Written by Veronica |
Located in the center of Quanzhou city, Fujian Province, Chengtian Temple, is also known as the YuetaiĀ Temple.Ā The temple was built in 957-958 ADĀ with the name of “South ChanĀ Temple”, and has undergone several generations of reconstruction. Chengtian Temple is now known as one of the three great Buddhist templesĀ in Quanzhou with Kaiyuan Temple and Chongfu Temple.
Each hall in Chengtian Temple is exquisitely decorated and gorgeously colored. The wall is covered with red tile bricks with a unique dovetail ridge shape and a finely carved wooden window, and the whole temple is full of traditional Fujian architectural characteristics. There are more than 200 trees planted in the Chengtian Temple, such as the banyan tree, willow tree, and longan tree, which are hidden between the temples and pavilions, making the temple shady everywhere and evergreen all year round.
Chengtian Temple used to be the place where Master Hongyi taught the Sutras and preached the Dharma. You can visit the “Master Hongyi’s sitting place” in the temple. Listening to the subtle chanting, and smelling the fragrance of incense, Chengtian Temple is undoubtedly a rare quiet place in the bustling city, which makes people’s restless hearts calm down.
Chengtian TempleĀ Facts
Location: No.36 Nanjun Road, Licheng District, Quanzhou City, Fujian Province
Ticket Price: free of charge
Opening Time: 8:00-16:00
Layout of Chengtian Temple
When you walk into the Chengtian Temple, you can see the word “Yuetai” hanging above your head, and on both sides of the temple door are the couplets written by Master Hongyi, “There is no limit to freedom, and there is one and only way to enter”(ęę éčŖåØļ¼å „äøäŗę³éØ).
Next is a long east-west passage, where you will see seven stone towers, called Seven Stupas, standing under huge banyan trees. On the wall at the end of the passage, there are four characters, “Quannan Buddhist Kingdom”, written by Zhang Ruitu, one of the four great calligraphers of the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644).
Chengtian Temple has gone through ups and downs, and the present temple was rebuilt on the original site in 1985, reproducing the glory of the past. The main axis of the Chengtian Temple is 300 meters long, and there are successively distributed Heavenly King Hall, Maitreya Hall, Dharma Hall, and Manjusri Hall.
On the east side of the main axis, there are DabeiĀ Hall, Dragon King Hall, JialanĀ Hall and other temples. The west axis once had Kaishan Hall, Zen Hall, Guangxiao Temple, Wanggong Temple, Liugong Temple, Merit Hall, Xugong Temple and other buildings, and now only “Tanyue Wanggong Temple” remains.
In addition, there are solemn and tranquil places such as the incarnation of Master Hongyi and the Memorial Hall of Master Hongchuan in the temple. Although these buildings are different in style, they are harmonious and unified and together form the orderly and hierarchical layout of Chengtian Temple.
What to See in Chengtian Temple
1. Maitreya Hall
It is a five-room building with a double eaves roof, and the statues of the eighteen Arhats, the four Bodhisattvas, and the master of Kaishan are enshrined in the hall, which is majestic and solemn. The hall conserves the treasure of the Chengtian Temple, the Sui Dynasty (581-618) copper cast Amitabha Buddha, which is two meters high and weighs more than one ton. Its special feature is that the Buddha statue is shown in a standing image, with the left hand holding a lotus flower and the right hand in a connector shape, which is totally different from other Buddha statues. The corridors on both sides of the hall are decorated with 12 exquisite murals of Buddhist stories.
2. StoneĀ Dhvaja in the Song Dynasty
Behind the Maitreya Hall is the Stone Dhvaja in octagonal shape about 7 meters high, basically intact. It is engraved with the Sutras, but most of it has been weathered and peeled away. In addition, there are Buddha statues, lotus petals, mountain water ripples, and other relief patterns.
3. “Spotless” landscape
There is an inner spotless house in Chengtian Temple, neatly arranged and elegant. Bowls, drums, bells, and chimes were in their places, and everything seemed to glow with a faint light.
4. “Pine breeze” landscape
There is a pine court in Chengtian Temple, where the pine is said to be one of the eight ancient pine scenery in Quanzhou.
Attractions Nearby Chengtian Temple
- Kaiyuan Temple: It is an ancient temple of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) with a history of more than 1,300 years, and is also the largest Buddhist temple in Fujian Province.
- Qingjing Mosque: It was funded by the Arab Muslims who lived in Quanzhou in the Northern Song Dynasty(960-1127), showing the distinctive characteristics of Islamic monasteries in West Asia. It is the earliest and oldest existing Islamic temple. If you are a Muslim and you plan to make a trip to Quanzhou, you wouldnāt want to miss it.
- Maritime Museum: The museum aims to show the achievements of economic and cultural exchanges between countries facilitated by the maritime Silk Road in Quanzhou, and it has a very rich collection for visit.
