point to watch the sunset. Unexpectedly, I was completely stunned by Hongjue Temple. When I first saw Hongjue Temple, I thought the name was too concrete. With such a grand visual impact, the temple really lives up to its name. There are so many famous temples in Nanjing, but this is the first time I know there is such a group of Zen temples hidden in the mountains and forests. The layout of the temples is also different from the common Zen temples. Because it was late, most of the temples were closed, but I just took a quick walk around the periphery and it took me an hour, which shows how large the scale is. I quickly asked Xiaodu and found out that the predecessor of Hongjue Temple was one of the Eight National Temples in Nanjing during the Ming Dynasty. The history of the temple can be traced back to the second year of Tianjian in the Liang Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties. It was originally named "Foku Temple". It is said that it was built by Li Yu, the Emperor Daizong of the Tang Dynasty, "inspired by a dream". Its fate is the same as that of all the 480 temples in the Southern Dynasties: prosperity at one time and destruction and reconstruction at another. Until it was completely burned down by the invading Japanese army, leaving only a lonely pagoda. I thought its story had come to an end, but I didn't expect it to meet a monk named Hongcheng. Although the master had passed away, his wish to rebuild the ancient Hongjue Temple was miraculously realized. If faith is tangible, Hongjue Temple can definitely be regarded as an outstanding example. In 1993, the government approved the allocation of 30 acres of land for the restoration of Hongjue Temple. In 1994, Master Hongcheng from Guanyin Peak of Jiuhua Mountain took over the task of presiding over the reconstruction. All the construction planning drawings and engineering construction drawings were drawn by Master Hongcheng, who had never been to school. When he imagined building 57 large halls in this mountain forest stroke by stroke, he must have been immersed in pious joy. After that, in order to raise funds, Master Hongcheng and his disciples ran around everywhere, providing massage and medical treatment to raise funds. He often wore patchwork clothes and was incredibly simple. He even had to tear a napkin slowly before using it. Others often mistook him for a beggar, so he jokingly called himself a begging monk. In the 1990s, they were able to raise more than 30 million yuan without using any government funds. It took more than ten years to build the temple to its current size. Regardless of whether the master is an enlightened monk or not, the power of his faith really shocked me. A determined idealist is always moving. Although it is an antique building, as the largest religious antique building complex in Nanjing, Hongjue Temple is still worth seeing. The most important thing is that you don’t need a ticket, your car can drive straight into the mountain gate and even go directly to the top of the mountain. I don’t know why not many people come here, but I like it very much. It is said that it will be expanded. Master Hongcheng would probably be very proud if he knew about it.