Bailong Cave, originally established by Zen Master Bietuan during the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing period and reconstructed in the early Qing Dynasty, was graced with scriptures and couplets bestowed by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing. The site features two main halls; the front is the Hall of the Three Sages, housing the Western Trinity of Amitabha Buddha, Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva, and Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva; the rear is the Mahavira Hall, housing the Huayan Trinity of Sakyamuni Buddha, Manjushri Bodhisattva, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva.
Zen Master Bietuan led his disciples in planting camphor trees beside the temple, reciting one plant for each word of the Lotus Sutra, covering an area of two li and totaling 69,777 trees. The lush forest, known as the ‘Meritorious Forest,’ provided a cool shade, and the ancient楠 trees, some still standing at over 20 meters high and over 400 years old, offer a serene retreat. On the hillside above the Meritorious Forest, there was once a deep cave, rumored to be where the White Lady (White Snake) practiced her Taoist arts. The cave was sealed due to a landslide, leaving only imagination for the visitors. The site is open all year round, accessible 24 hours a day.
