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孙中山在日本时，有一天正与廖仲恺、何香凝说话，门外来了一个和尚，向他招呼道：孙先生，别来无恙？孙中山回头一看，连忙迎出门去说：是智亮长老啊，什么时候又到东京来了？怎么也不先打个招呼？智亮说：贫僧四海云游，是个闲人。先生是忙人，不好打扰。孙中山又问：长老要在日本讲经多久？智亮答曰：这倒要问先生你了，都是你的弟子们害的。孙中山突然醒悟：我明白了，你也是受了通缉，在国内存身不得才流亡日本的。
这是由赵文瑄饰演孙中山的电视剧《孙中山》第十三集里的一段故事情节。其中的智亮和尚倒是确有其人，他就是杭州西湖白云庵的住持，正是他把白云庵提供给浙江同盟会的革命党人作为秘密联络据点，从而在辛亥革命史上留下了光辉的一页。
说起白云庵，杭州就有3座，不过与辛亥革命有关的却只有一座，那就是位于杭州西湖南屏山下雷峰塔西侧、今西子宾馆（汪庄）内的白云庵。别小看这所白云庵，它的历史可长着呢。早在南宋，偏安江南一隅的赵宋皇朝，就在这里建有皇家御苑“翠芳园”，系专门供大内禁宫里的后宫嫔妃宫女游乐之所。元初来杭的意大利旅行家马可·波罗对此描述道：
有时国王携皇后和宫女到湖上去娱乐，那里有覆垂丝帘的游船，有时也到佛教寺院去参观。大院内的其它两部分，散布着森林、湖泊，还有植有果树的美丽无比的苑园，那里圈养着各种动物，如小种鹿、黄鹿、赤鹿、野兔、家兔；在那里，国王常和宫妃们寻欢作乐，有的在马车中，有的在马背上。那里男人不得入内。他命令宫女们与狗一起赛跑，追击各种动物。她们累了，就到湖两岸的森林里去，脱下衣服，赤身裸体地走出来，跑到湖中游泳，或仰泳，或卧游，国王在旁观看，欣喜若狂……
南宋灭亡，禁苑逐渐荒芜。直到明末，有个僧侣白云上人在翠芳园旧址上建造了“白云庵”。清雍正年间，杭州人汪献珍重加葺治，增建亭台楼阁，种上各色花卉草木，还开挖沟渠，把西湖水引进来，在靠近西湖处建了一座桥，名“慈云”。乾隆二十二年，清高宗临幸，赐名“漪园”，并书“香云法雨”匾额，名躁一时。可惜到咸丰年间毁于太平天国战火。光绪二十二年，杭州著名藏书家“八千卷楼”主人丁丙重修，增塑月下老人像于大殿之左，并配上一副楹联：“愿天下有情人，都成了眷属；是前生注定事，莫错过姻缘”。像前备有关于男女婚姻的签文99条。这99条签文是从中国古代文学经典中选取的，如《诗经》《左传》《孟子》《论语》，以及唐诗、宋词、元曲等。据说其中55条是俞曲园所集，此外44条是俞的门人所增。诗签之语模棱两可，可作种种譬解，故求签者往往乘兴而来，欢喜而去。当年不但青年男女，已婚、未婚者乐意来此求签，有许多老夫老妻也到这里重温往昔情爱。根据《新西湖游览志》记载：“园中水木清华，交映绀碧，天光云影，绝底明漪。寺后丛植万花，浓淡相间。山石荦确，堆叠玲珑，而一径通幽，别成风景。棋枰琴榻，位置得宜，左祀月下老人。”
对于辛亥革命浙江同盟会在这里设立秘密活动联络据点之事，坊间各种传说版本不少，这里采用当年亲历其事的辛亥元老、早年为革命党人、晚年成为一代居士的黄元秀的记载：
晚清光绪二十年间，有老僧带徒游方到此，爱其清幽而隐居焉。老僧名智亮，俗家绍籍吕姓，雍正时戮尸诗人吕留良之族。徒名意周，俗家淮北李姓，或云系太平天国李秀成之后。师徒皆好侠尚义，曾往嵩山少林寺习武多年。尝阅《大义觉迷录》，扼腕浩叹。师徒闻海内外志士倡导革命，极表同情。徐烈士伯荪（锡麟）、秋烈士竞雄（瑾）、陶焕卿（成章）等来杭开会，师徒竭诚招待。陈英士（其美）、章太炎（炳麟）、蔡鹤卿（元培）曾多次在庵集议。蔡松坡（锷）由桂省游杭，亦在此庵与顾子才（乃斌）、吕戴之（公望）、黄元秀（文叔）共谈数日，借商策略。
这个简略记载，不仅说明了智亮师徒家族背景，而且交代了革命党人在白云庵的大致活动情况。根据黄元秀的回忆，浙江同盟会会员在庵里活动有三次。第一次是“由武备学堂留学日本暑假返国之傅典范传达东京总会通知，严格规定各地同志对于同盟会工作，不能在家庭透露，虽父子夫妻，亦不能谈。若遇初见同志，严守会中见面之暗号，如送茶用右手屈第二指，以其余四指执茶杯送之，表示彼此团结。如握手时，用三右手指握之，表示三民主义；同时用左手捏上衣第一纽，表示五权宪法。对于集议工作，不可笔记。最后报告各地从前失败情形，以资警策。”第二次“系武备同学黄郛暑假由日本来杭传达东京总会通知。大意为：希望国内同志竭力向清朝新军之初级军官运动，时机成熟，应写入会愿书，盖手指印。其次学界与防营、绿营、交通界、地方士绅等方面亦须留意物色会员。杭州同盟分会，设参谋组、执行组、交际组，与他省不同。”第三次“系陈英士由东京来杭在白云庵集议。东京总会托陈通知，要求各同志抱定牺牲决心，千万不可为利禄权位所惑。”除了第一次时间一时难考外，黄郛暑期回国来杭是在1907年夏，陈英士回国来杭是在次年春天。由于当时是在极保密的情况下进行的，连“笔记”都不准记，加上年久人逝，这段辛亥风云鲜见史载，以致后人以讹传讹，牵强附会，生出不少传闻来。无论当代著名作家陈学昭的散文《白云庵》里的尼姑“二小姐”，还是网络作家田姑的长篇历史小说《浙江潮》第10回《白云庵与女学生》对徐锡麟、陶成章等来杭搞军火，而投宿白云庵，得到智亮师徒接应，与从日本回来穿着和服的秋瑾不期而遇，其实都是合理发挥的小说家言。不过，从光复会成立到辛亥光复，其间浙江革命党人在白云庵的活动集会，绝对不止是黄元秀所说的3次，只是其他的活动具体时间人物难以查考而已。
那么智亮师徒入住白云庵后，革命党人又是怎样与他们结识的呢？据《白云庵中的革命掌故》（《越风》增刊一集）说，在光绪二十七年，革命党人陶成章、龚未生（宝铨）在白云庵避暑，饮食茶水都托庵里代办，与得山、意周师徒结识，晚间乘凉闲谈，都对清廷的腐败与官吏的庸怯无能、贪污残暴义愤填膺，陶、龚两人就对得山师徒晓以大义，告诉他们计划推翻满清、光复山河的大计。得山师徒被其革命大义所感动，从此走上了支持革命党的道路。这个得山，就是智亮，他“功成身退”说到做到，浙江光复后，智亮就云游他山，从此销声隐迹。褚辅成任浙江省民政长时曾拨田产二百余亩给白云庵，接任住持的意周坚不接受，说“名闻利养，非出家人所受”。孙中山曾三次来杭，其中第二次也就是1912年12月曾到白云庵，书赠“明禅达义”四个大字。杭州市政府曾建“辛亥纪念馆”于大殿之侧，时人题额制联，以表纪念。
闲云野鹤的一代诗僧苏曼殊生前也一度隐居在白云庵，并写下了一首诗：“白云深处拥雷峰，几树寒梅带雪红。斋罢垂垂浑入定，庵前潭影落疏钟。”当时接待他的意周和尚回忆说，苏曼殊白天睡觉，午夜披上短褂，赤足木屐，尽享湖山夜色，至天明方归。他手头窘迫，常向庵里借钱，然后汇往上海的某妓院。过不了几天，就会有人从上海带来许多外国糖果、香烟，他躲在楼上吃糖、抽烟，饭也不吃了,可见窘迫生活之一斑。
1925年夏天，研究中国和日本艺术史的美国学者马尔智教授，带着新婚妻子在杭州度蜜月，其间游玩白云庵，在造型别致的园墙漏窗前拍摄了好几张照片，这个供奉着中国人婚缘神祗的白云庵，也见证了这对美国情侣的蜜月爱情。
抗战时期，杭州沦陷，白云庵作为掩护游击队员的处所，后被日军发现，意周外逃避难。1946年底，西湖凤林寺僧在白云庵的正殿遗址上建了一所月下老人祠。根据当年目击者沈炳炎老人回忆，白云庵坐落在雷峰塔西北面，现汪庄里的乾隆皇帝钓鱼台后面。可惜的是，1958年10月，白云庵因为西子宾馆建造被拆除，原址成了绿化草坪。
Buddhist Temple’s Ties with 1911 Revolution
By Sha Zhou
China used to have numerous small temples called White Cloud Temple. Hangzhou has had three in its history. But only one of them was associated with the 1911 Revolution.
The temple used to stand at the foot of the western side of Thunder Peak on the southern bank of the West Lake. The Buddhist sanctuary went down in 1958, making room for Xizi Guest House.
Before the temple was constructed there, the site used to be part of the royal garden of the Hangzhou-based Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Marco Polo described the park in his well known travelogue. The wanton hedonism and carousals in his description foreshadowed the tragic fate of the royal house.
The royal garden went to destruction and remained derelict for hundreds of years until the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when a Buddhist monk had a small temple built there and named it White Cloud Temple. Wang Xianzhen, a wealthy Hangzhou native, had the previous royal garden partly restored by having flowers and trees planted and the garden buildings erected. Emperor Qianlong visited the temple in the 22nd year (1757AD) of his reign and wrote an inscription for the temple, which was made into a plaque. But the temple was destroyed when Taiping armies massacred Hangzhou. In 1886, Ding Bing, a famous Hangzhou bibliophile and collector of books, had the temple restored on the previous site. The Buddhist temple was turned into a place where young men and women came to seek marriage-related prophecies. The temple had 99 ambiguous prophecies written on 99 separate slender bamboo plates. It is said that 55 were prepared by Yu Quyuan, a famous scholar and Hangzhou native, and the rest were provided by his disciples. Each of the 99 had a quotation from Chinese classics such as Book of Poetry and The Analects of Confucius. Each prophecy allowed for free interpretations, contingent on various factors. People who came to seek a peep into their future marital happiness often went away in high spirits. The temple became a big attraction not only for the young but also for the old couples: their marriages had been predicted in ancient times, made known to them in the temple when they were young.
It is this White Cloud Temple on the West Lake that became a secret meeting place for the revolutionaries, members of the Zhejiang Branch of the Chinese Revolutionary League organized by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the years before the 1911 Revolution. There are different versions relating how the temple turned revolutionary in a secret way. Huang Yuanxiu’s
(1884-1954) record sounds trustworthy, for he was one of the revolutionaries of the 1911 Revolution and converted to Buddhism in his twilight years.
According to Huang Yuanxiu, the revolutionaries held three clandestine meetings at the temple. The first was held when Fu Dianfan, a student studying military affairs in Japan and member of the revolutionary league, came back to Hangzhou on summer vacation to inform the comrades in Zhejiang of a set of directions issued by the league headquarters based in Tokyo. Never should the comrades reveal their memberships to anyone, even including their parents and spouses. The directions also included a code of finger gestures as secret ways to establish contacts with each other. The directions forbad note taking at meetings. The last part of the meeting was the reports of defeats and failures to warn the revolutionaries against further losses. It is not known when this meeting happened.
The second meeting convened in the summer of 1907 when Huang Fu, another student studying military affairs in Japan and member of the league, came back to Hangzhou on summer vacation. He brought back from the headquarters an instruction to enlist more members into the league. On the top of the candidate list were low-ranking officers of the government army. Others on the list were students and teachers, government officials, local police, and scholars and celebrities.
The third meeting convened in the spring of 1908. Chen Shiying arrived in Hangzhou to call the meeting. The message from the headquarters: comrades must hold fast to their revolutionary cause and never subject themselves to the temptations of power, career and fortune.
The three meetings were held in extreme secrecy. No notes were taken at the meeting. As time elapses and the participants are all gone, scholars of today don’t know the details of these three meetings. That is probably how different stories got born and circulated. Plots in novels and television dramas about the temple are largely fictitious, according to experts. And it is believed that the temple must have hosted more than the three secret meetings during the years between the establishment of the revolutionary league and the success of the 1911 Revolution.
Huang Yuanxiu also recorded how the temple became a secret meeting place. Buddhist Monk Zhiliang came with his disciple Yizhou to the place in 1894. They loved the scenery there and decided to stay. Two years later, the temple was restored and Zhiliang became its abbot. In the summer of 1901, Tao Chengzhang and Gong Baoquan stayed at the temple to while away the summer time and enjoy the cool and reclusive atmosphere of the temple. The temple provided them with boarding and food. The two revolutionaries became acquainted with Zhiliang and his disciple Yizhou. In one of the evening outdoor sittings the two revolutionaries and the two Buddhists started talking about the national politics. One thing led to another and the monks were informed of the revolutionary cause that aimed to overthrow the Manchurian rulers and restore China to the Chinese. The monks were inspired by the cause and decided to support the revolution.
After the success of the 1911 Revolution, Zhu Fucheng, a hero of the 1911 revolution, became the director of civil affairs of Zhejiang Province. He wanted to give a large piece of land to the temple so that the temple could expand. By that time, Abbot Zhiliang had cut his ties to the world and retired to a life that had nothing to do with the worldly affairs and his disciple Yizhou had taken over the abbotship. The new abbot turned down the offer for the expansion, explaining that Buddhist monks should stay away from fame and fortune.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen visited Hangzhou three times after the 1911 Revolution. During his second visit in December 1912, he came to the White Cloud Temple and wrote an inscription to express his appreciation of the Buddhists’ support. The city government had a memorial of the 1911 Revolution established by the temple.
这是由赵文瑄饰演孙中山的电视剧《孙中山》第十三集里的一段故事情节。其中的智亮和尚倒是确有其人，他就是杭州西湖白云庵的住持，正是他把白云庵提供给浙江同盟会的革命党人作为秘密联络据点，从而在辛亥革命史上留下了光辉的一页。
说起白云庵，杭州就有3座，不过与辛亥革命有关的却只有一座，那就是位于杭州西湖南屏山下雷峰塔西侧、今西子宾馆（汪庄）内的白云庵。别小看这所白云庵，它的历史可长着呢。早在南宋，偏安江南一隅的赵宋皇朝，就在这里建有皇家御苑“翠芳园”，系专门供大内禁宫里的后宫嫔妃宫女游乐之所。元初来杭的意大利旅行家马可·波罗对此描述道：
有时国王携皇后和宫女到湖上去娱乐，那里有覆垂丝帘的游船，有时也到佛教寺院去参观。大院内的其它两部分，散布着森林、湖泊，还有植有果树的美丽无比的苑园，那里圈养着各种动物，如小种鹿、黄鹿、赤鹿、野兔、家兔；在那里，国王常和宫妃们寻欢作乐，有的在马车中，有的在马背上。那里男人不得入内。他命令宫女们与狗一起赛跑，追击各种动物。她们累了，就到湖两岸的森林里去，脱下衣服，赤身裸体地走出来，跑到湖中游泳，或仰泳，或卧游，国王在旁观看，欣喜若狂……
南宋灭亡，禁苑逐渐荒芜。直到明末，有个僧侣白云上人在翠芳园旧址上建造了“白云庵”。清雍正年间，杭州人汪献珍重加葺治，增建亭台楼阁，种上各色花卉草木，还开挖沟渠，把西湖水引进来，在靠近西湖处建了一座桥，名“慈云”。乾隆二十二年，清高宗临幸，赐名“漪园”，并书“香云法雨”匾额，名躁一时。可惜到咸丰年间毁于太平天国战火。光绪二十二年，杭州著名藏书家“八千卷楼”主人丁丙重修，增塑月下老人像于大殿之左，并配上一副楹联：“愿天下有情人，都成了眷属；是前生注定事，莫错过姻缘”。像前备有关于男女婚姻的签文99条。这99条签文是从中国古代文学经典中选取的，如《诗经》《左传》《孟子》《论语》，以及唐诗、宋词、元曲等。据说其中55条是俞曲园所集，此外44条是俞的门人所增。诗签之语模棱两可，可作种种譬解，故求签者往往乘兴而来，欢喜而去。当年不但青年男女，已婚、未婚者乐意来此求签，有许多老夫老妻也到这里重温往昔情爱。根据《新西湖游览志》记载：“园中水木清华，交映绀碧，天光云影，绝底明漪。寺后丛植万花，浓淡相间。山石荦确，堆叠玲珑，而一径通幽，别成风景。棋枰琴榻，位置得宜，左祀月下老人。”
对于辛亥革命浙江同盟会在这里设立秘密活动联络据点之事，坊间各种传说版本不少，这里采用当年亲历其事的辛亥元老、早年为革命党人、晚年成为一代居士的黄元秀的记载：
晚清光绪二十年间，有老僧带徒游方到此，爱其清幽而隐居焉。老僧名智亮，俗家绍籍吕姓，雍正时戮尸诗人吕留良之族。徒名意周，俗家淮北李姓，或云系太平天国李秀成之后。师徒皆好侠尚义，曾往嵩山少林寺习武多年。尝阅《大义觉迷录》，扼腕浩叹。师徒闻海内外志士倡导革命，极表同情。徐烈士伯荪（锡麟）、秋烈士竞雄（瑾）、陶焕卿（成章）等来杭开会，师徒竭诚招待。陈英士（其美）、章太炎（炳麟）、蔡鹤卿（元培）曾多次在庵集议。蔡松坡（锷）由桂省游杭，亦在此庵与顾子才（乃斌）、吕戴之（公望）、黄元秀（文叔）共谈数日，借商策略。
这个简略记载，不仅说明了智亮师徒家族背景，而且交代了革命党人在白云庵的大致活动情况。根据黄元秀的回忆，浙江同盟会会员在庵里活动有三次。第一次是“由武备学堂留学日本暑假返国之傅典范传达东京总会通知，严格规定各地同志对于同盟会工作，不能在家庭透露，虽父子夫妻，亦不能谈。若遇初见同志，严守会中见面之暗号，如送茶用右手屈第二指，以其余四指执茶杯送之，表示彼此团结。如握手时，用三右手指握之，表示三民主义；同时用左手捏上衣第一纽，表示五权宪法。对于集议工作，不可笔记。最后报告各地从前失败情形，以资警策。”第二次“系武备同学黄郛暑假由日本来杭传达东京总会通知。大意为：希望国内同志竭力向清朝新军之初级军官运动，时机成熟，应写入会愿书，盖手指印。其次学界与防营、绿营、交通界、地方士绅等方面亦须留意物色会员。杭州同盟分会，设参谋组、执行组、交际组，与他省不同。”第三次“系陈英士由东京来杭在白云庵集议。东京总会托陈通知，要求各同志抱定牺牲决心，千万不可为利禄权位所惑。”除了第一次时间一时难考外，黄郛暑期回国来杭是在1907年夏，陈英士回国来杭是在次年春天。由于当时是在极保密的情况下进行的，连“笔记”都不准记，加上年久人逝，这段辛亥风云鲜见史载，以致后人以讹传讹，牵强附会，生出不少传闻来。无论当代著名作家陈学昭的散文《白云庵》里的尼姑“二小姐”，还是网络作家田姑的长篇历史小说《浙江潮》第10回《白云庵与女学生》对徐锡麟、陶成章等来杭搞军火，而投宿白云庵，得到智亮师徒接应，与从日本回来穿着和服的秋瑾不期而遇，其实都是合理发挥的小说家言。不过，从光复会成立到辛亥光复，其间浙江革命党人在白云庵的活动集会，绝对不止是黄元秀所说的3次，只是其他的活动具体时间人物难以查考而已。
那么智亮师徒入住白云庵后，革命党人又是怎样与他们结识的呢？据《白云庵中的革命掌故》（《越风》增刊一集）说，在光绪二十七年，革命党人陶成章、龚未生（宝铨）在白云庵避暑，饮食茶水都托庵里代办，与得山、意周师徒结识，晚间乘凉闲谈，都对清廷的腐败与官吏的庸怯无能、贪污残暴义愤填膺，陶、龚两人就对得山师徒晓以大义，告诉他们计划推翻满清、光复山河的大计。得山师徒被其革命大义所感动，从此走上了支持革命党的道路。这个得山，就是智亮，他“功成身退”说到做到，浙江光复后，智亮就云游他山，从此销声隐迹。褚辅成任浙江省民政长时曾拨田产二百余亩给白云庵，接任住持的意周坚不接受，说“名闻利养，非出家人所受”。孙中山曾三次来杭，其中第二次也就是1912年12月曾到白云庵，书赠“明禅达义”四个大字。杭州市政府曾建“辛亥纪念馆”于大殿之侧，时人题额制联，以表纪念。
闲云野鹤的一代诗僧苏曼殊生前也一度隐居在白云庵，并写下了一首诗：“白云深处拥雷峰，几树寒梅带雪红。斋罢垂垂浑入定，庵前潭影落疏钟。”当时接待他的意周和尚回忆说，苏曼殊白天睡觉，午夜披上短褂，赤足木屐，尽享湖山夜色，至天明方归。他手头窘迫，常向庵里借钱，然后汇往上海的某妓院。过不了几天，就会有人从上海带来许多外国糖果、香烟，他躲在楼上吃糖、抽烟，饭也不吃了,可见窘迫生活之一斑。
1925年夏天，研究中国和日本艺术史的美国学者马尔智教授，带着新婚妻子在杭州度蜜月，其间游玩白云庵，在造型别致的园墙漏窗前拍摄了好几张照片，这个供奉着中国人婚缘神祗的白云庵，也见证了这对美国情侣的蜜月爱情。
抗战时期，杭州沦陷，白云庵作为掩护游击队员的处所，后被日军发现，意周外逃避难。1946年底，西湖凤林寺僧在白云庵的正殿遗址上建了一所月下老人祠。根据当年目击者沈炳炎老人回忆，白云庵坐落在雷峰塔西北面，现汪庄里的乾隆皇帝钓鱼台后面。可惜的是，1958年10月，白云庵因为西子宾馆建造被拆除，原址成了绿化草坪。
Buddhist Temple’s Ties with 1911 Revolution
By Sha Zhou
China used to have numerous small temples called White Cloud Temple. Hangzhou has had three in its history. But only one of them was associated with the 1911 Revolution.
The temple used to stand at the foot of the western side of Thunder Peak on the southern bank of the West Lake. The Buddhist sanctuary went down in 1958, making room for Xizi Guest House.
Before the temple was constructed there, the site used to be part of the royal garden of the Hangzhou-based Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Marco Polo described the park in his well known travelogue. The wanton hedonism and carousals in his description foreshadowed the tragic fate of the royal house.
The royal garden went to destruction and remained derelict for hundreds of years until the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) when a Buddhist monk had a small temple built there and named it White Cloud Temple. Wang Xianzhen, a wealthy Hangzhou native, had the previous royal garden partly restored by having flowers and trees planted and the garden buildings erected. Emperor Qianlong visited the temple in the 22nd year (1757AD) of his reign and wrote an inscription for the temple, which was made into a plaque. But the temple was destroyed when Taiping armies massacred Hangzhou. In 1886, Ding Bing, a famous Hangzhou bibliophile and collector of books, had the temple restored on the previous site. The Buddhist temple was turned into a place where young men and women came to seek marriage-related prophecies. The temple had 99 ambiguous prophecies written on 99 separate slender bamboo plates. It is said that 55 were prepared by Yu Quyuan, a famous scholar and Hangzhou native, and the rest were provided by his disciples. Each of the 99 had a quotation from Chinese classics such as Book of Poetry and The Analects of Confucius. Each prophecy allowed for free interpretations, contingent on various factors. People who came to seek a peep into their future marital happiness often went away in high spirits. The temple became a big attraction not only for the young but also for the old couples: their marriages had been predicted in ancient times, made known to them in the temple when they were young.
It is this White Cloud Temple on the West Lake that became a secret meeting place for the revolutionaries, members of the Zhejiang Branch of the Chinese Revolutionary League organized by Dr. Sun Yat-sen in the years before the 1911 Revolution. There are different versions relating how the temple turned revolutionary in a secret way. Huang Yuanxiu’s
(1884-1954) record sounds trustworthy, for he was one of the revolutionaries of the 1911 Revolution and converted to Buddhism in his twilight years.
According to Huang Yuanxiu, the revolutionaries held three clandestine meetings at the temple. The first was held when Fu Dianfan, a student studying military affairs in Japan and member of the revolutionary league, came back to Hangzhou on summer vacation to inform the comrades in Zhejiang of a set of directions issued by the league headquarters based in Tokyo. Never should the comrades reveal their memberships to anyone, even including their parents and spouses. The directions also included a code of finger gestures as secret ways to establish contacts with each other. The directions forbad note taking at meetings. The last part of the meeting was the reports of defeats and failures to warn the revolutionaries against further losses. It is not known when this meeting happened.
The second meeting convened in the summer of 1907 when Huang Fu, another student studying military affairs in Japan and member of the league, came back to Hangzhou on summer vacation. He brought back from the headquarters an instruction to enlist more members into the league. On the top of the candidate list were low-ranking officers of the government army. Others on the list were students and teachers, government officials, local police, and scholars and celebrities.
The third meeting convened in the spring of 1908. Chen Shiying arrived in Hangzhou to call the meeting. The message from the headquarters: comrades must hold fast to their revolutionary cause and never subject themselves to the temptations of power, career and fortune.
The three meetings were held in extreme secrecy. No notes were taken at the meeting. As time elapses and the participants are all gone, scholars of today don’t know the details of these three meetings. That is probably how different stories got born and circulated. Plots in novels and television dramas about the temple are largely fictitious, according to experts. And it is believed that the temple must have hosted more than the three secret meetings during the years between the establishment of the revolutionary league and the success of the 1911 Revolution.
Huang Yuanxiu also recorded how the temple became a secret meeting place. Buddhist Monk Zhiliang came with his disciple Yizhou to the place in 1894. They loved the scenery there and decided to stay. Two years later, the temple was restored and Zhiliang became its abbot. In the summer of 1901, Tao Chengzhang and Gong Baoquan stayed at the temple to while away the summer time and enjoy the cool and reclusive atmosphere of the temple. The temple provided them with boarding and food. The two revolutionaries became acquainted with Zhiliang and his disciple Yizhou. In one of the evening outdoor sittings the two revolutionaries and the two Buddhists started talking about the national politics. One thing led to another and the monks were informed of the revolutionary cause that aimed to overthrow the Manchurian rulers and restore China to the Chinese. The monks were inspired by the cause and decided to support the revolution.
After the success of the 1911 Revolution, Zhu Fucheng, a hero of the 1911 revolution, became the director of civil affairs of Zhejiang Province. He wanted to give a large piece of land to the temple so that the temple could expand. By that time, Abbot Zhiliang had cut his ties to the world and retired to a life that had nothing to do with the worldly affairs and his disciple Yizhou had taken over the abbotship. The new abbot turned down the offer for the expansion, explaining that Buddhist monks should stay away from fame and fortune.
Dr. Sun Yat-sen visited Hangzhou three times after the 1911 Revolution. During his second visit in December 1912, he came to the White Cloud Temple and wrote an inscription to express his appreciation of the Buddhists’ support. The city government had a memorial of the 1911 Revolution established by the temple.