▁dates ▁from ▁this ▁time . ▁ ▁The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁temple ▁rel ates ▁that ▁in ▁ 1 0 9 8 , ▁a ▁mon k ▁called ▁Sin eng ▁We im ie ▁had ▁seen ▁num in ous ▁lights ▁and ▁heard ▁heaven ly ▁sounds ▁coming ▁from ▁a ▁nearby ▁hill ▁at ▁the ▁foot ▁of ▁a ▁mountain . ▁Investig ating ▁the ▁area , ▁Sin eng ▁un ear th ed ▁a ▁ho ard ▁which ▁included ▁a ▁re cl ining ▁Bud d ha ▁statue ▁and ▁set ▁out ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁great ▁temple ▁in ▁honour ▁of ▁the ▁image , ▁which ▁he ▁believed ▁had ▁been ▁revealed ▁by ▁divine ▁favour . ▁The ▁n ir v ana ▁image ▁in ▁the ▁temple ▁has ▁a ▁long ▁history ▁of ▁pat rons ▁and ▁visitors ▁and ▁has ▁been ▁protected ▁for ▁centuries ▁by ▁its ▁Buddh ist ▁mon ks , ▁but ▁it ▁has ▁also ▁suffered ▁from ▁decay ▁and ▁rest oration . ▁Prote ct ing ▁it ▁was ▁most ▁difficult ▁during ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution . ▁ ▁There ▁is ▁a ▁story ▁that ▁Kub la i ▁Khan ▁( 1 2 1 5 – 1 2 9 4 ) ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁temple , ▁while ▁his ▁mother ▁was ▁living ▁there , ▁and ▁another ▁that ▁B ing , ▁the ▁last ▁Song ▁dynast y ▁( 9 6 0 – 1 2 7 9 ) ▁em peror , ▁was ▁ex iled ▁to ▁Z hang ye ▁and ▁became ▁a ▁mon k ▁in ▁the ▁temple . ▁However , ▁Ruth ▁W . ▁D unn ell ▁has ▁reported ▁that ▁she ▁has ▁been ▁unable ▁to ▁find ▁evidence ▁to ▁support ▁either ▁of ▁these ▁claims