[Photo/ fjta.com]

Lying at the foot of Wulao Peak in the south of Xiamen Island, South Putuo Temple is one of the most frequently visited holy shrines of Buddhism in Fujian, or even in China. It was constructed in the Tang Dynasty(618-907).

Within the temple, the statue of Goddess of Mercy with 1,000 hands is a superb piece of craftsmanship, and the Sutra Room houses various kinds of Buddhist relics, in particular, the treasured scripture written with blood in Wanli Reign of the Ming Dynasty(1573-1619) and the precious Goddess of Mercy statue made of white ceramics, a masterpiece of He Chaozong(1522-1600),a well-known ceramic sculpture artist over 400 years ago.

The affiliated South Fujian Buddhist Academy, founded by Master Huiquan in 1925, is the oldest Buddhist academy in China.