Late Yuan Buddhist Revival

Timeline

1. 1351–1355Lingyin Temple · HangzhouAfter the Red Turban Rebellion broke out, Yuan control over Jiangnan weakened. Famous monasteries such as Lingyin Temple in Hangzhou and Tiantong Temple in Ningbo continued holding dharma assemblies, ordinations, and printing of Buddhist scriptures under local gentry patronage. Tiantong and Chan monks maintained believers' faith through preaching, and the monasteries became spiritual refuges for the people in troubled times.
2. 1356–1360Jiangnan region · JiangnanAmid famine and warfare in the late Yuan, Jiangnan Buddhist monasteries widely opened granaries for relief, sheltered refugees, and held Water-Land dharma assemblies to release the spirits of the dead. The Buddhist charitable network played an important role in local society, and some monks also mediated local disputes, demonstrating the social resilience of late Yuan Buddhism amid turmoil.