寺院简介（中英对照）

       在繁华的广州市中心，有一座寺庙坐落在喧闹中，独享一片宁静。这座寺庙就是光孝寺。“未有羊城，先有光孝。”这是一句广州流行的民谚。“羊城”是指广州，“光孝”是指光孝寺。这句民谚说明了光孝寺有非常悠久的历史。在岁月的变迁中，今天的她依然闪耀着光辉。

In the center of Guangzhou, you can find a temple enjoying a peaceful atmosphere in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the city. This is Guangxiao Temple. As a popular local saying goes, “Guangxiao predates the founding of the City of Rams”, in which the “City of Rams” refers to Guangzhou and “Guangxiao” is the temple. This saying emphasized the long history of the temple. Even after the vicissitudes of history, this ancient temple has not lost its luster.

       光孝寺最初由三国时期东吴官员虞翻的苑囿改建而成。最初是一座寺庙，名为王园寺。后来，分为两座寺庙，分别是王园寺与制止寺。唐初，这两座寺庙改名为乾明寺和法性寺；之后这两座寺庙几经分合与更名。公元1151年（宋代绍兴二十一年），这座寺庙改名为“报恩光孝禅寺”，“光孝”之名从这里开始。南宋晚期开始使用简称“光孝寺”，并沿用至今。

The temple site was originally the residence of Yu Fan, a Wu officer during the Three Kingdoms Period, and back then it was called Wangyuan Temple or King's Garden Temple. Later, it was divided into two temples—Wangyuan Temple and Zhizhi Temple. In the early Tang dynasty, they were renamed Qianming Temple and Faxing Temple. After that, it was repeatedly merged, divided and renamed until 1151 C.E. in the Song dynasty, when it was renamed Bao’en Guangxiao Temple, or literally, the Temple of Paying Gratitude and Filial Piety. Thereafter, the name of Guangxiao Temple has been used for short since the late Southern Song dynasty.

       光孝寺是岭南佛教丛林之冠，是岭南地区现存最早、规模最大的名刹，是中国禅宗祖庭之一。光孝寺在历史上享有盛名，在中国佛教史上具有重要地位，见证了佛教由海上丝绸之路传播到中国的历史。各国高僧，如昙摩耶舍尊者、达摩祖师、鉴真大师等高僧都曾在寺中弘法，为中外文化交往留下了宝贵的篇章。

As the jewel in the crown, Guangxiao Temple is the oldest and largest compared to other temples in the Lingnan region, and it was one of many temples that facilitated the flowering of Chan Buddhism in China. Guangxiao Temple enjoys a high reputation for its important role in Chinese Buddhism. It witnessed the transmission of Buddhism into China via the Maritime Silk Road. Eminent monks from different countries and regions such as Master Dharmayasas, Master Bodhidharma, and Master Jianzhen, taught Dharma in this temple, leaving valuable records of cultural exchanges between China and other countries.

       在这些高僧当中，最著名的当属六祖惠能大师，他在寺内中国第一棵菩提树下剃度受戒。在寺内庭院中，他那场“风动还是幡动”“仁者心动”的“风幡论辩”，名震佛门，传诵千古。他开创并发展了南派禅宗，为中国佛教做出了不可磨灭的贡献。

Among these Dharma teachers, the Sixth Patriarch Huineng must be the most notable figure. He was ordained to be a monk under the first Bodhi tree of China right in this temple. Also, it is in this temple where he presented the famous argument on “the Movement of Breeze or of the Banner” that has won tremendous admiration for centuries. He founded and developed the Southern Chan School, making an indelible contribution to Chinese Buddhism.

       除了这些历代高僧的行迹，寺内还保存有一些历史“宝物”，比如中国第一棵菩提树、洗钵泉、瘗发塔、大悲幢、还有东西铁塔等。1961年，光孝寺被国务院公布为首批全国重点文物保护单位。2012年，作为广州海上丝绸之路的重要组成部分，光孝寺被列入《中国世界文化遗产预备名单》。

The temple is not only famous for these eminent monks but also for the cultural relics it collects and preserves, such as the first Bodhi tree in China, the Bowl-washing Spring, the Hair-inhumed Pagoda, Great Compassion Column, East Iron Tower, West Iron Tower and so on. In 1961, Guangxiao Temple was listed as one of the major historical and cultural sites, the first batch, protected at the national level by the State Council. In 2012, as an integral part of the Maritime Silk Road heritage of Guangzhou, it was included on the China’s World Heritage Tentative List.

       今天的光孝寺，不仅是为佛教的传承提供了一处净地，也为我们了解中国佛教历史文化提供了重要的窗口。光孝寺被誉为岭南第一名刹，她身上的每一处都写满历史。

Today, Guangxiao Temple is not only a sanctuary for preserving Buddhist traditions but also as a window on the history and culture of Chinese Buddhism. As the most influential temple in Lingnan region, Guangxiao Temple has a lot of stories to tell.