Refusing to Leave Guanyin Monastery, nestled within the Purple Bamboo Forest, stands as the earliest site for temple construction on Mount Putuo. Renowned for the legend of the ‘Refusing to Leave Guanyin’, it has earned a reputation beyond the ‘Three Major Temples of Putuo’. Devotees flock to this temple daily, and its seaside location makes it a haven for photography enthusiasts. A short walk from the Purple Bamboo Forest Zen Temple towards the sea leads you to the Refusing to Leave Guanyin Monastery. Though not expansive, this temple is celebrated as the birthplace of Mount Putuo’s ‘Buddhist Paradise by the Sea’. Almost every visitor here has a tale or two about the ‘Refusing to Leave Guanyin’.
The legend recounts the story of a Japanese monk named Huikao, who, while transporting a statue of Guanyin from Mount Wutai back to his homeland, encountered fierce storms in the sea near the Lianhua Yang of the Zhoushan Archipelago. Believing that the Bodhisattva wished to remain, he anchored his ship and left the statue ashore. A local farmer, moved by the event, offered his home to enshrine the Guanyin who refused to leave, thus founding the first ‘Refusing to Leave Guanyin Monastery’ on the island. This event marked the beginning of the numerous Buddhist temples that now grace Mount Putuo. The original temple structure no longer stands; the current building was reconstructed in the 1980s.Perhaps because of this story, the Refusing to Leave Guanyin Monastery appears more like a Japanese architectural style, unlike the yellow-walled traditional Chinese Buddhist temples. Although there are not many historical relics left in the temple, the legendary stories about this place are widely known, which is why the temple is extremely popular with daily worshippers. In addition to the Tang-style Eleven-faced Guanyin statue enshrined in the main hall, there is also a ‘Thirty-three Guanyin Shrines’ corridor on the west side of the temple, housing 33 statues of Guanyin, which the devout can worship one by one. The Guanhai Pavilion directly opposite the Refusing to Leave Guanyin Monastery is an excellent spot to view the sea, where visitors can rest when there are not many tourists. The Chaoyin Cave, located in a secluded position, is also suitable for admiring the sea views and listening to the bustling tide. Many tourists also take photos in front of the ‘No Self-sacrifice by Burning Fingers’ monument. The entire text is open all year round from 06:00 to 17:30, and the specific business status is subject to the actual opening situation of the day.
