The second annual Lingyin Temple Buddhism Culture Forum holding at Zhejiang Hotel in Hangzhou

Lingyin Temple’s second annual Buddhimsm Culture Forum ＂Lingyin Temple and Northern Song dynasty＂ was held on September 21 and 22 at ZTG Zhejiang Hotel in Hangzhou. The forum attracted over a hundred special guests of the Chinese Buddhism community including senior Masters, academic scholars, experts, and dignitaries to meet at Westlake and discuss Lingyin Temple’s interaction with society in the Song Dynasty and the relative contributions and effects.

＂Lingyin Temple and the Northern Song Dynasty Buddhism＂ academic discussion forum

Podium of second annual Lingyin Temple Buddhist Culture Forum

The official opening grand ceremony was held on the morning of Sept 21. Special guests include Xin-Fu Mo (Deputy Director of Zhejiang Ethnic and Religious Affairs Commission), Zhi-Gang Yang (Deputy commissioner of United Front Work Department Hangzhou Municipal Committee, Secretary of Hangzhou Municipal Department of Ethic and Affairs), Qing-Ye Guo (Secretary of Hangzhou Political Consultative Conference,  Commissioner of Municipal Department of Ethnic and Affairs), and representatives from corresponding organizations. Abbot Venerable Guangquan and senior masters from the Buddhist Association commenced the ceremony with audience of almost 500 guests comprising of international notable professors from top universities as well as Buddhism scholars, experts, Dharma Masters, and laity of China, Taiwan, US, Japan, and Korea.

Abbot Ven. Guanquan (vice-chairperson of the Zhejiang Buddhist Association and chairperson of the Hangzhou Buddhist Association)

 Abbot Guangquan addressed the joyous guests of the event at 9:00am with a warm welcome for the dignitaries and scholars. As vice-chairperson of the Zhejiang Buddhist Association and Chairperson of the Hangzhou Buddhist Association, Abbot Guangquan introduced to the guests the fateful origins of this year’s forum, along with achievements in the Buddhist culture in recent years. He also showed gratitude for the support, development and contribution towards exploration of Lingying Temple's Buddhist Culture. He wished for an event that will result in scholarly advancement and focus for the development of Hangzhou's Buddhist culture as well as refined information for the city's culture and tourism.

China Buddhist Association Vice-Chair Ven. Zhan-Ru

China Buddhist Association's Vice-Chairperson Venerable Zhan-Ru, Commissioner of Municipal Department of Ethnic and Affairs Qing-Ye Guo, and Professor Li-Tian Fang of China's Renming University also respectively addressed the forum's guests.

Commissioner of Municipal Department of Ethic and Affairs Qing-Ye Guo

Professor Li-Tian Fang of China's Renmin University

Following the opening ceremony, the event's eleven forum topics over two days commenced with in-depth discussions of Lingyin Temple's great masters of Norther Dynasty, their legendary traces, Chan philosophy, all in an effort to accurately analyze their contributions to the cultural development then. In addition, there was a notable discussion on Buddhist History and Culture in relationship to the development of folk creeds.

Theme introduction

Lingyin Temple's Monastery Supervisor Ven. Yan-Kong

Lingyin Temple's Monastery Supervisor Venerable Yan-Kong hosted the closing ceremony for the forum on the afternoon of Sept. 22 at Zhejiang Hotel. Xia-Nian Huang, researcher of China Academy of Social Sciences World Religion Research Center delivered the closing speech, and Abbot Venerable Guanquan expressed his sincere gratitude for the intellectual and Buddhist communities.

Xia-Nian Huang, researcher of China Academy of Social Sciences World Religion Research Center

Abbot Ven. Guangquan's sincere gratitude

Closing ceremony

This year's Buddhist Culture Forum with theme of "Lingyin Temple and Northern Song Dynasty Buddhism" yielded over a hundred pages of exceptional analysis, providing an important edition for the history of Lingyin Temple and Chinese Buddhism. This event also provided an essential support for the history and future development of Lingyin Temple's Buddhist Culture with academic substantiation for restoring the reputation "Southeast Land of Buddhism"--a contribution for the golden image of Hangzhou's Westlake World Cultural Heritage.

Lingyin Temple's Buddhist Culture Forum was organized by Lingyin Temple with the support of related government departments to combine the intellectual and Buddhist communities. In an endeavor to cross over the many dynasties of foundation for historical perspectives, the discussions carried deeper about the Lingyin Temple's Buddhism Culture and the robust effects on Chinese Cultural History. The forum was also an exceptional collaboration of resources that will continue to promote the current Lingyin Temple Buddhism Culture. The first Annual Lingyin Temple Buddhism Cultural Forum was held in 2012 to commemorate Chan Master Songyuan Chongyue on the 880th year of his birth.

Academic discussion groups for "Lingyin Temple and Northern Song Buddhism"