Weihai Pictures of Chishan Fahua Temple
Built in Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), Fahua Temple was one of the largest Buddhist temples of Jiaodong Peninsula at that time. It was later destroyed in Huichang Period of Tang Dynasty. According to historical record, Fahua Temple was originally built by people from Xinluo or the present Korea. In the prime of Tang Dynasty, Zhang Baogao from Xinluo was invited to China and was appointed a military officer in Wuning or today’s Xuzhou. With his superb martial arts and courage, Zhang Baogao gained respect from both soldiers and officers in the army. Later, he returned to Xinluo and was appointed ambassador in Qinghai Township. During his service, he was actively engaged in commerce and trade between China and Korea and paved for people of both countries a “Silk Road on the Sea”, and thus he was considered as a renowned international trade expert at that time. In those intervening years when he was in office, he was attracted to the renowned Chishan Mountain where he invested the construction of the first temple in this place and invited some Buddhist monks for praying. Since the first batch of monks were from the Tiantai Sect who regarded Fahua Scripture as their classic, hence the name “Fahua Temple” for this temple.
These China pictures are about Chishan Fahua Temple in Weihai China.
