Ancient historical temples in Meizhou | Lingguang Temple

|Lingguang Temple. Meizhou Ancient Historical Temples | Lingguang Temple Lingguang Temple was originally named Shengshou Temple. It was expanded during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty and later changed to its current name. The temple was founded between the Kaicheng period of Emperor Wenzong and the Huichang period of Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty (836-846 AD), more than 1,140 years ago. It is the largest Buddhist temple in Meixian with a long history. Lingguang Temple is located in the tea mountain and was first built in the Tang Dynasty. The courtyard retains the stone carving base of the main hall built in the Tang Dynasty. The pineapple roof in the temple was built in the early Ming Dynasty. It has an exquisite shape and is smaller than the pineapple roof of the Anqing Guild Hall in Ningbo. There is a Tai Chi pattern in the center of the roof, indicating that this is a temple that integrates Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Outside the temple gate there are two thousand-year-old cypresses of similar size and shape. The one on the left died 400 years ago, but the other one remains immortal and unfallen. The two trees standing side by side give them a special meaning of life and death. There are thousand-year-old cypress trees in front of Lingguang Temple, one is flourishing and the other is withered. The withered one withered in the third year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1664). After more than 300 years, it still stands tall and proudly points to the sky; the flourishing one is still lush and green with branches and leaves. These two ancient cypresses have stood together for thousands of years, relying on each other for life and death, and never leaving each other. They are also called the "tree of life and death", "tree of marriage" and "tree of love". In the seventh year of Emperor Kangxi's reign, Crown Prince Zhu Cibing of Chongzhen shaved his head at Lingguang Temple and took the Buddhist name of Monk Xishan. As there was no hope of resisting the Qing and restoring the Ming Dynasty, he lived in seclusion in the mountains and forests, spent his days meditating on Zen, and his hair fell out. Later, Zhu Cibing moved from Lingguang Temple to Xiangyun Temple at the junction of Shukeng and Jinfeng in the east of Meixian City. A few years later, he returned to China and lived in Baoen Temple in Guangzhou, where he passed away. According to the folk custom in Dapu area of ​​Meixian County, March 19th of the lunar calendar is the "Sun's Birthday" every year. Every household bathes, burns incense, offers fasting plates, and devout men and women kneel down to worship towards the east.