Baiyun Buddhist Temple [Shangqiu]

The Baiyun Buddhist Temple was first built in the Tang Dynasty under the initial name of Kwanyin Hall. A later expansion effort took place during a particularly hot summer, with workers suffering under the extreme heat. Legend has it that after the abbot Yiming prayed for relief, clouds billowed in the sky, covering the burning sun. In the following days, the weather was cool, making for a comfortable work environment. After the reconstruction was completed, the temple was renamed Baiyun (Cloud) Buddhist Temple.

Emperor Shunzhi became a monk in this temple. To look for his father, Emperor Kangxi's son, the prince visited this temple three times.

In the Palace of Jade Buddhas are situated 10 statues, all carved from Burmese white jade. Among them sits a 3-meter high Sakyamuni, which was provided by Fu Fengying from Burma, aunt of General Fu Zuoyi.

Also in the temple is a 15-meter high locust tree, whose trunk is so wide that only when three people link their hands together can they wrap their arms around it. Surprisingly, the enormous tree is planted in a large iron pan buried 2.5 meters underground. People say it was planted by a monk named Xingxing during the Qing Dynasty.