Second-Floor Main Hall

Our temple enshrines the Qingshui Patriarch, whose secular name was Chen Zhaoying. He was born on the sixth day of the first lunar month in 1044 (4th year of Qingli during Emperor Renzong's reign of the Song Dynasty) in Xiaogu Village, Yongchun County, Fujian Province. Showing wisdom from an early age, he became a monk at Dayun Temple and later studied under Zen Master Mingsong. He dedicated himself to healing and saving lives. During the late Southern Song Dynasty, he joined Prime Minister Wen Tianxiang's righteous campaign to defend the emperor, heroically fighting against the Yuan forces across China. He became a national hero for his resistance against the Yuan and support of the Song Dynasty. Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, commemorating Chen Zhaoying's service to the nation, posthumously conferred upon him the title "Duke Who Protects the Nation" and ordered a shrine built at Qingshui Cliff in Anxi County, Fujian Province. Hence, he became known as the Qingshui Patriarch.

During his lifetime, the Patriarch was known for his unyielding righteousness and strong moral character that reached to the heavens. After his passing, he was elevated to divine status, undertaking both Bodhisattva missions and the duty of rewarding good and punishing evil in both the mortal and spirit realms. He has guided countless beings to enlightenment, answering all sincere prayers, and his merits and spiritual achievements are boundless.

The Zuoying Zhouzi Qingshui Temple houses two principal statues of the Patriarch. The Qingshui Patriarch statue on the fifth floor was originally the main statue from the former temple. This statue is a precious and rare cement sculpture (not clay), representing a possibly lost art form. When the temple was rebuilt on a larger scale, a new principal statue was created. After seeking divine approval through divination, the original cement statue was moved to the fifth floor as its tranquil resting place.

Due to the benevolent countenance of the original Patriarch statue, both the newly created statue and the large Buddha statue on the sixth floor were modeled after its compassionate facial features.