In the Purple Bamboo Grove of Putuo Mountain, there is a temple dedicated to a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, named “Bukenqu Guanyin Temple.”

There’s a story behind this.

A Japanese Monk Transports the Guanyin Statue

In the Zhoushan Archipelago, there’s a renowned island: Putuo Mountain, known as the “Buddhist Kingdom of Sea and Sky,” one of my country’s four great Buddhist mountains.

In ancient times, Japan looked to China as its teacher and shipped everything back from there. In the second year of Zhenming (916 AD) during the reign of Emperor Mo of the Later Liang Dynasty (later Liang), a Japanese monk named Hui’e transported a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva from Mount Wutai in Shanxi back to Japan.

Guanyin Refuses to Go to Japan

After enduring countless hardships, he crossed the front lines of the then-North-South conflict and arrived in Ningbo to board a ship for his return. Unexpectedly, as he sailed along the coast, he encountered a sudden storm. Hundreds of iron lotuses suddenly emerged from the sea, blocking his path.

This Japanese monk was very devout. Seeing the ship carrying the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva being stopped, he believed that Guanyin Bodhisattva was unwilling to leave China and cross the sea to Japan. So he knelt at the bow of the ship and silently prayed for Guanyin’s guidance. He planned to build a temple and enshrine it wherever the ship drifted.

Establishing the “BuKenQu Guan Yin Yuan”

After a while, the iron lotus on the sea vanished. The boat drifted to the shore of Mount Putuo. He built a temple in the purple bamboo forest there, enshrining the statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva he had brought from Mount Wutai. It was named “BuKenQu Guan Yin Yuan.”

The Fishermen’s Patron Saint

From then on, it flourished, becoming a Buddhist holy site. Due to the strong winds and waves in the Zhoushan Islands, devout pilgrims from far and wide came to worship. Fishermen and sailors also came to seek the protection of Guanyin Bodhisattva, the savior of suffering. Guanyin Bodhisattva thus became the protector of the sea.

Fanyin Cave and Guangming Pond

After Mount Putuo became famous, many attractions on the island also gained fame. For example, the Fanyin Cave on the shore, where strange sounds are heard every time the tide rises. These sounds are believed to represent Guanyin Bodhisattva preaching or thousands of monks chanting sutras. It has become a sacred site.

There’s also a small pond on the island. It’s believed to contain holy water donated by Guanyin Bodhisattva, capable of curing eye ailments. It’s said that during the Zhengde reign of Emperor Wuzong of Ming Dynasty, the Empress Dowager even sent someone to fetch the water, which actually healed her eyes. The pond was named Guangming(means bright) Pond.