Mingjiao Temple

Mingjiao temple is not far from Xiaoyaojin Park. It was first built in Liang Dynasty of Southern Dynasty. It was called "iron Buddha Temple" because it was excavated here in Tang Dynasty. Since then, the temple has been covered by the fire of war for many times and has undergone reconstruction and repair from generation to generation.

Mingjiao temple has a long history and magnificent architecture. In the Qing Dynasty, it was the highest temple in Hefei. The existing buildings include Shanmen, Tianwang hall, Daxiong hall, dizang hall, guest hall, Liaofang, etc.

Mingjiao Temple

Mingjiao temple, formerly known as Mingjiao academy and Tiefo temple, is also known as Mingjiao platform and Cao Cao's commanding platform. The original site is the crossbow platform built by Cao Cao in the Three Kingdoms period, commonly known as "Cao Cao's commanding platform". The crossbow platform is 4.3 meters high, covering an area of 3800 square meters.

Located in the east section of Huaihe Road, Hefei City, Anhui Province. It is one of the eight ancient Luyang scenic spots, the largest and oldest Buddhist temple in Hefei, and one of the top ten landmarks in Hefei.

Mingjiao temple was built in the reign of emperor Liangwu of the Southern Dynasty. It is a courtyard building of the Ming Dynasty. It belongs to Linji sect, one of the five Zen schools. It has a history of more than 1700 years. It witnessed the development and changes of Chinese Jianghuai Buddhist culture from the Southern Dynasties to the Republic of China. In 1983, the temple was designated as the national key Buddhist temple in the Han area and the key cultural relics protection unit in Anhui Province.

Mingjiao temple is composed of three parts: Buddhist hall, sutra Pavilion and xixiangyuan. The hall is divided into the main hall and the back hall, with more than 30 Buddha statues. The gate of Mingjiao temple is built on a trapezoidal step with a single eaves and a rolling shed roof. Daxiong hall is a peak with double eaves. Beside the main hall, there are some scenic spots such as the well Pavilion on the house and the crossbow Pavilion. The axis of the whole temple is basically symmetrical.

Historical evolution

During the period of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao built Dianjiang platform at the original site of today's Mingjiao temple.

During the reign of emperor Liang Wu of the Southern Dynasty (502-549), the Ming Temple was first built.

At the end of Sui Dynasty, Mingjiao temple was destroyed by mutiny.

During the Dali Period of the Tang Dynasty, an iron Buddha was excavated from the ruins. Gao Zhangba, the governor of Luzhou, Pei Xiu, told the court. Emperor Daizong, Li Yi, ordered the reconstruction and named it the Ming monastery.

After the Ming Dynasty, it was renamed Mingjiao temple, which is still in use today.

In 1853, it was destroyed by the war and rebuilt in 1870. After the failure of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, yuan Hongmo, the general of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, took the name Tongyuan and hid in the Lushi temple in Zipeng, Feixi. Mingjiao temple is the lower courtyard of Xilu temple.

In 1886, Tongyuan rebuilt the main hall and other buildings.

In the winter of 1937, part of the Ming Temple was destroyed by Japanese aircraft.

In 1939, the Japanese army stationed in the Ming Temple and established the Hefei Branch of the New Asia Buddhist Association.

After 1994, the relevant departments of Hefei government repeatedly allocated funds to repair the Mingjiao temple.

In 1984, the Mingjiao temple was handed over by the cultural relics department to Buddhist organizations for management and use, and opened to the outside world as a place for Buddhist activities.

In 2013, the maintenance of Mingjiao temple and the reinforcement of crossbow platform were started.

In 2015, the maintenance project of Mingjiao temple in Hefei started.

In October 2016, Mingjiao temple in Hefei was closed and overhauled to welcome visitors again.

Architectural pattern

Mingjiao temple is a courtyard style building of Ming Dynasty. The mountain gate is built on a trapezoidal step. The mountain gate has a single eaves, a mountain style rolling shed roof, clay tube tiles, a water delivery berm at the corner, a single rafter, no bucket arch and hanging decorations. The main hall has a double eaves and a top of Xieshan mountain. It is made of clay tiles. The corners of the hall are made of soft berms. There are no brackets and colonnades. Beside the main hall, there are well Pavilion on the house, crossbow Pavilion and other places of interest, all of which are of drill point roof, clay tube tile, tender berm corner and goose neck chair. The axis of the whole temple is basically symmetrical.

Main buildings

architectural composition

Mingjiao temple is composed of three parts: Buddhist hall, sutra Pavilion and xixiangyuan. The hall is divided into the main hall and the back hall, with more than 30 Buddha statues. There are Shanmen, Tianwang hall, Daxiong hall, dizang hall, guest hall, Liaofang, etc., which were built in Guangxu period. The front hall of Mingjiao temple is the Tianwang hall, and the East chamber is the "exhibition room of cultural relics of the Three Kingdoms", displaying the flags of the army of Wei, Shu and Wu in those years, the swords and halberds used in the battlefield and the strong bows and hard crossbows related to the crossbow platform.

main hall

From the Tianwang hall, the Mahatma hall reaches the Mahatma hall by bypassing three elegant and unsophisticated incense burners. The large clay and gold plaque hanging above the hall door is inscribed by Mr. Zhao Puchu, while the six powerful characters "Amitabha" on the red wall are master Hongyi's ink treasures. On both sides of the hall are statues of eighteen Arhats in different shapes, and in the middle is the treasure of the Ming Temple, five Zunyou Buddha statue in Beijing. On the left side of the hall is a big bell cast in the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty. The bell sounds melodious in Qingyuan. When it strikes, the sound can spread all over the old city. On the east side of the hall is the hall of reclining Buddha, on the back is the hall of dizang, and on the southeast corner is the garden, in which there are two historic sites: wushangjing and Tingsong Pavilion.

Wushangjing

Wushangjing is named after the well head is higher than the ridge of the houses under the crossbow platform. It is said that the well was dug by the Wei army to collect water. It was renovated in the Western Jin Dynasty, and there are 12 characters in the official script of "shengzao, Sima Xiahou in the fourth year of Taishi", which shows that the well has a history of at least 1700 years. The stone railings at the mouth of the well are simple and ancient, especially the more than 20 rope ditches left at the mouth of the well are formed by long-term grinding of the water drawing ropes.

Tingsong Pavilion

There were no pine trees on the crossbow platform of Mingjiao temple. Because it was hot in summer in Luzhou, the soldiers could not endure the heat, so Cao Cao ordered them to plant pines and cypresses widely. When the pine trees grow up, the wind blows and the waves blow. In memory of the ancients, monks built a pavilion here. Since then, the "crossbow Songyin" has become a famous scenic spot in Hefei, and the Tingsong Pavilion also got its name.

History and culture

legend

Training platform

During the Three Kingdoms period, there were often about 500 bowmen and crossbow men competing and practicing here, and the winners were rewarded with red robes. Cao Cao laughs at the sound of gongs and drums. In order to protect the soldiers from the sun in summer, there are many pine trees planted on the platform. When the wind comes, the sound of pines is like waves. The crossbow is one of the eight scenic spots in Luzhou. In addition to the Tingsong Pavilion, there is also an ancient well on the platform. Because the well head is higher than the roof of the street bungalow, it is called wushangjing. The water tastes sweet and the seasons are endless. The stone railings at the mouth of the well are simple and ancient. There are 23 rope ditches for lifting water. The stone of the rope ditch is as bright as jade. On the railings are engraved with the words "made by Sima Xiahou in the palace in the fourth year of the first reign of Jin and Tai Dynasties", which are used by soldiers to quench their thirst. After years of water lifting, there are 23 rope marks on the stone plate at the wellhead. There is also the word "Jin Tai Shi Wu Nian" (269) on the well column.

Iron Buddha

During the reign of emperor Liang Wu of the Southern Dynasty (503-548), a Buddhist temple named Tiefo temple was built on the platform of jiaowantai because of the excavation of an iron Buddha which was one foot eight high. In the Dali Period of Tang Dynasty, it was renamed Mingjiao temple, which was destroyed by war. The temple is now built by yuan Hongmo, a veteran of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. Yuan became a monk after the failure of the heavenly revolution. It was rebuilt in Tongzhi period of Qing Dynasty. There are more than 30 Buddha statues in the temple, including Mahatma hall, dizang hall and other buildings. The Tingsong Pavilion on the platform overlooks the whole city of Hefei. It is the main scenic spot for Hefei Cultural Relics Tourism.

works

Cao Cao: visit Chu and Yu, and take in the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers.

Wu Zi of Tang Dynasty: Cao Gong's Crossbow platform, now known as bhiku temple. The small river bridge in Dongmen, once rode by the Lord of Wu.

Li Guangzu: the crossbow tower is not to eliminate the calamity of Yan Liu. Who knows the truth from the ancient Buddha when listening to the distant visitors from Song Dynasty.

Buddhist activities

On June 11, 1989, the opening ceremony of Buddha statue and the ascending ceremony of Abbot miao'an was held in Mingjiao temple.

In 1994, Mingjiao Temple held a "praying to protect the country and relieve disaster law meeting".

In November 1992, Mingjiao Temple held a Buddhist seven Dharma meeting with the grand purpose of "wishing social stability and family peace".

In October 2014, the conversion and preaching law meeting was held in the Mingjiao temple in Hefei, Anhui Province.

In February 2016, Mingjiao Temple held a spring festival blessing activity.

Cultural relics protection

In 1983, Mingjiao temple was designated by the State Council as a national key temple in the Han nationality region.

In 2013, Mingjiao temple was rated as a key cultural relic protection unit in Anhui Province.

Cultural relic value

As a famous temple in Anhui Province, Mingjiao temple is a rare courtyard building complex in Ming Dynasty after thousands of years, which witnessed the development and changes of Chinese Jianghuai Buddhist culture from the Southern Dynasties to the Republic of China. Mingjiao temple is the lower courtyard of Xilu temple. It belongs to the Linji sect of Zen and plays an important role in the history of Buddhism.

Tourism information

Traffic information

Mingjiao temple is located in the east section of Huaihe Road in Hefei City, Anhui Province, on the Mingjiao platform beside Xiaoyaojin Park in Hefei city.

Ticket price: 10 yuan

transit

Take Hefei bus No.2, No.15, No.48, No.106, No.136, No.137, No.143, No.155 and walk at Xiaoyaojin station, or walk 10 minutes from Li Hongzhang's former residence to the East.

metro

Dadongmen station of Hefei Metro Line 1

Dadongmen station of Hefei Metro Line 2

Address: No.44, Huaihe Road Pedestrian Street, Luyang District

Longitude: 117.2960293411

Latitude: 31.864811019455

Tel: 0551-62648982; 0551-6

Tour time: 1 hour

Traffic information: take bus No.2, 15, 48, 106, 136, 137, 143, 155 to get off at Xiaoyaojin station and walk to it; or take bus No.2, 15, 48, 106, 136, 137, 143, 155 from Li Hong

Chinese PinYin : Ming Jiao Si