[2024 Shaoguan Attraction] Travel Guide for Nan Hua Monastery (Updated Nov)
No.6 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Shaoguan
Temples
Address:
Nanhua Temple, Qujiang District, Shaoguan City
Opening times:
Open tomorrow at 08:00-17:00Closed Today
Recommended sightseeing time:
2-3 hours
Phone:
0751-6501014,0751-6502258,0751-6502358
The simple and unadorned Nanhua Temple.
Having lived in Guangdong for more than 20 years, I have heard many legends about Nanhua Temple, such as the Sixth Patriarch Huineng and Shenlong Spring.
This was my first visit to Nanhua Temple. Overall, I felt that this was a simple and unadorned temple, without magnificent halls, bell towers, or carved beams and painted rafters, but there were still many people burning incense.
There is a large parking lot on the right side of the temple gate, and parking is free.
Tickets are CNY 20 per person.
NoahO Donnell28
Take a photo with the wilderness of Shaoguan | A complete guide to a one-day tour.
| A complete guide to a one-day tour. ✨ Here is a great one-day tour of Shaoguan. Take your parents on a self-driving tour to Nanhua Temple, Bishuitan, and Luokeng Grassland, and leave beautiful memories in the wilderness of Shaoguan 📸
🚗 Route
Guangzhou - Nanhua Temple - Bishuitan - Luokeng Grassland
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🔔 Attractions
📍 Nanhua Temple
Nanhua Temple, a thousand-year-old temple, is a cultural treasure of Shaoguan 😎. As soon as you step into the temple, you can feel its solemn atmosphere. The red walls and green tiles, and the ancient trees 🌳, every corner is full of historical charm. Here, you can worship the Buddha devoutly and pray for yourself and your family 🙏. The photos taken here are also very artistic 📷. Standing in the courtyard of the temple, with the ancient buildings as the background, the photos are full of artistic atmosphere.
📍 Bishuitan
After leaving Nanhua Temple, we came to Bishuitan, which is like a fairyland 🧚. The water in the pool is crystal clear, green as jade, and the water surface is sparkling. The photos taken here have a filter effect. Remember to bring a swimsuit so you can play in the water ✨
📍 Luokeng Grassland
The endless grassland is like a huge green carpet, making people want to run on it. There are also herds of cattle and sheep on the grassland. They graze leisurely, like a pastoral picture 🐏🐄. Here, you can enjoy the beauty of nature and have an intimate contact with the wilderness. The captured moments are full of vitality and freedom 💕
🎈 Tips for a one-day tour of Shaoguan:
☑️ Sun protection: You will be outdoors all day, so be sure to protect yourself from the sun. Bring sunscreen, a sun hat, sunglasses, etc., or you will get tanned.
☑️ Transportation: Self-driving is more convenient, and you can arrange your time and itinerary freely.
☑️ Food recommendation: Shaoguan has many special foods, such as Shaoguan chicken pot, sour bamboo shoots stewed duck, Zhangcun pig blood, etc.
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💕 Come to Shaoguan and take a photo with the wilderness! Go to a place without a ceiling~
Emily456 Foster
Treasure Route: A Perfect Encounter of History and Nature.
Hey, dear friends! 👋🌟 If you're still wondering where to go this weekend, let me take you to Shaoguan, a city full of mystery and historical charm. Let's unveil its secrets together! 🎭🏰
🌈 Day 1: [Depart from various places️✈|🚄 Arrive in Shaoguan]
🔶 Activity: Shaoguan 🚗 Private transfer from airport/station ➠ Hotel check-in
🔶 Experience: Shaoguan Citywalk free activities 🎈 Taste Shaoguan's local delicacies
Upon arrival in Shaoguan, our private car will be waiting for you at the airport or train station to take you to the hotel. After settling in, you can start your Shaoguan Citywalk, freely exploring the unique charm of this city. Don't forget to try the local cuisine and let your taste buds travel too!
🌄 Day 2: [🚗 Danxia Mountain Full-Day Tour]
🔶 Activity: Danxia Mountain ➠ Changlao Peak ➠ Yinyuan Stone ➠ Yangyuan Mountain ➠ Fengcai Tower ➠ Century-old East Street
🔶 Experience: Admire the wonders of Danxia landform & stroll through Shaoguan
On this day, we will delve deep into Danxia Mountain, exploring every corner of it. The grandeur of Changlao Peak, the peculiar Yinyuan Stone and Yangyuan Mountain will leave you in awe. In the afternoon, we will stroll through Fengcai Tower and Century-old East Street, experiencing the history and culture of Shaoguan.
📜 Day 3: [🚗 Cultural Shaoguan]
🔶 Activity: Nanhua Temple ➠ Lion Rock ➠ Maba Man Museum ➠ Zhang Jiuling Memorial Park ➠ Northern Expedition Memorial Hall
🔶 Experience: Travel through time, visiting Shaoguan's historical and cultural sites
On this day, we will take you on a journey through time, visiting Shaoguan's historical and cultural sites. The tranquility of Nanhua Temple, the mystery of Lion Rock, the history of Maba Man Museum, and the stories of Zhang Jiuling Memorial Park and Northern Expedition Memorial Hall will give you a deeper understanding of this city.
🛫 Day 4: [Shaoguan 🚗 Private transfer to station]
🔶 Activity: Sleep in naturally ➠ 🎈 All-day private transfer to airport/station, Shaoguan Airport/High-speed Rail Shaoguan Station
🔶 Experience: Return with joy ➠ Happily return to your cozy home ✨
On the last day in Shaoguan, you can sleep in naturally, and then our private car will take you to the airport or train station. With a heart full of memories and satisfaction, return with joy and happily go back to your cozy home.
This is not just a trip; it's a touch of the soul, a cultural exploration, and a feast for the taste buds. Shaoguan, a place favored by the heavens, is waiting for your arrival. So, my friends, don't hesitate, pack your bags, and let's set off together! 🎒🚀
漫游广东
Nanhua Zen Temple
Nanhua Zen Temple is located in Caoxi, Qujiang District, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province. It covers an area of more than a thousand acres and has a wide range. It was built during the Liang Wu Emperor period. At that time, the Indian monk Zhiyao Sanzang found that Caoxi was a good place and suggested that the local officials request the Liang Wu Emperor to build a temple. Thus, the temple was built and named Baolin Temple. Later, some dynasties changed the temple's name. It wasn't until the Sixth Patriarch Huineng came here and taught for 37 years that it was renamed Nanhua Zen Temple, a name that has been used to this day.
Nanhua Temple enshrines the mummified bodies of several patriarchs, including the Sixth Patriarch Huineng. It is a key national temple and is known as the ancestral court of Zen Buddhism along with Shaolin Temple in Songshan, one in the south and one in the north. It is also a base for cross-strait exchanges.
At the "Baolin of the World" site, there is Zhuoxi Spring. The spring water flows down from the mountain, and many tourists and residents come to fetch the spring water to drink every day. They usually use mineral water bottles to collect the water or wash their hands and drink the spring water on-site. To drink this spring water, people often have to queue, sometimes waiting for half an hour to get a drink.
Nanhua Zen Temple is the most important temple in the south, with a thriving incense offering. Many people come to burn incense and worship Buddha every day, especially to pay homage to the mummified bodhisattva of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng.
The entrance fee is 20 yuan. There is a special bus line from Shaoguan East Station to Nanhua Temple. You can transfer to bus No. 23 at Maba Middle School bus stop to walk less, or transfer to bus No. 309 at Makan Middle School.
It is worth a visit.
AmeliaCunningham34
Traveling thousands of miles for a whiff of purity — Seeking a tranquil place where wishes take root and flourish
🏞️ Nan Hua Temple, a dazzling jewel among China's top ten famous temples, is located in Maba, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province. It is the sacred site where the Sixth Patriarch Huineng propagated the 'Southern School of Zen', drawing countless devotees from afar to worship Buddha with reverence.
🌈 Locals in Shaoguan often visit Yunmen Temple, while tourists from other places prefer the efficacious Nan Hua Temple.
📿 Many visitors come here to pray for success in their careers, a happy marriage, good health, and a life of contentment. After making their wishes, they do not forget to return to fulfill their vows.
📜 Attraction Name: Nan Hua Zen Temple
📍 Address: Nan Hua Zen Temple, Caoxi, Qujiang District, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province 💰 Ticket Price: 20 yuan/person (self-service ticket vending)
⏰ Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
🚗 Parking: Equipped with a large parking lot🅿
🚌 Transportation Guide: Take bus no. 312 to Shaoguan's Nan Hua Temple station, or direct from Shaoguan East Railway Station
🌟 Visiting Suggestions:
🕗 Best time to enter the temple: 8 a.m., the tranquility and devotion of the early morning make for a more sincere worship experience.
🕛 Time for making wishes: It is best to complete this before noon, as it is said that wishes made at this time are more likely to come true.
🏛️ Order of worship: From the outside in, successively visit the Earth God Temple, Huabao Furnace, Heavenly King Hall, Mahavira Hall, Sutra Depository, Lingzhao Pagoda, Liu Zu Hall, and finally reach the Nine Dragons Spring.
🙏 Prayer Meanings:
①💦 🏯 Nine Dragons Spring: Wash your hands, symbolizing great fortune and wealth rolling in. Many visitors come specifically for a bottle of 'fortune water'.
②🧘 🏯 Sixth Patriarch Hall: Pray for wishes to come true and for responsive blessings.
③🔆 🏯 Lingzhao Pagoda: Pray for the Buddha's light to shine upon you, dispelling calamities and extending life.
④👨👩👧👦 🏯 Sutra Depository: Pray for the safety of children, a happy marriage, and good luck throughout the year.
⑤💪 🏯 Mahavira Hall: Pray for good health and career advancement.
⑥🚢 🏯 Heavenly King Hall: Pray for smooth sailing in your endeavors.
⑦💸 🏯 Huabao Furnace: Pray for smooth financial fortune.
⑧🏡 🏯 Earth God Temple: Pray for safety, health, and family harmony.
⚠ Important Notes:
1.🐯 To enter the 'Nine Dragons Spring', you must pass through the 'Tiger Subduing Pavilion'. Friends born in the Year of the Tiger or Sheep should walk on either side to avoid conflict with the tiger or 'sending the sheep into the tiger's mouth'.
2.🪙 Next to the Nine Dragons Spring, you can throw coins to make a wish. Washing your hands with water from a dragon-shaped faucet, drinking it, or taking it home is all considered 'fortune water'. Please queue up to collect water when there are many people.
3.🌳 Walking clockwise around the 'Bodhi Tree' beside the Sutra Depository three times is said to grant great wisdom.
4.🗼 The Lingzhao Pagoda has five levels, which in Zen culture, together with heaven and earth, make up 'seven levels of pagoda'. After worshipping at the pagoda, walk around it three times to pray for blessings.
5.🧎 The real body of Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, is enshrined in the Sixth Patriarch Hall.
6.🍚 At 11 a.m., you can taste the vegetarian meals in the temple. Please queue up behind the dining hall and pay cash as you wish.
💗 Tips:
1.🚫 Burning incense is prohibited inside the main hall of Nan Hua Temple; only the Earth God and the Huabao Furnace are available for lighting incense (after ticket inspection, each person can receive three sticks of incense for free).
2.🛍️ There are incense stalls at the entrance, and small cards with instructions for burning incense and worshipping Buddha are provided.
3. 💳 Donation boxes support cash and mobile scan payments, donate as you wish.
3l34n0r 3v@ns
The mountain rain is gentle, and one walks in meditation at Nanhua Temple
If it is your first time visiting a temple, you must be at least 18 years old. Upon entering the temple, you should not wear bizarre costumes or heavy makeup. You may take photos outside, but do not take pictures inside the main hall, and certainly do not make loud noises or participate in any religious activities within the temple. Use the side doors to enter and exit; the central door is called the 'Empty Door' and is reserved for the monks of the temple.
Do not step on the threshold when entering. Men should step in with their left foot first, and women with their right foot. If you wish to get incense, say 'please incense' rather than 'buy incense', although the temple also provides free incense. When offering incense and bowing to Buddha, light the incense before bowing, and three sticks at a time are sufficient. One for the Buddha, one for the Dharma, and one for the Sangha.
If you have ample time, you may bow whenever you see a Buddha. If you are in a hurry, it is also acceptable to place the incense in any burner, as there is a saying that 'all Buddhas share one burner'. After lighting the incense, do not blow it out with your mouth; instead, gently shake it to extinguish the flame. When offering incense, hold it with your left hand on top and your right hand supporting the bottom, lift the incense high above your head, and bow three times. Then insert it into the incense burner.
When kneeling to make a wish, kneel down with your hands together, silently make your wish in your heart, and then bow your head three times.
ceraceousleona
May all who brush upon the prayers at Shaoguan Nanhua Temple have their wishes fulfilled
Shaoguan Nanhua Zen Temple is indeed very efficacious. Those who come across it have their wishes granted. Nanhua Zen Temple is a famous Buddhist temple, the place where Huineng, the sixth patriarch of Zen Buddhism, spread his teachings. It is known as the 'Ancestral Court' of Zen, the 'Crown of Lingnan Zen Forests', and the 'Number One Mountain of Lingnan'.
🌸 Opening hours: 8:00-17:00 (recommended to enter before 12:00)
🌸🎫 Admission: 20 yuan, payable via WeChat or cash. (Cash payments receive a paper ticket, WeChat payments only get a receipt), children under 1.2 meters are free, and seniors over 70 with ID are free.
🌸 Parking lot
There is a free parking lot next to the temple.
🌸 Here are some precautions I've compiled for everyone:
1⃣ On the day of worship, one must be vegetarian
2⃣ The snacks brought for worship should be vegetarian (or just buy 🍊 fruits, it is said to be either 3 or 5 types, and the number of types should be odd, I don't know why, my mother said so)
3⃣ Dress appropriately, 🚫 no shorts or tank tops, no 🕶 sunglasses
4⃣ 🚫 Do not step on the threshold, 🚫 do not make loud noises, it is considered disrespectful
5⃣ 🚫 Do not take photos of the Buddha statues, some halls clearly marked no photography are not allowed to take photos after entering (as shown in picture 11)
6⃣ Upon entering, you can receive three incense sticks (we brought our own incense, which will be checked at the entrance, so it cannot be held in hand, we bought short ones to put in the backpack)
7⃣ Try to worship in the morning
8⃣ You can bring some change (we brought 1 and 5 yuan notes, which can be thrown into the wishing well and merit jar)
🌸🙏 Worship sequence (total 2 hours)
Earth God Temple, Huabao Furnace → Baolin Dojo → Heavenly King Hall → Mahavira Hall (there is free vegetarian food next door) → Bodhi Tree (a thousand-year-old tree, make a wish in your heart while circling it three times) → Scripture Pavilion → Lingzhao Pagoda (circle the pagoda 3 times, recite the mantra in your heart (instructions for purifying the soul and removing karmic obstacles are on the wall at the entrance of the pagoda)) → Six Groups of Temples → Jiulong Spring (queue up to wash hands with dragon water) → Xuyun Memorial Hall → then descend the mountain.
🌸‼️ Precautions
1⃣️ Incense burning is not allowed inside the main hall of Nanhua Temple, there are only 2 places where it is permitted.
2⃣️ When passing 'Fuhu Stop', friends born in the year of the Tiger and Sheep should automatically walk to the sides. It is said that the tiger will be subdued, and the sheep is like sending sheep into the mouth.
3⃣️ Try not to take photos inside the temple
4⃣️ The real body of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng is in the Sixth Patriarch Hall (the fresh flowers and fruits brought can be placed here)
5⃣️ The lit incense cannot be brought into the hall, and there are only two places to light incense: the Earth God Temple and behind the Mahavira Hall. To the right of the Scripture Pavilion is a Bodhi tree, transplanted here about 265 years ago, walking clockwise around the Bodhi tree in odd numbers can make wishes come true and increase wisdom. The real body of the Sixth Patriarch is in the last Sixth Patriarch Hall, it is not recommended to take photos of the Buddha statues, just worship with a sincere heart. Jiulong Spring: wash your hands, pat your forehead with the water, and fortune will be upon you, wealth will come in abundance. Then you can head towards the exit.
🌸 Location: About 6 kilometers east of the city in Qujiang District, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, on the north bank of Caoxi
🌸 Finally, I hope everyone can have their wishes and desires fulfilled!!!
CassiusWyverex234{
Nanhua Zen Temple
Coming to the Buddha's land is always a destiny from past lives~ The ancestral home of Southern Zen, where the real body of the Sixth Patriarch Huineng has been worshipped for a thousand years. Taste the classic verse of the master, 'Bodhi has no tree, the bright mirror is also not a stand, originally there is not a single thing, where can the dust be caused.'
Wanderlust Kitchen
Nanhua Zen Temple - Pilgrimage to the 29th of the Hundred Ancient Temples
Nanhua Zen Temple is located on the bank of Caoxi, 7 kilometers southeast of Maba Town, Qujiang District, Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province, known as the "First Treasure Temple of East Guangdong". It is a famous Buddhist Zen temple and the birthplace of the "Southern Zen Law" promoted by the Sixth Patriarch of Zen, Huineng.
Nanhua Zen Temple was built in the first year of Tianjian of Emperor Wu of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and the temple was completed in the third year of Tianjian. Emperor Wu of the Liang Dynasty named it "Baolin Temple". It was later renamed "Zhongxing Temple" and "Faquan Temple". In the first year of Kaibao of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty bestowed the name "Nanhua Zen Temple", and the name of the temple has been passed down to this day.
In 677 AD, the Sixth Patriarch of Zen stayed here to promote the Dharma, so it is also called the Sixth Patriarch Dojo. The architecture of Nanhua Temple consists of Caoxi Gate, Release Pond, Baolin Gate, Heavenly King Hall, Daxiong Treasure Hall, Scripture Tower, Lingzhao Pagoda, Sixth Patriarch Hall and other building groups. Except for Lingzhao Pagoda and Sixth Patriarch Hall, they were all rebuilt by Master Xuyun after 1934.
First choice of historical relics in the temple:
True body of the Sixth Patriarch
The true body of the Sixth Patriarch is the most precious cultural relic of Nanhua Temple, enshrined in the Sixth Patriarch Hall, with a sitting height of 80 cm.
Five Hundred Arhats Group
The wooden carvings of the Five Hundred Arhats in the temple are the only existing wooden carvings of the Five Hundred Arhats from the Song Dynasty in China. The Ming Dynasty once re-gilded them, and there are now 360 existing, of which 133 were re-carved in the Qing Dynasty. There are inscriptions on 154 Arhat statues. From the inscriptions, it can be seen that these five hundred Arhat statues were carved from the third to the eighth year of the Renzong of the Northern Song Dynasty (1043-1048), organized by the "head disciple" Yang Renxi to raise funds and carve these Arhat statues. Each statue is carved from a whole piece of wood, which is a very precious historical relic.
Thousand Buddha Kasaya
The Thousand Buddha Kasaya is a rare Tang Dynasty embroidery. The silk base is apricot yellow, with a thousand Buddha images embroidered on it. All the Buddha images are in the sitting position, with hand positions such as entering concentration, leading, preaching, and clasping hands. This kasaya was given to Master Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch, by Emperor Zhongzong of the Tang Dynasty.
Imperial Decree of Wu Zetian
Wu Zetian, the empress of the Tang Dynasty, in the first year of Wansui Tongnian (696 AD), bestowed a sacred decree on Master Huineng of Nanhua Zen Temple, which is 140 cm long and 42 cm wide, made of paper, and the beginning and end and the edges are mounted with silk.
Nanhua Zen Temple is very effective, especially in terms of career and love, so there are many believers who come to make wishes and repay vows every day, and on the first day of the lunar new year, and the first and fifteenth of each month, there are even more crowds of people.
Remember to come to Nanhua Zen Temple when you come to Shaoguan, pay homage to the Buddha, and pray for peace and good luck.
Nanhua Zen Temple
Opening hours: 8:00~17:00.
Ticket: RMB 40, concession ticket 20. Free for people over 70 years old. Free parking in the parking lot.