Putong Temple Pagoda

Putong Temple Pagoda

Putong Temple Pagoda is located in the old city of nangong city, Hebei Province. It was originally built in Putong temple in nangong city. In 1487, the city was flooded and the county seat was moved to the present site.

Introduction to Putong Temple Pagoda

Putong temple tower is located in the old city of nangong city, Hebei Province. It was originally built in Putong temple in nangong city. In 1487, the city was flooded and the county seat was moved to the present site. At that time, the temple was destroyed, leaving only this tower. The tower was built in the 10th year of Yongping (67) of the Eastern Han Dynasty, with a history of more than 1900 years. It is the earliest existing Pagoda in China.

According to the inscriptions on the pagoda of Putong Temple rebuilt in 1886, it was rebuilt in 630, the fourth year of Zhenguan in Tang Dynasty, and again in Jiajing in Ming Dynasty. Brick structure, octagonal plane, eight stories high, 33 meters, solid eaves. The tower is octagonal and five meters high. Under the eaves of each layer is placed a bucket arch. On the eighth layer, the bucket arch goes out and tilts. On the top of the head, there is no order arch. On the other hand, a bucket is placed to support the eaves of the tower, making each side slightly curved and the two corners tilted. The shape is peculiar. The tower body decreases from bottom to top with soft outline and delicate structure.

Although the pagoda was built in the past dynasties, it basically maintained its original appearance, providing valuable information for the study of early brick pagodas in China.

Historical evolution

The word "Putong" comes from the explanation of the Buddhist Sutra "miaoha Lianhua Sutra Guanke Juan Gan Guanyin Bodhisattva Pu men pin": "Pu means Zhoupu". "Universal salvation" in Buddhism refers to great compassion and universal salvation. "Tong" is red.

In the Eastern Han Dynasty, the imperial palace where the empress lived was painted red and called "Tongting". Because there were Bodhisattvas worshipped in Putong Temple behind the pagoda, the pagoda and the temple were all red, so the word "Tong" was used. So take "Putong tower". The temple was rebuilt in nangong city in 1992. Master Hongchuan, a famous figure in Chinese Buddhist circles, presided over the restoration and reconstruction.

In August 1984, master Hongchuan broke through all kinds of obstacles and resolutely flew from Taiwan to the mainland of China via Hong Kong. He was praised as "China's first patriotic monk" by Zhao Puchu, former vice chairman of the Chinese people's Political Consultative Conference and President of the Chinese Buddhist Association. After the reform and opening up, people's enthusiasm for respecting and respecting the Buddha has been fully released. In 1992, the people's Government of nangong city complied with the wishes of the masses and approved the proposal of the provincial Buddhist Association to rebuild the famous temple and restore Putong temple, the first temple in China. The Department of nationalities and religions of Hebei provincial government recommended master Hongchuan, executive director of the National Buddhist Association, member of the sixth Standing Committee of the provincial people's Political Consultative Conference and vice president of the provincial Buddhist Association, to be the abbot of Putong temple.

Master Hongchuan started the hard preparatory work. After more than a year's preparation, the foundation was laid in November 1993. On September 26, 1996, the completion ceremony of Putong temple and the opening ceremony of Buddha statues were solemnly held. Buddhist eminent monks, people from all walks of life and tens of thousands of people from all walks of life attended the ceremony.

Development of ancient temples

Nowadays, Putong temple is well managed and tidy. The ancient pagoda and temple with a history of nearly two thousand years reappear the boundless Buddha light of the past. In order to maintain the Buddhist affinity, further build the "source of Buddhism" of China and the cultural brand of "ancestral court" of Chinese Buddhism, Nangong municipal Party committee and government attach great importance to the development and construction of Putong temple. Sun Xueliang, Secretary of Nangong municipal Party committee, and Duan Xiaoyong, mayor of Nangong municipal Party committee, personally plan and conduct on-the-spot investigation. According to the proposal of the Provincial Department of nationalities and religions and the provincial Buddhist Association, on the basis of extensive investigation, and through the joint meeting of the four leading groups, they have made a special investigation According to the framework of "Pagoda in the temple, temple in the garden, garden in the water, water in the forest", a long-term plan of 1000 mu of Putong temple was formulated. We will focus on the construction of 7000 square meters of wanrennianfo hall, Buddhist Expo Garden and other auxiliary facilities. We will take the development and construction of Putong temple as the leader, bring the development and construction of Qunying lake and Forest Park into the overall planning, and finally build a thousand mu Putong temple. The spirit, determination and sincerity of Nangong municipal Party committee and government have aroused great concern and support from relevant departments and all walks of life. Putong pagoda is located in Putong temple, nangong city. Now it is a key cultural relic in Hebei Province. It was built in the 10th year of Yongping, Emperor Ming of the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 67). It was completed on the 15th day of the first month of Yongping 15. It has a history of more than 1900 years. It was built one year earlier than Baima Pagoda in Luoyang, Henan Province. It is worthy of the name of "China's first Buddhist pagoda, a rare treasure in the world".

Description of Putong Temple Pagoda

Putong tower in the West courtyard of Putong temple is an octagonal pavilion type nine level solid brick tower. The pagoda is 33 meters high. To the south of xumizuo, there is a door opening to the center of the pagoda. There is a brick well under the center of the pagoda. On the East, West and north sides of the brick well, there are three stone Buddhas. This kind of niche building method is rare. In the long years of wind and rain erosion, Putong tower was rebuilt and maintained by Wei (Three Kingdoms), Tang, song and other dynasties. In the 15th year of Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty, a lot of funds were raised for the maintenance, and the construction scale was large. The maintenance was carried out according to the architectural style of Ming Dynasty. During the Xingtai earthquake in 1966, three bronze Buddhas were knocked off from the top of the tower. All of them are bronze Bodhisattvas. The largest one is Guanyin Bodhisattva, which is 41 cm high and weighs 8.25 kg. Guanyin Bodhisattva sits peacefully on the Bank of the "sea heaven Buddha kingdom" (Putuo Mountain, an Island in the East China Sea). She wears Buddhist beads, holds Buddhist scriptures and recites incantations. One foot steps on the lotus on the bank, and the other foot extends to the sea. The floating lotus in the water carries on the waves of the sea The sea animals such as seahorse, conch, swimming fish, Buddhist scriptures, Yuanbao and so on are rolling and floating. The solemn image of Guanyin Bodhisattva is vivid. There is an inscription on the back: "on the 15th day of the first month of the 15th year of Yongping, Mo Teng Zhu Fanjian, Da Er San Zang Gong rebuilt on the 5th day of the first month of the 4th year of Taihe, Hai monk rebuilt on the 15th day of July of the 15th year of Jiajing..."

Layout of Putong Temple Pagoda

There are blind windows on the East and west sides of the first and second floors, niches on the north and south sides of the first to fourth floors, and niches on the four sides above the fifth floor. "Yang Lian drill head" gourd shaped iron tower brake, a total of four sections, straight into the cloud. Each corner of the tower is equipped with corner beams, and horn bells are hung. The wind blows the bell, which is clear and pleasant. Especially in the dead of night, you can hear it several miles away. When you are in it, you feel solemn and sacred.

Master Hongchuan

Master Hongchuan (1928-2004), from Yanshi County, Henan Province, was born in 1928. He joined the army at the end of the Anti Japanese war in 1949. When the national government moved to Taiwan in 1949, he went with the army to Taiwan. In 1953, he retired from the army; in 1954, he became a monk under master Bai Sheng's seat in Taipei's Shipu temple; in 1959, he received a full commandment in Shipu temple. The third division of the commandment circle was Bai Sheng, Hui San, and Dao Yuan. Among them were Guanghua lawyers, who were later famous for promoting law. During his stay in Taiwan, master Hongchuan served as the supervisor of Zhanyuan jingshe in Tainan City and the abbot of Daci Temple in Taipei city. In 1981, he built and installed yangjingshe in Guanyin Mountain, Puli Town, Nantou County. He was stationed in xijingshe to study the law collection. The book "a collection of the authors of Sangha" was published in 1983. Guanghua lawyer wrote a preface for it. In 1984, master Hongchuan returned to the mainland to visit his relatives, that is, he did not return to Taiwan and stayed in China to settle down. After returning to China, master Hongchuan once served as the first member of Baima temple in Luoyang, executive director of China Buddhist Association, vice president of Hebei Buddhist Association, and director of Xingtai Buddhist Association in Hebei Province. In 1992, Putong temple in nangong city of Hebei Province opened to the outside world and became a Buddhist activity site. The Department of nationalities and religions of Hebei provincial government recommended master Hongchuan, executive director of the National Buddhist Association, member of the sixth Standing Committee of the provincial people's Political Consultative Conference and vice president of the Provincial Buddhist Association, as the abbot of Putong temple. Master Hongchuan was stationed in Xiben temple. Through his hard work, he collected funds from various sources to rebuild it. In 1996, it was completed and the opening ceremony of the Buddha statue was held on September 16. At 10:20 a.m. on November 13, 2004, master Hongchuan kept the commandments strictly all his life. He was in an serene house in Putong temple, nangong city, Hebei Province, where he reported that Su La was 78, Seng La was 48 and Jie La was 46.

Address: beijiucheng village, nangong city, Hebei Province

Longitude: 115.36380942413

Latitude: 37.375130213763

Chinese PinYin : Pu Tong Si Ta