Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t2.6

v1.c7.s3.t2.6

According to records, during the Dazhong period of the Tang Dynasty (847-860 CE), an Indian monk came to an overseas island around Zhejiang province, who burnt his 10 figures to express his strong desire to see Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) and Guanyin eventually showed up. And therefore, this island was closely connected with Guanyin. In 858 CE, Huie, a Japanese monk got a Guanyin statue from Mount Wutai. On its way home, he stopped on the island to rest. However, he encountered a huge storm so he had to live on this island and later built the Not-willing-leave Guanyin Temple. From then on, the belief of Guanyin began to become very popular on the island. In the Jiading seventh year of the Southern Song Dynasty (1214), Mount Putuo was appointed as the *ashram* of Guanyin to mainly pay homage to Avalokitesvara (Guanyin). According to the records of Buddhist scriptures, the island was also widely thought of as similar as Potalaka (Putuo in short), the residence of Avalokitesvara in south India. Then Potalaka was divided into two parts: Mount Pota and Mount Laka. Mount Laka is also on this island.