Bailin Si

The Bailin Si (Bailin Temple) in Zhaoxian County was known as the Convent of Guanyin when it was founded during the Eastern Han Dynasty. It was the Yong'an Temple during the Song Dynasty, and assumed its present name during the Ming Dynasty. The temple used to be the domain of Congshen, a Chan master who was revered as the “Venerable Buddha of Zhaozhou” for his high moral accomplishments and prestige. Congshen was forced to live a hermit’s life in the Culai Mountain when Buddhists were persecuted by Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty during his 841-846 reign. Congshen returned to the temple after Emperor Xuanzong took the throne and he set about restoring Buddhism, staying there until the ripe age of 120 years. The Bailin Temple he presided over was destroyed in war during the Five Dynasties Period (907-960). It was rebuilt during the early Song Dynasty, but it was razed to the ground during the Republican years (1912-1949), with only a solitary pagoda left. In recent years, under the auspices of the Hebei Provincial Buddhist Association, the temple has been gradually restored to its former glory. It is emerging as a major Buddhist sanctuary in north China.