Xing Chan Temple is a millennium-old ancient temple, which, according to legend, dates back to the Tang Dynasty in China.
It is said that the monk who established Xing Chan Temple once went to the White Horse Temple of the Tang Dynasty to study Buddhism and, after returning to Japan, continued his practices at a large temple. At the age of seventy, he came to the location of Xing Chan Temple and built a small temple to continue his cultivation.
This small temple later became the precursor to Xing Chan Temple.
From its inception, Xing Chan Temple has had a very close connection with the Chan (Zen) Buddhism of China. Monks from Japan would travel to China to exchange and learn Buddhist teachings every few decades or centuries.
Officially speaking, the relationship between Xing Chan Temple and China is quite good. Over the years, there have been numerous exchanges with certain Chinese temples, and Chinese monks have also come to Japan to preach and further their education.
