Xichan Temple, Buddhist temple in Gulou District, Fuzhou, China

Xichan Temple stands on the slope of Mount Yi in Gulou District, Fuzhou. Its central axis runs through the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Dharma Hall, the Sutra Library, the Jade Buddha Hall and the Guanyin Pavilion, with guest rooms, meditation halls and the abbot's quarters alongside. The grounds also hold a Tang-dynasty stupa and a Tang seven-star well.

Founded in 867 under Emperor Yizong of Tang, the temple was renamed Changqing Temple in 933. It was renovated twice under Song emperors Renzong and Lizong, then refurbished by monks in 1349. Monk Dingxin supervised reconstruction in 1437 and monk Mingliang renovated it in 1637; master Weimiao raised funds under Guangxu. War damage in 1937 was followed by restoration after 1949, Cultural Revolution damage, reopening in 1979 and National Key Buddhist Temple status in 1983.

The temple's name changed with its patrons: founded as Qingchan Temple in 867, renamed Yanshou, then Changqing in 933 when Wang Yanjun requested the imperial plaque, and later Xichan. Its litchi poetry gatherings are a local tradition, and the temple has branch monasteries across Fuzhou and Southeast Asia, including Shuanglin Temple in Singapore and Shuangqing Temple in Malaysia, staffed by monks it sends.

The temple sits west of downtown and is easily accessible by main pathways that wind through the grounds. Wear comfortable shoes for walking through the complex, as the visit involves multiple levels and steps between halls.

The temple keeps a stele titled "Record of the True Body in the Stupa", the Tang-dynasty stupa of Chan master Huileng, a Tang Seven-Star Well, and a stele by master Hongyi for a life-release pond. Its monks also left a blood-written Lotus Sutra and Surangama Sutra, and a hundred-longevity screen in red-ground gold characters by master Xue'an.