Kouchi Ancient Temple

Kouchi Nunnery is located in Daohou Alley, Xiaxiping Road, Chaozhou City. Originally named Jisheng Nunnery (also known as Dayin Nunnery), […]

Kouchi Nunnery is located in Daohou Alley, Xiaxiping Road, Chaozhou City. Originally named Jisheng Nunnery (also known as Dayin Nunnery), it was built in the Tang Dynasty. According to Lin Dachuan’s ‘Record of Han River’ in the Xianfeng period of the Qing Dynasty, ‘Kouchi Nunnery is on the left of Chengnan Academy, which is also the residence of Han Yu and Master Dadian when they came to the prefecture.’ The plaque on the Dadian Hall in the nunnery reads four characters ‘Clever, Grand and Erudite’. In the middle is the Mahavira Hall. In front of the steps, there are two ancient banyan trees. Without soil, they grow on the stones in front of the steps. They are jet-black in color and extremely ancient. It is said that they have a history of several hundred years. Zhou Dunyi, the transfer judge of Guangdong in the Song Dynasty, left a poem on the wall of the hall: ‘Han Yu claimed to be like Confucius. In his ‘Original Way’, he strongly criticized Buddhism and Taoism. I don’t know what Master Dadian is like. He cherished and left several letters and clothes.’ Legend of Kouchi Nunnery: In January of the 14th year of Yuanhe in the Tang Dynasty (819 AD), Han Yu angered Emperor Xianzong by remonstrating against welcoming the Buddha’s relic. He was demoted to be the governor of Chaozhou. On the day he arrived at the prefectural seat, subordinate officials and all the people in the city lined up to welcome him. When Han Yu saw the enthusiasm of the people, he was very excited. Suddenly, a monk came towards him in front of his horse. The monk was originally handsome and burly, with a square face and a broad forehead. From a distance, he looked talented. But when approaching, he was frightening. It turned out that he had two protruding big teeth. At a glance, he looked like a ferocious arhat in a temple. Han Yu was immediately displeased. But since the officials did not stop him, and as a governor, if he shouted and got angry, it would be a loss of dignity. So he had to endure it and thought, ‘This person must be an evil monk. If he fools and misleads the people, I must pull out his two big teeth.’ When he arrived at the prefectural government office, Han Yu interrogated where the monk came from and learned that he was Master Dadian from Jisheng Nunnery, who had attained high moral character and great power. (Some say that Master Dadian is the abbot of Lingshan Temple in Chaoyang and is in charge of Jisheng Nunnery and Lingshan Temple). The next day, as soon as Han Yu ascended the hall to handle prefectural affairs, his attendant presented a small package, saying it was sent by someone on behalf of Master Dadian. Han Yu opened it and saw that it was two big teeth. In addition, there was a piece of paper with words on it. The handwriting was thick and dignified, which read, ‘Confucianism takes benevolence as the foundation, and Buddhism also saves all living beings. Although the doctrines are different, the aims are the same. Let’s meet by the sea island.’ This made Han Yu confused: ‘This monk is really spiritual and can know what I’m thinking.’ He said guiltily, ‘I made a hasty conclusion about a person only by his appearance and wronged a good person. It really shouldn’t be.’ So he immediately wrote three big characters ‘Kouchi Nunnery’ and ordered someone to send them to Jisheng Nunnery. But Master Dadian had already gone to Lingshan Temple in Chaoyang. Since then, Jisheng Nunnery has been renamed ‘Kouchi Nunnery’. Later, Han Yu sent many letters to Master Dadian and visited each other. They formed a deep friendship. A few months later, Han Yu was transferred to be the governor of Yuanzhou. When leaving, he specially went to Lingshan Temple to say goodbye to Master Dadian and gave him clothes to express his reluctance.

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Kouchi Nunnery is one of the famous nunnery temples in Chaozhou. Through construction in recent years, it has become a Buddhist resort of a certain scale. Although the place is not large, it is enough for you to appreciate the magnificence of a famous temple.

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Opening hours: Open from 6:30 to 18:00 all year round. The specific business status is subject to the opening situation on the day.

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