One of Five Great Schools of Buddhism where Huineng the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism once lived and taught. Nanhua Temple (simplified Chinese: 南华寺; traditional Chinese: 南華寺; pinyin: Nánhuá Sì; Jyutping: Naam4wa4zi6) is a Buddhist monastery of the Chan Buddhism, one of Five Great Schools of Buddhism where Huineng, the Sixth Patriarch of Chan Buddhism, once lived and taught.[1][2] It is located in the town of Maba (马坝镇), Qujiang District, 25 km (16 mi) southeast of central Shaoguan, Guangdong province. The location is in the northern part of the province, within a few kilometers from the Bei River.
History
The temple was founded during the time of the Northern and Southern Dynasties in 502 AD by an Indian monk named Zhiyao Sanzang (智樂三藏) who originally named the site Baolin Temple (寶林寺).[1][2] It received its present name in 968 during the reign of the Song dynasty Emperor Taizong.[3] Ancestor Hanshan Deqing taught there and reformed the monastery in the 16th century.[4] The site was later renovated in 1934 under the leadership of Hsu Yun whose body is housed in the central forest sanctuary. Recent changes to the site include the building of extensive monastic accommodations.
