Zhulin-1 monastery, (near) Hangzhou, Zhejiang, CN

Raw data

"The Zhulin (Bamboo Forest) Temple was established in the southern Qi Dynasty [479-502 CE- tmc]. Buddhist monks in the Temple began their study on TCM [Traditional Chinese Medicine - tmc] in the 8th year of Tianfu reign of the Later Jin dynasty 936–947 CE - tmc. However, it was not until the 6th year of Shaoding reign in Southern Song dynasty that it was named "King of Medicine" and became world famous. Records on the temple's geneology tree showed that the succession ended at Jinxiu, the 106th generation, who resumed his secular life. The thousand - year old temple was thus dismantled severely with no trace of ruins. Due to fire, war and artificial factors, since the death of Xu Hui, this Discipline of Women's Diseases was succeeded by his son until now, there are still successors." - XIAO (2000)

"The Monastery of Benevolent Aid (Huijisi), which locals referred to as the “Bamboo Grove Monastery” (Zhulinsi), was located on the northern outskirts of Xiaoshan City, in Shaoxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. The Xiaoshan County gazetteer relates that the monastery was first founded around 940 CE, on the ruins of a pre-existing temple. The monks’ own legend recounting the origins of their medical practice repeats a familiar narrative in Chinese culture, that of esoteric knowledge imparted by a deity or immortal in disguise. According to monastery records, the tenth-century monk Gaotan encountered a mysterious “wandering man of the Way” (daoren), whom he invited to stay at the monastery. This stranger’s sprightly and agile appearance showed that he was “no ordinary person,” and Gaotan treated him with great reverence. One day the visitor mysteriously disappeared. To repay Gaotan’s kindness, however, he left behind a medical treatise discussing women’s reproductive illnesses and providing wondrously effective remedies for curing them. Gaotan studied this book assiduously and became a successful healer. Henceforth medicine also became an important activity for the monastery. During the Shaoding reign (1228–1233) of the Song dynasty, the monastery’s reputation was burnished after the monk Jingxian cured an imperial consort. A grateful Song Lizong bestowed several tokens of appreciation on the monks, including the honorific title of “Kings of Medicine” on Jingxian, his four immediate predecessors, and five generations of successors. By the end of the nineteenth century, the monks claimed a medical tradition that had been passed down from the Song to the Qing dynasties through 106 successive generations of monks" - WU (2000:43)
Input by: tmciolek Aug 06 2014

Final data (and their sources)

Last updated: 06 Aug 2014

Lat/Long coordinates' accuracy:
The monastery in question is assumed to be situated actually no farther than 200 m from the point defined by the coordinates below.

Location of Zhulin-1 monastery, CN.

General location of the Zhulin-1 monastery, CN.
lat=30.18421 long=120.26418
Mapping & images: Falling Rain Genomics (http://www.fallingrain.com), 2013.


Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=30.18421+120.26418+(Approx.%20loc.%20of%20the%20Zhulin-1%20monastery,%20CN)&ll=30.18421,120.26418&spn=05.0,05.0&t=k&hl=en


Final data - explanatory notes

1. Monastery's name

  • Zhulin-1 monastery

2. Monastery's modern country & province

  • China:Zhejiang Sheng

3. Monastery's alternative/historical names

  • Huijisi - Monastery of Benevolent Aid - WU (2000:43)
  • Zhulinsi - Bamboo Grove Monastery - WU (2000:43)
  • Bamboo Forest Temple - XIAO (2000)

4. Monastery's lat/long coordinates

  • Approx. Lat 30.18421 Long 120.26418 - based on visual identification of the monastery ruins in maps/satellite imagery, maps.google.com - tmciolek, 06 Aug 2014.

5. Other known nearby Buddhist monasteries

  • [missing data]

6. Modern name of the known nearest city, town, or village


7. The settlement's alternative/historical names


8. The settlement's coordinates


9. Monastery's major Buddhist tradition

  • Mahayana

10. Monastery's Buddhist sub-tradition

  • [missing data]

11. Date-early

  • Established sometime 479-502 CE - XIAO (2000)

MBM chrono-tag 0467-99p 0500-32p - tmciolek 06 Aug 2014
0467-99p 0500-32p 0533-66c 0567-99c 0600-32c 0633-66c 0667-99c 0700-32c 0733-66c 0767-99c 0800-32c 0833-66c 0867-99c 0900-32c 0933-66c 0967-99c 1000-32c 1033-66c 1067-99c 1100-32c 1133-66c 1167-99c 1200=> dated-el


12. Date-intermediate

  • Re-established 940 CE by ven. Gaotan - WU (2000:43)

MBM chrono-tag 0933-66c - tmciolek 06 Aug 2014


13. Date-late

  • Active during the Qing Dynasty - WU (2000:43)

MBM chrono-tag 1200=> - tmciolek 06 Aug 2014


14. Details of contacts with other monasteries

  • [missing data]

15. Type of evidence regarding the monastery

  • [missing data]

16. Additional notes

  • [missing data] (incl. details of the size of the monastic population)
  • A site specialising in treatment of gynaecological problems - XIAO (2000)

17. Corrections & addenda to this page were kindly provided by

  • [missing data]

18. Known monks and nuns associated with this monastery


19. Available Printed Literature

  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 1]
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 2]
  • [bibliographical details of the Book/Article 3]

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