Song dynasty Hualin Temple was first built with the name of "Yueshan Jixiang Chan Temple" () in 964 by the then provincial governor of Fuzhou, Bao Xiurang (), under the kingdom of
Wuyue in the
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907–960). During the reign of
Emperor Gaozong (1127–1162), he inscribed the name on a plaque. In the Song and Ming dynasties, the temple was renowned for its quiet and beautiful environment, which attracted many literati to come and compose poems to eulogize the temple, including
Li Gang, Zhang Jun, Wang Yingshan, and Xie Zhaozhi.
Ming dynasty In 1444, in the ruling of
Emperor Yingzong in the
Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the emperor inscribed and honored the name "Hualin Temple" (), which is still in use now.
Qing dynasty In 1644, the year of the founding of the
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Hualin Temple was renovated by monks. In 1668, in the ruling of
Kangxi Emperor (1662–1722), it was refurbished again. The temple became dilapidated due to neglect in the
Yongzheng era (1723–1735). It was enlarged in the
Jiaqing (1796–1820) and
Daoguang periods (1821–1850).
Lin Zexu, a notable official in the Qing court, wrote an article about the reconstruction project.
People's Republic of China After the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1953, Hualin Temple was designated as a provincial level cultural heritage site by the
Fujian Provincial Government. In 1966,
Mao Zedong launched the ten-year
Cultural Revolution. The
shanmen,
Hall of Four Heavenly Kings, corridors, and walls were demolished by the
Red Guards, with only the Main Hall remaining. On 23 February 1982, the Main Hall of Hualin Temple was listed among the second batch of "
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Fujian" by the
State Council of China. Hualin Temple was officially reopened to the public in the Chinese New Year of 1990. ==Architecture==