In the aftermath of the Huichang Persecution 會昌法難 (845), the restoration of scriptural collections became an urgent imperative for local monasteries. This article examines Daolin Temple 道林寺 as a paradigmatic case study of post-persecution reconstruction in the Jiangnan region. Distinguished by Mount Yuelu’s 嶽麓山 deep scholarly tradition and a practice emphasizing both Chan and Doctrine, Daolin Temple emerged as a vanguard in the regional quest to restore the canon. To finance this endeavor, the monk Shuyan 疏言 launched a multi-year fundraising campaign using puman 撲滿 (coin banks) to gather lay donations. However, the persecution had left Jiangnan’s canonical collections decimated, forcing Shuyan to look beyond the region. He ultimately traveled north to Taiyuan 太原 in the Hedong region—an area that had sustained relatively limited damage and was experiencing a vibrant Buddhist revival. This study argues that Hedong’s preserved scriptural resources and strong tradition of official patronage were the decisive factors driving Shuyan’s northward pilgrimage for scriptures.
Shiquan Dong (Mon,) studied this question.