Chichibu Fudasho No.30 Houn-ji Temple
The principal statue of Nyoirin Kannon is also called the “Yang Guifei Kannon.” It is said to have been personally carved by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang dynasty in memory of his beloved wife, Yang Guifei. According to tradition, a Zen monk brought it from China to Japan in 1319.
The Kannon Hall was built in 1615.
Chichibu Fudasho No.30 Houn-ji Temple
- Japanese / English notation
- 瑞龍山 法雲寺（ずいりゅうさん ほううんじ）/ Zuiryu-San Houn-ji Temple
- Location
- 〒369-1912 Arakawa,shiroku432,chichibu-shi,Saitama
- School
- Rinzai Zen School, Kencho-ji Branch
- Principal Image
- Nyoirin Kannon (Wish-Fulfilling Kannon)
- Tagline
- A Temple of the Yang Guifei Kannon, Embracing Wisdom and Blessings
- Blessings
- Safe Childbirth
- Good Health and Long Life
- Abundant Harvest
- Highlights
- Old pilgrims’ votive tablets: These are six wooden tablets from the mid-16th century, used by pilgrims to leave proof of their pilgrimage.
- Garden: The temple grounds feature a garden with seasonal flowers and trees. It is beautifully designed and is also called a “Pure Land Garden,” symbolizing a Buddhist paradise.
- Miracles of Kannon at This Temple
- The Tang Mirror
Long ago, at Atsuta Jingu Shrine in Aichi Prefecture, a beautiful woman appeared before a Shinto priest who was staying overnight. She gave him a mirror and said, “Bring this to Chichibu,” then disappeared. The priest delivered the mirror to Chichibu and entrusted it to a local elder.
Later, when a Nyoirin Kannon statue from China, made during the Tang dynasty for Yang Guifei, was enshrined here, the elder presented the mirror and told of the sacredness of this place.
It is told that the elder was actually the incarnation of a dragon, transformed into a kind dragon by the power of Buddha. The temple still preserves a dragon bone as a sacred treasure.
- Nearest station
- 15-minutes walk from Chichibu Railway Shiroku Station.