Beijing
Religious Sites
1) TEMPLE OF CONFUCIUS IN BEIJING
Located on Guozijian Street inside
Anding Gate, the Temple of Confucius in Beijing is the place where people paid
homage to Confucius during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Ming Dynasty
(1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Its neighbor in the west is Beijing
Imperial Academy (Guozijian), which was the institute of the highest
education well preserved in China.
History
The temple was built in 1302, and officials used it to
pay their respects to Confucius until 1911. The compound was enlarged twice, during
the Ming and Qing dynasties and now occupies some 20,000 square meters. From
1981 until 2005, the Temple of Confucius also housed part of the art collection
of the Capital Museum. It stands on Guozijian Street near the Imperial Academy.
Architecture
This temple consists of four courtyards. The main
structures include Xianshi Gate (Gate of the First Teacher), Dacheng Gate (Gate
of Great Accomplishment), Dacheng Hall (Hall of Great Accomplishment) and
Chongshengci (Worship Hall). Dacheng Hall is the main building in the temple,
where the memorial ceremony for Confucius was often held. Inside the temple one
can see that 198 stone tablets are positioned on either side of the front
courtyard, containing 51,624 names of Jinshi (the advanced scholars) of the
Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. Also 14 stone stele pavilions of the Ming and
Qing dynasties hold the precious historical information of ancient China.
One item of note is
the 700-year-old Chujian Bai (Touch Evil Cypress) in the temple. Its name is associated
with an ancient legend. During the Ming Dynasty, one day the superior
official-Yan Song came to worship Confucius on behalf of the emperor. When he
was passing by the cypress, one of the branches of the tree took his hat off.
Since Yan Song was a treacherous official, people have thought the old tree
could distinguish between good and evil people. In the temple, you can also
find remarkable pictures like two flying dragons playing a pearl among clouds,
which are believed to be used only in the imperial palaces because dragon
stands for emperor in ancient China. From those, it is easy to imagine the
importance of the Confucius Temple in the feudal society of China.
2)
TEMPLE OF HEAVEN
When talk about temple
in Beijing, one place that you should never miss is temple of heaven. Temple of
Heaven is one of the real highlights of Beijing. It is situated in the southern
Beijing City. It has been one of the most sacred sites for the whole country
for the past five centuries. It worked as sacrificial compound buildings for
the Ming and Qing emperors. It boasts of the largest sacrificial place in
Beijing among a few imperial altars to Heaven, Earth, the Sun, the Moon super
natures. The Temple of Heaven Park is located in the Chongwen District,
Beijing. Covering an area of 2,700,000 square meters (3,529,412 square yards),
the Temple of Heaven is larger than the Forbidden City. As the "Sons
of Heaven", Chinese emperors were precluded from building a dwelling for
themselves that was greater than the earthly residence dedicated to Heaven
hence the difference in overall size of the two complexes.
History
Originally, this was
the place where emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644)
and Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911) held the Heaven Worship Ceremony. It
is China's largest and most representative existing masterpiece among China’s
ancient sacrificial buildings. First built in 1420, the 18th year of the reign
of Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644), it was enlarged and
rebuilt during the reigns of the Ming emperor Jiajing and the Qing emperor
Qianlong. In 1988, the Temple of Heaven was opened to the public as a park,
showing ancient philosophy, history and religion. Its grand architectural style
and profound cultural connotation give an insight into the practices of the
ancient Eastern civilization.
Architecture
The temple is enclosed by a long wall. The Temple
is divided by two encircling walls into an inner part and outer part. The main
buildings lie at the south and north ends of the middle axis of the inner part.
The northern part within the wall is semicircular symbolizing the heavens and
the southern part is square symbolizing the earth. The northern part is higher
than the southern part. This design shows that the heaven is high and the earth
is low and the design reflected an ancient Chinese thought of 'the heaven is
round and the earth is square'. The most magnificent buildings are the Circular
Mound Altar (Huanqiutan), the Imperial Vault of Heaven (Huangqiongyu) and the
Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest (Qiniandian) from south to north
3)YONGHE
LAMASERY TEMPLE (HARMONY AND PEACE PALACE LAMASERY)
Lama Temple is Beijing's most frequented religious place. It is
comprised of five main halls and many galleries. This temple was first the
palace offered to a prince. When he gained the throne, he offered it to the
Tibetan Buddhists as the religious sacred place. The Lama Temple is dedicated
to the Yellow Sect of Buddhism. It is actually an active temple, with Lama
Templemany faithful belivers with burning armloads of incense. The temple has a
valuable relic: the biggest Buddha statue carved from a single tree. The statue
is huge with three stories up and about nine feet across. It is quite easy to
get to the temple for it is the only temple in the downtown Beijing which has
its own subway stop. It is located at the northeast corner of the city,
considered as the largest and most perfectly preserved lamasery in present
day China.
History
Built initially in 1694 during the Qing Dynasty, this
building was the residence of Emperor Yongzheng when he was just a prince.
After Yongzheng's death in 1735, his coffin was placed in the temple. The
Qianlong Emperor, Yongzheng's successor, gave the temple imperial status
signified by having its turquoise tiles replaced with yellow tiles which were
reserved for the emperor. Subsequently, the monastery became a residence for
large numbers of Tibetan Buddhist monks from Mongolia and Tibet and so the
Yonghe Lamasery became the national centre of Lama Administration.
Architecture
On
arrival at the south end, the visitor will enter a yard which contains a screen
wall and three Paifangs (Gateways), and will observe the red walls and stone
lions, symbols which show that it was originally the dwelling of an Imperial
Family member. Entering north from the Gateways, the visitor will be confronted
by a wide straight road which was used for the carriages of the emperors and
their wives during the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). At the northern end of this
road is Zhaotaimen (Gate of Peace Declaration), which comprises three large
archways, the central one of which was for the exclusive use of the emperors.
Passing
through Zhaotai Gate the visitor will enter the second yard which contains a
Drum Tower on the western side and a Bell tower on the eastern side, and in
front of these towers are two octagonal Stele Pavilions. Words by Emperor
Qianlong were carved in the stele explaining the traditional and historical
reasons that dwellings formerly used by Imperial Family must later be changed
to temples.
Yonghe Gate, originally the main entrance to it is now called Devaraja
Hall (Hall of the Heavenly Kings). The Hall of the Heavenly Kings is actually
no more than an entrance to the other four main halls. The corners of the hall
are hung with Sanskrit bells and mantras are written on the lintels of the
doors, which lends a religious atmosphere to the hall. The Hall of the Heavenly
Kings is so called because Four Heavenly Kings are enshrined in the hall. At
the center is a statue of Maitreya who is beaming with a kindly smile and
sitting with his legs crossed. On departing Devaraja Hall the visitor will
immediately observe an ancient copper cooking vessel made in 1747 during the
Qing Dynasty. This vessel, which appears to be black with white marble stone as
its seat, has high artistic value and is among 'the three rarest things in
Beijing'. Six doors are inset into the upper part of the vessel, with two
dragons playing with a ball cast on the doors, and there are three lions
playing with a ball engraved on the seat. On the northern side of the vessel is
the Great Stele Pavilion with the doors open on each of its four sides. Words
by Emperor Qianlong of Qing in the stele inform of the origin and meaning of
Lamaism. To the north of this Pavilion is an odd-shaped hill called Xuyu Hill,
a sacred place of rich religious meaning which was built in the middle of a
pool, and represents a place to which all Buddhists are eager to go.
The Hall of Harmony and Peace is the main building of the temple. It houses
three bronze statues of the Buddhas of the Three Ages, the statue of the
Gautama Buddha (Buddha of the Present) is in the center, it is flanked by the
statue of Kasyapa Matanga (Buddha of the Past, right) and the Maitreya Buddha
(Buddha of the Future, left). Along the sides of the hall, the statues of the
18 Arhats are placed. A mural in the hall shows the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara.
North of the Hall of Harmony and Peace is Yongyoudian (Hall of Everlasting
Protection), which was Emperor Yongzheng's living room when he lived there as a
young prince and, at the time of his death his coffin was placed there. Now, a
statue of Bhaisajya-guru is located there and sacrificial offerings are made to it.
4)BEIJING
FIVE PAGODA TEMPLE
Situated to the north of Beijing Zoo in Haidian District, it is an ideal place to appreciate the splendid history of Buddhism and architecture in China as well as to enjoy the pleasant scene and special tranquility of it. It is a respite from crowdd tourist attractions in the city.
It is located in the east of Baishi Qiao, north bank of the Changhe River,
close to the north gate of Beijing Zoo, the Capital Indoor Stadium,
Dazhong Temple, Zizhuyuan Park, Exhibition Center. It has the oldest and most
beautiful Vajrasana Pagoda (diamond throne pagoda) among the total six in
China. Art Museum of Stone Carvings is established within it. It has nice
exhibition halls to the east, west and north of the Vajrasana Pagoda.
History
With its original name of 'Zhenjue Temple' (as the name engraved in the entrance), it was first constructed during the Yongle years (1403 - 1424) of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and completed in 1473. At that time, an Indian monk came to China to present Emperor Chengzu, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, five golden statues of Buddha and a draft of an Indian diamond throne pagoda. Using this draft, it with the special architecture of five pagodas was built backing on the West Hill and facing the rippling Long River.During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), it twice underwent extensive renovations and was renamed 'Da Zhengjue Temple'. In succeeding years until modern times, it has been totally renovated. In 1982, it opened to the public. Today, it is popularly referred to as the Five-Pagoda Temple.
Architecture
While visiting the Temple of Five Pagodas, I discovered many rooms like this with large statues of Buddha surrounded by burning incense and offerings of food. There's also a rare Mongolian cosmological map carved into stone. The architectural style of the temple is no mere imitation of its Indian prototype, but displays bold innovations: the height of the throne foundation was raised, the height of the pagodas was reduced, and typical Chinese glazed tiles were added.
The square throne foundation is 17 meters high. The five pagodas rise from their rectangular bases on top of this foundation, one in each of the four corners and the fifth in the center. The central pagoda is slightly higher than the others, with 13 eaves, two more than those in the corners. The entire structure is made of white marble. Today, after more than 500 years of oxidation, the flecks of iron in the stone have given the entire structure a pale orange cast.
The four walls of the foundation are carved with rows of Buddhas (the One Thousand Sagacious Buddhas) as well as bas-reliefs of Buddhist symbols, floral designs and Sanskrit letters. The five pagodas are also covered with similar carvings on a small scale. The other part is the five pagodas rising from their square bases on top of the throne foundation. One pagoda is in the center and the others in the four corners of the foundation respectively. The central one of 26 feet in height is a little higher than the others and has 13 stories, two more than the others in the corners. All of them are dainty in appearance and artistic in design. They are all engraved with delicate images of Buddha, bodhi trees, Sanskrit letters and Buddhist symbols as well as lions, elephants, horses and other animal figures. The images of Buddha on them represent Buddha in five directions according to the sutra. In addition, it is interesting that the south wall of the base story of the central pagoda is carved with a pair of footprints of Buddha, meaning that the spirit of Buddha spreads everywhere.
The complex, with the diamond throne pagoda as its essence, is an outstanding accomplishment of Buddhist art. The carvings in Sanskrit also provide priceless material for research of the ancient Indian language and Tibetan Buddhism. Today, bearing a history of over 500 years, it is not only a solemn religious relic, but also the location of the Art Museum of Stone Carvings which displays more than 2000 pieces of stone artworks for tourists.
History
With its original name of 'Zhenjue Temple' (as the name engraved in the entrance), it was first constructed during the Yongle years (1403 - 1424) of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and completed in 1473. At that time, an Indian monk came to China to present Emperor Chengzu, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, five golden statues of Buddha and a draft of an Indian diamond throne pagoda. Using this draft, it with the special architecture of five pagodas was built backing on the West Hill and facing the rippling Long River.During the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911), it twice underwent extensive renovations and was renamed 'Da Zhengjue Temple'. In succeeding years until modern times, it has been totally renovated. In 1982, it opened to the public. Today, it is popularly referred to as the Five-Pagoda Temple.
Architecture
While visiting the Temple of Five Pagodas, I discovered many rooms like this with large statues of Buddha surrounded by burning incense and offerings of food. There's also a rare Mongolian cosmological map carved into stone. The architectural style of the temple is no mere imitation of its Indian prototype, but displays bold innovations: the height of the throne foundation was raised, the height of the pagodas was reduced, and typical Chinese glazed tiles were added.
The square throne foundation is 17 meters high. The five pagodas rise from their rectangular bases on top of this foundation, one in each of the four corners and the fifth in the center. The central pagoda is slightly higher than the others, with 13 eaves, two more than those in the corners. The entire structure is made of white marble. Today, after more than 500 years of oxidation, the flecks of iron in the stone have given the entire structure a pale orange cast.
The four walls of the foundation are carved with rows of Buddhas (the One Thousand Sagacious Buddhas) as well as bas-reliefs of Buddhist symbols, floral designs and Sanskrit letters. The five pagodas are also covered with similar carvings on a small scale. The other part is the five pagodas rising from their square bases on top of the throne foundation. One pagoda is in the center and the others in the four corners of the foundation respectively. The central one of 26 feet in height is a little higher than the others and has 13 stories, two more than the others in the corners. All of them are dainty in appearance and artistic in design. They are all engraved with delicate images of Buddha, bodhi trees, Sanskrit letters and Buddhist symbols as well as lions, elephants, horses and other animal figures. The images of Buddha on them represent Buddha in five directions according to the sutra. In addition, it is interesting that the south wall of the base story of the central pagoda is carved with a pair of footprints of Buddha, meaning that the spirit of Buddha spreads everywhere.
The complex, with the diamond throne pagoda as its essence, is an outstanding accomplishment of Buddhist art. The carvings in Sanskrit also provide priceless material for research of the ancient Indian language and Tibetan Buddhism. Today, bearing a history of over 500 years, it is not only a solemn religious relic, but also the location of the Art Museum of Stone Carvings which displays more than 2000 pieces of stone artworks for tourists.
5)
WHITE CLOUD TEMPLE
I finally got out of the main crowd and
entered the actual temple area. Being one of the three "ancestral
courts" of the Quanzhen Sect of Taoism, it is located on the east side of
Baiyun Road, Fuxingmenwai Street, Xicheng District.
History
It was built in 739 and went through
three big renovations–in 1706, 1714 and 1886. The architecture seen today is
mainly from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties. The Center of
the Chinese Taoist Association, founded in 1958, is also located in the temple.
Nowadays, it attracts pilgrims and tourists from all over the world. The Spring
Festival Fair and celebration at it is also a wonderful place to find out about
Chinese culture and tradition.
Architecture
It has various halls which house the
gods of Taoism. The buildings complex, arranged generally in a straight line,
can be divided into three groups, the middle section, the east section and the
west section. At the back you will find a beautiful garden.
The middle section includes the main
buildings which contain over 50 halls, spanning an area of about 2 hectares.
You enter the grounds through a gate in the outside wall and then walk through
the large gateway that leads to the gate. Beyond the gate are Wofeng Bridge,
Lingguan Hall, Yuhuang Hall, Qiuzu Hall, and other buildings.
The stone gate has three portals,
delicately engraved with clouds, cranes, and flowers. The monkey hidden in
reliefs beside the middle portal deserves a mention here: it is said that the
monkey is the incarnation of a god; thus, visitors to it always touch the
monkey for good luck. There are three stone monkeys located at different places
in it. If you are interested, go and search for them. It is believed that if
you have touched all three monkeys your wishes will come true.
You will find Sanxing Hall, Cihang Hall,
Zhenwu Hall and Leizu Hall in the east section of the grounds. Sanxing Hall is the hall dedicated to the
great doctor Hua Tuo who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220); Cihang
Hall is the place of worship for the God of Fire; Zhenwu Hall is where God
Zhenwu is housed; and Leizu Hall is where the gods who master the changing of
the weather are worshiped. Yunji Garden is at the back. In the center of the
garden are the altar, where commandments and rules are taught, and Yunji Hall
where Taoist sutras are preached.
Shanxi Religious Sites
Buddhist
Temple in Shanxi, China
Get Around In Shanxi
- The capital city, Taiyuan, is in the centre of Shanxi, Datong is most well-known city in Shanxi in the north of the province.
- The main sites in Shanxi are clustered around the main provincial highway, an impressive modern toll way which runs from Datong in the north to Yuncheng in the south.
- The main airports are in Taiyuan and in Datong.
- There are many local and long distance bus lines in Shanxi. In general the buses get to destinations more quickly than the train. Taxis are freely available for local trips or for daily hire.
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The Hanging Temple also known as Hanging Monastery or XuanKong Temple is a temple built into a cliff which is 72 meter above the ground near Mount Heng in Datong City, Shanxi province, China. |
The Hanging Temple is one of the main tourist attractions and historical sites in the Datong area. The construction was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-557) which more than 1,500 years ago and notable not only for its location on a sheer precipice but also because it is the only existing temple with the combination of three Chinese traditional religions: Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism. There are over 40 halls in the temple and more than 80 Buddhist sculptures made of bronze, iron, stone and mud.
From the image above, you can see not only how some walkways were
directly built into the side of the cliff, but also the way in which the
builders have chiseled out narrow pathways. Here is a close-up view of this
amazing temple.
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| Statue in the temple |
2)
Yungang Grottoes
The Yungang Grottoes, in
Datong city, Shanxi Province, China. The grottoes are divided into east, middle
and west parts with 252 caves and 51,000 statues. It represents the outstanding
achievement of Buddhist cave art in China in the 5th and 6th centuries.
Five statues of Emperors Taizu, Taizong,
Shizu, Gaozong, and Gaozu as Buddha express the religious theme that the
Emperor is Buddha. These statues are known as the Five Tan Yao Caves created by
Tan Yao with their strict unity of layout and design which constitute a
classical masterpiece of the first peak of Chinese Buddhist art. For the layout
of the grottoes, large caves were dug to house the giant statues, 13-15m tall.
They have a U-shaped plan and arched roofs, imitating the thatched sheds in
ancient India. Each cave has a door and a window. The central images have tall
bodies and occupy the major part of the caves, while on the outer walls 1,000
Buddhist statues are carved, a feature rarely seen in the tradition of Chinese
history of grotto carving. In 2001, the Yungang Grottoes were made a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.
3) Wutai Mountain- one of the four most
prestigious Buddhist land in China
Wutai Mountain is the least spoilt of
the four mountains in China sacred to Buddhists, the others are Emei Shan
(Sichuan), Jiuhua Shan (Anhui) and Putuoshan (Zhejiang).
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Wutai Mountain
This mountain is the dwelling place of Manjusri Bodhisattva. 360 temples were built here dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) but now only 47 of them exist. Over the years, incalculable numbers of pilgrims and visitors have come here. Among these magnificent temples, five are the most famous: Xiantong Temple, TayuanTemple, Manjusri Temple (Summit Bodhisattva), Shuxiang Temple, and Luohou Temple.
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i. XianTong Temple
It has the longest history and is the most prestigious. Occupying an area of 80,000 square meters and it was built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), with the additions built by succeeding dynasties. Now it plays the most important role among the temples. Therefore the Buddhist Association of Wutai Mountain is situated there. The court-styled construction of it includes seven palaces, in one of which Wenshu (Manjusri) Bodhisattva's statue was engraved and worshiped. The copper bell in front of the gate is the biggest bell on the mountain, with a weight of 9,999.5 jin (22,045.9 pounds). Its toll can be heard around the entire mountain.
i. XianTong Temple
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| XianTong Temple |
ii. Tayuan Temple
The 75.3-meter-high of Tayuan Temple is the symbol of Wutai Mountain, so it becomes a "must-see". Principally it possesses the white Tibetan-style dagoba also called Dabai Pagoda (Big White Pagoda). Since it stands in front of the other temples in Taihuai, it is even more eye-catching. Accompanying the graceful temple, there is also Wenshufa Pagoda where it is said that Manjusri Bodhisattva's hair is preserved and the Dacangjing Pavilion (Collecting-Lections Pavilion) where volumes of lection were collected.
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| Tayuan Temple |
iii. Manjusri Temple (Summit Bodhisattva)
Legend has it that Wenshu Bodhisattva dwelt in it, so it is also called "Zhenrong Yuan" (real appearance) or "Bodhisattva Summit". It was built originally in Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). In the time of Emperor Yongle of Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644), Lamaists began to be stationed in Mt. Wutai, and the great Lama resided there. From then on, it became the principal temple of Lamaism. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) both went there and left ever-lasting epigraphs.
Legend has it that Wenshu Bodhisattva dwelt in it, so it is also called "Zhenrong Yuan" (real appearance) or "Bodhisattva Summit". It was built originally in Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534). In the time of Emperor Yongle of Ming Dynasty (1368 -1644), Lamaists began to be stationed in Mt. Wutai, and the great Lama resided there. From then on, it became the principal temple of Lamaism. Emperors Kangxi and Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) both went there and left ever-lasting epigraphs.
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| Manjusri Temple |
iv. Shuxiang Temple
Shuxiang Temple is the southwest neighbor of Tayuan Temple. Built in Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), it covers 6,400 square meters and encompasses over 50 palaces and halls. Among them Manjusri Pavilion is the largest Manjusri Bodhisattva's statue in it. A clear spring flows out of the temple named "Banruo" or "Prajna", meaning "adding wisdom" whose water was used in the courts.
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| ShuXiang Temple |
v. Luohou Temple
To the east of the Xiantong Temple, Luohou Temple was set up as a Lamaist temple in the Tang Dynasty. One of its wonders is a wooden lotus-shaped flower. Machinery turns it and the wooden petals open and close. Inside are carved Buddhist figures on a square platform.
For tourists who want to visit all Manjusri Bodhisattva's statues in the five temples but cannot for time constraints or other reasons, Dailuo Peak (Dark Green Snail Peak) is a wonderful place to visit, because WufangManjusri Palace (Palace of Manjusri Bodhisattvas from five directions) houses statues resembling the five Manjusri Bodhisattvas of each terrace. It is located to the east of the temple group in the center of Taihuai Town. 1,080 steps lead to the top of the snail-shaped peak and a cable car is also available for convenience.
For tourists who want to visit all Manjusri Bodhisattva's statues in the five temples but cannot for time constraints or other reasons, Dailuo Peak (Dark Green Snail Peak) is a wonderful place to visit, because WufangManjusri Palace (Palace of Manjusri Bodhisattvas from five directions) houses statues resembling the five Manjusri Bodhisattvas of each terrace. It is located to the east of the temple group in the center of Taihuai Town. 1,080 steps lead to the top of the snail-shaped peak and a cable car is also available for convenience.
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| Luohou Temple |
