At the site of the Northern Shaolin Temple in Panshan, Jizhou, Tianjin, historical secrets are resurfacing before the world in unexpected ways.

In 2017, during the restoration of the Duobao Pagoda, the Tianjin Cultural Heritage Protection Center unexpectedly discovered artifacts that had been sealed away for many years inside a niche. What began as an ordinary conservation project was suddenly transformed by these long‑forgotten relics.

This archaeological discovery has reignited the quest to uncover the history of the Northern Shaolin Temple. The Chinese Academy of Cultural Heritage and the Tianjin Municipal Center for Cultural Heritage Protection joined forces to undertake a multi-year restoration and research project. It was not until March 2023 that the artifacts were finally transported from Beijing back to Tianjin, where they became key exhibits at the Yuan‑Ming‑Qing Tianfei Palace Site Museum.

However, the gifts of fate seemed far from over. A few months after the cultural relics were returned to Tianjin, an even more astonishing discovery quietly emerged.

“What old thing are you guys looking for?” the owner of the farmstay asked with a smile.

“It’s a collection of relics related to the history of the Northern Shaolin Temple—some stone tablets, cultural artifacts, and the like,” the author replied casually.

The boss paused for a moment, then suddenly said, “If you’re looking for a stone tablet, my uncle’s place actually has one—seems like it was brought back from the mountains ages ago and used to build a chicken coop.”

This unexpected information instantly put the author on alert, urging the boss to go and investigate. In the end, by that dilapidated chicken coop, they came upon a weathered stone tablet—its surface covered in moss and riddled with cracks, long since worn away by the elements.

The author carefully brushed away the dust from the stone tablet, and the fragmented inscriptions gradually came to light. These inscriptions bore a subtle connection to the artifacts unearthed within the Duobao Pagoda, as if two parallel lines had suddenly converged at this very moment.

Each seemingly accidental discovery is, in fact, the result of archaeologists’ persistent pursuit and cumulative breakthroughs. When the artifacts from the Duobao Pagoda are corroborated by the fragmentary stele found beside the chicken coop, a long‑forgotten story at last comes to light for the public.

How many forgotten truths remain hidden in this chapter of history, waiting to be uncovered? Today, with the help of… “The Debate Between Buddhism and Daoism and the Shaping of Humanistic Values:” Centered on Panshan North Shaolin Temple》 Through in-depth exploration, let us together follow the clues buried by history and lift the veil of mystery surrounding the Beishao Lin Temple on Pan Mountain!

This book takes the verifiable history of the Northern Shaolin Temple on Panshan Mountain in Jizhou District, Tianjin, as its guiding thread, tracing the Buddhist–Daoist debates centered on the Northern Shaolin Temple at the turn of the Jin and Yuan dynasties, as well as the trajectory of the temple’s development since the Yuan period. By focusing on this “point”—the Northern Shaolin Temple—it broadly outlines the distinctive features of Panshan’s ancient cultural and historical evolution, thereby advancing scholarly inquiry in this field.

In the book Some widely circulated views in the academic community have been subject to critical examination. ：

• A number of new historical sources have been unearthed, and fresh, insightful perspectives have been put forward.

• Overturning the “Wei–Jin Founding Theory”: Through meticulous historical research, the author has refuted the long‑standing “Wei–Jin founding theory,” which has been widely accepted since the Qing dynasty, regarding the date of the North Shaolin Temple’s establishment.

• Clarifying Historical Misinterpretations: A thorough analysis was conducted of the misreadings in Zhi Pu’s “Pan Shan Zhi” regarding the history of the Northern Shaolin Temple, thereby helping to restore historical accuracy.

In addition, this book It exhibits a distinct cross-disciplinary and integrative character in its research methodology. ：

•It not only emphasizes the systematic collation of historical documents but also situates the Northern Shaolin Temple within the spatial and cultural context of Panshan.

• By integrating archaeological artifacts with textual sources, this study explores the history of the monastery through a “small-scale approach with a broad perspective.”

• Adhering to a research ethos of “finding doubt where none is apparent,” the author employs a multifaceted methodological approach to offer an interpretation deeply imbued with humanistic concern.

Bai Jun Peak

A graduate of Nankai University, he currently serves as the Director of the Tianjin Cultural Heritage Protection Center, a research curator, and a member of the 8th Council of the Archaeological Society of China. In his spare time, he dedicates himself to the study of ancient art history, the history of collecting, and the local cultural and historical heritage of Tianjin. He has published monographs including “From Time Immemorial, Love of Objects Has Often Turned into an Obsession: A Survey of Northern Song Collecting Culture and Its Underlying Concepts” and “Old Friends in the World: A Study of Cha Li and the Artistic Life of Qing‑Dynasty Salt Merchants in Tianjin,” among others.