Helin Temple is located on Baihe Mountain, 4 kilometers west of the urban area of Qionglai. The temple was originally built during the Sui Dynasty and flourished during the Tang and Song Dynasties. In the first year of the Shaoding era of the Southern Song Dynasty (1228 AD), it underwent extensive repairs and expansion, and was renamed Helin Zen Temple, becoming a well-known Buddhist forest and tourist destination in Western Sichuan.
The existing buildings include the mountain gate, passage, second gate, front hall, and rear hall, totaling five sections and five progressions, with an additional courtyard of monks’ quarters on the left side of the central axis. The Mahavira Hall was rebuilt in the Ming Dynasty and houses three statues of Shakyamuni Buddha and his incarnations. Other halls feature statues of Guanyin, Maitreya, Wei Tuo, and the Heavenly Kings. The screen wall stands about 10 meters high and 9 meters long, with the front side inscribed with the regular script characters ‘Helin Zen Temple’ measuring 2 meters in height; the back is adorned with glazed tiles featuring flowers and birds, with a beautifully crafted relief ceramic tile in the center depicting ‘Dragon Playing with Pearls’. On the top of Baihe Mountain behind Helin Zen Temple lies the Helin Book Terrace, which was the reading place of Chang Anmin, a famous scholar from Qiongzhou during the Jin Dynasty, and also a resting place for Wei Liaoweng, a famous scholar from Qiongzhou during the Song Dynasty and a member of the Duanming Hall Academy. Wei Liaoweng wrote the ‘Helin Construction Record’ here, providing a detailed account of Chang Anmin’s life and the circumstances surrounding the creation of Helin Temple. The existing reading terrace was rebuilt and repaired during the Qing Dynasty. It is built with stone on the east, south, and north sides, with a quadrangle-style building on the terrace divided into two sections, featuring hip-roof architecture, grand and solemn. In the front hall of the book terrace stands a statue of Wei Liaoweng, wearing an official hat and robe, lifelike. After the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the existing temple has been renovated and is now a Buddhist activity venue in the city. It is open all year round and accessible 24 hours a day.
