The renowned 1,800-year-old Donglin Temple is undergoing major renovations ahead of plans to establish a leading Buddhist academy there.
Located some 20 km west of downtown Zhengzhou, the temple is more than 200 years older than the famous Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist monastery in Henan Province.
On the renovation and construction list are the prayer halls, and drum and bell towers.
A hall will stand between two proposed towers, each expected to be about 35 m high.
The project is expected to take 10 years to complete and will have new facilities, including a martial arts school, covering about 100 hectares.
Shi Yongxin of the Shaolin Temple, and honorary abbot of Donglin Temple, said he hoped the plan will boost research opportunities and exchange programs for Buddhism studies in Central China.
The academy will be open to anyone from around the world pursuing the Buddhism spirit and studies.
It will be a "place to sharpen Zen Buddhism research", Shi said.
Jie Zang, who graduated from Chongqing Buddhism Academy and served two years at the Minnan Buddhism Academy in Nanputuo Temple in the coastal city of Xiamen, said that top monasteries from the major temples throughout China will be invited to give regular lectures to apprentices.
"This will be done along with the lectures and training given by abbots from local temples," Jie said.
According to Zhengzhou Evening News, the proposed academy will be able to accommodate 10,000 Buddhism followers.
The newspaper also said that the Shaolin Temple will invest some 300 million yuan ($41 million) in the project.
However, Shi Yanruo, the acting abbot of Donglin Temple, would not confirm the accuracy of the funding mentioned in media reports.
"The amount of money needed is still unknown and the capacity of the academy hasn't yet been set," Shi said.
"The Shaolin Temple isn't necessarily the only source of financial help for our renovations," he said.
Liu Yanhui, an official from the Dengfeng tourism bureau said the Shaolin Temple "could not possibly afford to pay for the renovation".
Last year, about 1.5 million tourists visited the Shaolin Temple, which is the birthplace of kungfu and one of the most famous temples in China.
Source: China Daily
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