One of Zhoushan's Cultural Heritage: the Legend of Guanyin

The popularity of the Legend of Guanyin is closely related to the widely spread Guanyin belief in the local area. As early as Song Baoqing's "Guo Chang County Records", there was a record of "Meicen Mountain (now Putuo Mountain) Guanyin Baotuo Temple". The legend of "Hua Hui, a monk, sent Guanyin" and "refused to go to Guanyin" was recorded in the Siming Tujing, a traffic artery in the Song Dynasty, and it has become an important link for cultural exchanges between China and Japan. In the Yuan Dynasty, the eminent monk Sheng in the Western Regions wrote the Biography of Mount Luojiashan in Putuo, and even recorded the supernatural legends such as "Eighteen auspicious visits to the home", "Thirty-two Guanyin's visits under one roof" and "The eminent monk in the Tang Dynasty burned his fingers to see the world". Since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the records of Putuo Mountain have recorded more supernatural legends of Guanyin. The New Records of the Luo Family in Putuo compiled in the year of the Republic of China 12 was devoted to "the supernatural gate" and recorded 68 supernatural legends of Guanyin.

In addition to the records in ancient chronicles, The Complete Biography of Guanyin in the South China Sea was circulated among the people as early as the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and another version of The Truth of Guanyin was circulated in the early years of the Republic of China. The legendary image of Guanyin is recorded in classical novels such as The Journey to the West and The Romance of Ghosts and Ghosts. According to Buddhist legend, the birth, becoming a monk and gaining enlightenment of Guanyin Bodhisattva on February 19th, June 19th and September 19th of the lunar calendar is called the Sanxianghui, and every day has a story.

Therefore, for thousands of years, Guanyin, as a great Buddha with boundless Buddha nature, has been widely praised and believed in Zhoushan folk. Moreover, this kind of singing and believing in yourself has gone far beyond national boundaries and has become a Guanyin cultural phenomenon of "persuading people to be good and love peace", which has spread all over the world.

Mount Putuo has a profound Buddhist culture, which has become a concept. With the China of Buddhism, Guanyin belief gradually disappeared, especially in most parts of Asia. As long as there are China people in the world, they know Guanyin, and most Buddhists are believers in Guanyin. Protecting and excavating Guanyin culture and carrying forward the positive connotation of Buddhist culture is a good carrier for us to inherit history and culture and build a harmonious society, and it is also people's expectation.

Today, in building a harmonious world, we should give full play to the special role of Guanyin culture and Guanyin belief as cultural treasures for the benefit of all beings. Because Guanyin culture belongs to Putuo Mountain, to the Chinese nation and even to human civilization all over the world.