The abbot of the legendary Shaolin Monastery in Henan Province released the exciting news that
the temple's famed northern branch would be rebuilt in Tianjin, the
Zhengzhou-based Dongfang Jinbao reported.
Abbot Shi Yong Xin estimated construction would last from eight
to ten years, and hoped it would become a world-famous religious
and tourist attraction. Work will also begin on restoring a
sprawling Qing Dynasty mansion near the temple which will
accommodate visitors and pilgrims alike.
Shi Yong Xin's initiative is not a new one since has been an
advocate of the plan since 2002. In the last few years, he has
traveled several times to the site of North Shaolin Temple in
Jixian County, to discuss potential investments for the restoration
and to arrange which monks would head up the new temple's
corpus.
Costs could amount to 160 million yuan (US$20.69 million) when
factoring not only the temple's restoration but that of its
outlying buildings covering a three-square-kilometer
area.?
The northern branch of the Shaolin Temple was first set up
during the early Yuan Dynasty but was torn to the ground by
Japanese troops during their invasion of China.?
Shi Yong Xin's idea has met with great support from both Jixian
County and Tianjin Municipality governments as well as by local
residents and a task force is already in place to bring the project
to fruition.
"Restoring the temple is the common wish of all villagers,"
villager Xu Wen stated.
The poor area around the site is principally supported through
fruit trees and tourism, villagers earning an average of 2600 yuan
(US$336.21) per year.
Xu was behind a 2003 petition which expressed support for
rebuilding the temple, and was delivered to Beijing by Shi Yong Xin
to get national legislators and political advisors to support the
idea.
"This is too important for us: our annual per capita income will
be raised to at least 5,000 yuan (US$646.5) if the temple is
restored," Xu said, showing the financial realities that often
accompany cultural restoration.
The temple's history can be traced back to the early period of
the Yuan Dynasty during which time northern China was ravaged by
the invading Mongolian horde. Xue Ting Fu Yu, then abbot of the
Shaolin Temple, did his utmost to beseech the Mongolians for mercy.
His exhortations succeeded when the Mongolians refrained from
slaughtering the inhabitants of Bianliang City, known today as
Kaifeng City in Henan Province.
The Yuan Dynasty ruler later rewarded Xue Ting Fu Yu by naming
him master over all monks in the country before setting up five
Buddhist monasteries in north China. However, the Jixian County
temple was the only to be awarded the prestigious name of North
Shaolin.?
Gao Wenshan, member of the faculty of Tianjin College of
Athletic Sports, revealed that the clout of the North Shaolin
Temple was preserved throughout the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties
due to its proximity to the capital and power center (modern-day
Beijing.)
Meanwhile, claims to the title of "Southern Shaolin Temple" are
being disputed between the three Buddhist temples of Quanzhou,
Putian and Fuqing of Fujian Province. However, Shi Yong Xin refuses
to endorse them, claiming "as the abbot of the Shaolin Temple, I'm
not fit to comment on the "Southern Shaolin" issue. But I would say
I've never seen the phrase "Southern Shaolin" in the archives or
books stored at our temple."
?
Besides the North Shaolin Temple of Jixian County, the Shaolin
Temple has extended recognition to Kongxiang Monastery in the Bear
Ear Mountain near Henan's Sanmenxia City, naming it a sister
temple.
???
(China.org.cn by Chen Chao, April 20, 2007)