Fa Hai Cave is located beneath the Ci Shou Pagoda of Jinshan Temple, serving as the ascetic site of the founding patriarch of Jinshan Temple, Master Fa Hai, also known as Pei Tou Tuo. Inside the cave, there is a statue of Master Fa Hai. It is said that one can cross the river to Yangzhou through this cave. The famous Song Dynasty scholar, Zhang Shangying, visited here and left a poem: “A half-room stone chamber for meditation, an unparalleled fame that is not easily erased, the white python transforms into a dragon and returns to the sea, leaving behind the old ascetic in the mountains.” To this day, the last two lines of this poem have been made into a couplet that hangs in front of Fa Hai Cave.
Related Legend: It is said that Master Fa Hai was the son of Pei Xiu, the Prime Minister during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Due to Emperor Xuanzong’s devout Buddhism, it was customary for ministers at that time to send their sons to become monks. Master Fa Hai was diligent in his practice and had profound virtues. He found gold in the mountains and rebuilt Jinshan Temple, becoming the reviver of the temple. Today, the statue inside Fa Hai Cave has a kind face, resembling the appearance of the Tang Dynasty’s Jianzhen Master who crossed to the east. The cave is open all year round from 08:00 to 17:00, with the actual business status subject to the day’s opening conditions.Ancient Fa Hai Cave
Fa Hai Cave is located beneath the Ci Shou Pagoda of Jinshan Temple, serving as the ascetic site of [...]
