Wenshang Baoxiang Temple

Located in Wenshang County, Shandong Province, Baoxiang temple is one of the earliest Buddhist temples in China. According to a large number of Buddhist remains in Wenshang, such as the bronze gilded Buddha statues of the Northern Wei Dynasty, the stone Maitreya statues of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, the Manjusri Prajna stele of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and the stone inscriptions of the shuiniushan cliff, Baoxiang temple, formerly known as zhaokong temple, was first built in the northern and Southern Dynasties, with a history of more than 1500 years

Baoxiang Temple

synonym

Wenshang Baoxiang Temple generally refers to Baoxiang Temple (Wenshang Baoxiang temple, Shandong Province)

Baoxiang temple is located in the northwest corner of Wenshang County in Jining City. It was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and is known as "the first place of interest in the Northern Dynasty and the first Daochang in the East".

Baoxiang Temple scenic area covers an area of more than 600 mu. The hall of worship is now dedicated to Sakyamuni sandalwood gilded Buddha and 18 Arhats of bluestone painted sculpture. With an area of 80 square meters, cunta palace is dedicated to more than 100 Buddhist relics, such as Sakyamuni's real body, Buddha's teeth and relics.

In 2011, the scenic area of Bao Xiang temple was rated as a national AAAA grade tourist attraction. Its main attractions include screen wall, perfume sea, bodhi tree, mount mumi, Bao Xiang temple, Palace of the Earth, Taizi Ling trail tower, Buddha square and Buddha Avenue.

In May 2013, the prince's trace tower of Baoxiang temple was announced by the State Council as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

Historical evolution

Baoxiang temple was built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and was named zhaokong temple in the Tang Dynasty.

During the reign of emperor Taihe of Tang Dynasty (827-835 AD), a large bell was cast.

In the first year of dazhongxiangfu (1008 AD), Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty granted Mount Tai by Zen. When he passed Qufu and Zhongdu on his way home, he appointed zhaokong temple as Baoxiang temple and lived in Baoxiang temple.

In 1938, the Japanese aggressors bombarded Baoxiang temple and bloody Huang'an street, flattened the millennium old temple and robbed Tasha Xianglun.

In 1947, the body of the tower was severely damaged by artillery shells.

In 1958, the ten thousand jin refined iron bell made in the temple in the third year of Taihe (479 AD) of the Northern Wei Dynasty was smashed to make steel.

In the early period of the cultural revolution, the column of the tower foundation was stolen and damaged; in the early 1970s, the bare tower foundation was cleaned up and protected with cement skirt.

On March 15, 1994, when repairing the pagoda and removing the concrete skirt, the entrance to the underground palace at the base of the pagoda was accidentally found. In the pagoda palace, 141 Buddhist relics were found, including gold coffin, silver coffin, Buddha's tooth, relic and kneeling Bodhisattva.

Since 1995, the construction of Baoxiang temple has been resumed. The first phase of the project was completed in 1998. Now, the temple of worship, Zhongdu Museum (exhibition hall of Buddhist relics), stele Gallery, underground palace, monastery and relief archway have been built.

In 2011, Baoxiang Temple scenic spot was rated as national AAAA scenic spot.

In May 2013, the prince wizard tower of Baoxiang temple was announced as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units and national cultural relics protection units by the State Council.

architectural composition

The mountain gate is the main gate of the temple. There are three gates in the temple, namely "empty gate", "Wuxiang gate" and "Wuzuo gate", symbolizing "three gates of liberation". The mountain gate is a hall style, which is called "Mountain Gate hall".

Entering the mountain gate, there are painted statues of King Kong on both sides. These two statues are commonly known as "two generals of hem ha". From the mountain gate, the first hall is the heavenly king hall. The Manjusri hall on the east side is dedicated to Manjusri Bodhisattva. On the west side is the hall of Puxian, dedicated to Puxian Bodhisattva.

Daxiong hall is the core building of the whole temple. It is a song style building with double eaves and Xieshan style. It covers an area of 2560 square meters, with nine bays and five depths.

Main attractions

main hall

The main hall, also known as the main hall, is the core building of the whole temple. It is also the place where monks practice all the time. The main statue of the main hall is Sakyamuni Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. The main hall covers an area of 2560 square meters and a construction area of 1703 square meters. The fence of the hall is made of three feet of white jade, carved with patterns of baoxianghua, Ruyi and tangled branches. The Buddha statues in the hall include Sakyamuni Buddha, mahagaya Buddha, Ananda Buddha, Manjusri Bodhisattva, eighteen Arhats and Guanyin group on the island.

Hall of worship

The hall is 9 meters high and covers an area of 500 square meters. It is a Xieshan style building built by the cultural relics administration in the 1990s. The two couplets were inscribed by monk Changding. The hall of worship is dedicated to the golden Sakyamuni Buddha. The painted statues of the eighteen Arhats around are carved from bluestone.

Prince wizard tower

The prince's spirit trace tower was built in the second year of Zhenghe (1073-1112 AD) from the sixth year of Xining, 38 years ago. It is a typical "Buddha's Tooth Relic pagoda" built by the inspiration tower of the Royal Kaibao temple in the capital under the supervision of master zhirou. The upper half of the pagoda has seven stories of "Gui shaped" windows. The pagoda is an octagonal brick Pagoda with Pavilion style and wood like Dougong structure. The height of the tower is 41.75 meters, the diameter of the base is 10 meters, a total of 13 floors. In the East, West, South and north of the pagoda, there are voucher shaped niches, in which Buddha statues were originally worshipped. On the North floor is the main entrance to the tower, with spiral steps reaching the top of the tower. There are four openings above the fifth floor. The tower is equipped with spiral stairs to the top floor. The pagoda palace covers an area of 80 square meters. Deep in the pagoda palace, Sakyamuni's real body and Buddha's teeth are worshipped.

In May 2013, the prince wizard tower of Baoxiang temple was announced as the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units and national cultural relics protection units by the State Council.

Zhongdu Museum

Zhongdu museum was completed in September 1998. It is a double-layer and double eaves Pavilion building in traditional Chinese architecture. It is 21 meters high and covers an area of 2800 square meters. Buddhist relics museum is the main exhibition hall of Zhongdu Museum. The museum is divided into two exhibition rooms, the first in the East is the cultural relics unearthed from Wenshang, and the second in the west is the Buddhist relics unearthed from the prince's spiritual trace tower.

Cultural relics

Buddha's Tooth Relic

A total of 936 Buddhist relics were unearthed in Baoxiang temple, which was recognized as "the largest number of Buddhist relics excavated" by China Buddhist Association.

The Buddha's teeth of Baoxiang temple were acquired by Wukong, a famous monk of Tang Dynasty, from Gandhara city in 790 ad. The teeth are about 5cm long and 2cm in diameter. They are yellow and white in color. They are Pu jade. They are wax like in quality and slightly curved in shape. They have three roots, which are consistent with the "kasimira teeth" recorded by Xuanzang. There is the word "Dongfu" on the tooth, which is the evidence of Wang Anshi's collection.

Stone box

The stone box unearthed under the prince's trace tower of Baoxiang temple in 1994 is engraved with 171 characters, which records the characters, history and age of the relics at that time. Inscriptions on the stone box: Zhao Shichang, Guonei, Zhongdu County, Yunzhou, first bowed to the capital on February 23, the sixth year of Xining, and obtained a limb of Buddha and hundreds of relic from sun Zheng, the official of Jiawang palace. Today, those who bring their own coffins and those who have a benefactor will come, take gold as their coffins, silver as their coffins, and stone as their boxes. So it was buried in the prince's spirit trace tower of Baoxiang temple in Dangxian county.

Gold coffin and silver coffin

The gold coffin and silver coffin found in Baoxiang temple are composed of gold coffin, silver coffin and xumizuo. The gold coffin is made of silver and pasted with gold foil. It is 26 cm long, 28 cm high and 8.4 cm wide. The coffin cover is a pentagonal body with two gold hoops, and the front shelf is carved with a flower and fire cloud crown. The gold coffin is placed on the silver Xumi seat, surrounded by carved railings, carved with auspicious twig patterns, and the waist is decorated with hollowed out Ruyi Yundou patterns. Two gold coins of "Taiping Tongbao" hanging on both sides of the seat are specially made by the Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty. The gold coffin is a combination of hammering, welding, riveting, carving and carving. The silver coffin is 16 cm long, 4 cm high and 5-6 cm wide, with a cover and body, a plain surface and a silver hoop. It is divided into two rooms, the front and the back, separated by wooden boxes (decayed). In the front, it holds Buddha's teeth, and in the back, it stores relics. It is wrapped in original silk fabric (decayed).

Residual stone of Maitreya statue in Eastern Wei Dynasty

Maitreya stone is a remnant stone of Eastern Wei Dynasty (534-550) with a history of nearly 1500 years. On the front of the statue are high relief Maitreya Buddha and two flank attendants, with a peaceful face. The remnant stone is 28 cm high and 20 cm wide, with a vow on the back.

Song kneeling lotus seat iron tire clay sculpture holding real Bodhisattva

Iron clay sculpture, originally painted glaze. Its height is 50 cm and its base diameter is 20 cm. The Bodhisattva's hair is in a bun, his body is slightly bowed, he is wearing colorful sky clothes and a soft belt around his waist, his wrists are decorated with brocade, his hands are stretched out in front of his chest in a respectful manner, and his knees are kneeling on the High lotus stand. The proportion of the statue is appropriate, the clothes are neat, the image is vivid, and the dignity and courtesy are like the law.

The statue of Bodhisattva kneeling on both knees is specially made to support the real Buddha's Tooth Relic.

Buddha's light

Since the appearance of Buddhist relics in 1994, Buddhist light has appeared in the sky above the prince's tracking tower around March 15 of the lunar calendar every year. It is very rare to see Buddha light in plain areas like Wenshang.

Buddhist activities

China Wenshang Baoxiang Temple Prince spirit trace Cultural Festival

On March 15, 2004, Wenshang County officially changed the name of "March 15" activity, which continued after the excavation of Buddhist relics in 1994, to "Prince's spiritual trace Cultural Festival of Baoxiang temple in Wenshang, Shandong, China", which has been held every year since then.

Exhibition of Buddhist cultural relics unearthed from the pagoda underground palace of Baoxiang temple in Wenshang County

In 2014, Buddhist relics from the pagoda underground palace of Baoxiang temple were unearthed

Chinese PinYin : Wen Shang Bao Xiang Si