Chu Mei Tang Apricot Agarwood Well, old traces and new looks at Zhanghua Temple

In 535 BC, King Ling of Chu, who had a penchant for slender waists, spent five years building a luxurious Zhanghua Terrace, ten zhang high, just to house the slender-waisted beauties he had collected for his pleasure. Therefore, it was also called the 'Slender Waist Palace.' Legend has it that after the completion of Zhanghua Terrace, King Ling of Chu invited feudal lords from all over the world to come and enjoy it. Many visitors had to rest several times while climbing the terrace, indicating that this towering Zhanghua Terrace was indeed sky-high. Zhanghua Terrace has long been buried in the river of history, and Zhanghua Temple was evidently built in association with the name of Zhanghua Terrace. In the second year of the Taiding era of the Yuan Dynasty (1325 AD), people built Zhanghua Temple on the site of Zhanghua Terrace. The place that was once filled with vibrant flowers and singing birds has turned into a serene Buddhist sanctuary. The slender-waisted beauties who once danced gracefully have now been replaced by the sound of wooden fish and bells. It is known as one of the 'Three Great Forests of Hubei' along with Guiyuan Temple in Hanyang and Yuquan Temple in Dangyang. The temple layout is orderly, with a palace-style architectural pattern, reasonable layout, and splendid decoration. The existing temple buildings cover an area of 12,000 square meters. The main buildings include the Mountain Gate, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Hall of Wealth God, Hall of Weituo, Mahavira Hall, Guanyin Hall, Amitabha Hall, Sutra Library, Meditation Hall, Buddha Recitation Hall, Jingyue Hall, Dining Hall, Guest Hall, Abbot's Room, etc. The scale is enormous and magnificent. During the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, the high monk Jingyue of Zhanghua Temple was summoned to the capital by imperial decree and was highly appreciated by Empress Dowager Cixi and the court ministers. He was bestowed with a set of the 'Dragon Sutra,' half of the imperial carriage, and other court treasures. Jingyue was conferred the title of Fourth Rank Grand Monk and Imperial Abbot. The ancient plum trees, agarwood well, ancient ginkgo trees, and ancient stone inscriptions in Zhanghua Temple are known as the 'Four Ancient Wonders.'