Bodhisattva Top

The top of Bodhisattva is on lingjiu peak of Wutai Mountain. It is said that it is the residence of Manjusri, so it is also called Zhenrong temple, also known as Manjusri temple. It was founded in the Northern Wei Dynasty and rebuilt in successive dynasties. After Yongle of the Ming Dynasty, the Mongolians and Tibetans settled in Wutai Mountain, and the great Lama lived on the top of Bodhisattva, so Bodhisattva became the first yellow temple in Wutai Mountain.

Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty paid homage to Mount Wutai several times, stayed at the top of Bodhisattva and wrote inscriptions. In the hall of the east courtyard and the backyard, there are two white marble four prism steles. On the four sides of the stele body, there are inscriptions in Han, Mongolian, Manchu and Tibetan characters, all written by Emperor Kangxi.

What is most worth seeing in the backyard is the four big copper pots in the main room, with the smallest diameter of nearly 2 meters. They are used for porridge cooking in important Buddhist events.

Bodhisattva Top

Bodhisattva peak is located on lingjiu peak in Taihuai Town, Wutai Mountain, Shanxi Province. The temple is resplendent and colorful as a whole. It is the imperial palace for emperors of all dynasties to worship Wutai Mountain, with typical Royal characteristics.

Bodhisattva top is the largest lama temple in Wutai Mountain, and it is also the national key Buddhist temple in Han nationality area determined by the State Council.

Construction scale

Bodhisattva peak is located in the largest Huangjiao temple in Wutai Mountain of Shanxi Province. It is located on lingjiu peak in the north of Xiantong temple, Taihuai Town, Wutai Mountain, covering an area of 45 mu, with more than 430 halls and buildings. It is said that it is Manjusri Bodhisattva's Taoist center, that is, the residence of Manjusri, so it is also known as Zhenrong courtyard and great Manjusri temple. It is one of the five Buddhist places in Wutai Mountain. The temple was founded in the reign of Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty (471-499). It has been rebuilt many times in the past dynasties. After Yongle in the Ming Dynasty, the Buddhists of Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhism settled in Wutai Mountain and became the first yellow temple in Wutai Mountain. Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty paid homage to Mount Wutai several times, stayed at bodhiding, granted the seal of governor of bodhiding great Lama, and ordered Shanxi Province, including Shanxi governor, Datong general, daizhou Daotai, etc., to pay tribute to the great Lama.

Rigorous layout

The whole temple covers an area of 45 mu. The temple is built along the mountain with strict layout. There are 108 stone steps in front of the temple. Inside the gate are the heavenly king hall, the bell and Drum Tower, the main hall and other buildings.

Each hall is covered with three colored glazed tiles. In addition, there are Kangxi imperial steles in the temple, with a square head standing in the front yard; Qianlong imperial steles in the pavilion of dongchan temple are carved with square boulders, six meters high and one meter wide on each side, with four characters of Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan engraved on them.

Bodhisattvas perched on the top of the mountain, the terrain is high, and the temples are gathered here, the layout is neat, so it is magnificent. The 108 stone steps in front of the Mountain Gate refer to the 108 counties of Shanxi Province. When visitors visit the top of Bodhisattva, they often overlook the panoramic view of Taihuai town on these stone steps and take pictures to stay.

Hundred years of vicissitudes

Inside the gate of Bodhisattva peak are the main temple buildings, such as Tianwang hall, bell and Drum Tower, Bodhisattva peak and Daxiong hall. The roofs of these buildings are covered with three colored glazed tiles, which are colorful. Despite hundreds of years of ups and downs, the color is still as new.

In the stele Pavilion in the East Zen hall, there stand two imperial steles of Emperor Qianlong, each of which is six meters high. The inscriptions in Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan Languages briefly describe the history of Bodhisattva peak and Emperor Qianlong's experience in worshiping Mount Wutai. The calligraphy is fluent and impressive.

The existing buildings of Bodhisattva roof are all rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. The shape and technique of Bodhisattva roof mostly refer to the official style of Imperial Palace, which is magnificent, especially the carving art, which is worth cherishing.

Ancient and modern status

Bodhisattva top is the name of Manchu language, which means the place where Manjusri lived. Bodhisattva roof has a long history. In the Qing Dynasty, it actually became a royal temple with extremely high status. Climbing along the 108 stone steps, according to Buddhism, you will trample on 108 kinds of troubles in the world. Standing under the archway, touching the doorpost and looking around, you can see the mountains in the distance, the clouds on the mountains, the Qingshui River nearby, and the magnificent temple buildings. You can feel that the four words "Lingfeng scenic spot" are wonderful. Here, it is a good view spot for climbing and sightseeing.

In the spring of 1948, the Party Central Committee set out from Yan'an to Xibaipo, Hebei Province. On the way, he passed Wutai Mountain. Comrade Chen Yi wrote a poem: "I didn't go to Wutai originally, but the detour was very tight. Up to now, I've had a good time. I once stepped on the top of Bodhisattva." Bodhisattva roof now covers an area of 9160 square meters, with more than 100 houses of various sizes, such as temples and monk houses. The layout is compact and varied, and all of them were built during the reign of Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty. The whole temple building can be divided into three parts: front courtyard, middle courtyard and back courtyard.

Main building

The main buildings on the central axis are Mountain Gate, Tianwang hall, Daxiong hall, Manjusri hall, etc. On both sides, there are bell tower, Drum Tower, Zen hall, etc. The main hall is in the middle, tall and majestic; the auxiliary hall is on both sides, symmetrical. The layout of the whole temple is not only prominent in the center, but also magnificent. In addition, the red pillars, red walls and golden glazed tiles make it more resplendent and luxurious. Its shape and spirit are not inferior to those of the royal palace. It is really a scene of the fairyland of Buddhism.

The layout and sculpture of the main halls of Bodhisattva roof have a strong Tibetan Buddhist color. In the seven room hall of Mahavira, the rear is the statue of Pilu Buddha, Amitabha Buddha and pharmacist Buddha, and the front is the statue of zongkaba, founder of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The Manjusri statue in Manjusri hall is different from the Manjusri Bodhisattva statue in the general Buddhist Temple (Qingmiao). It is made according to the classic regulations of Tibetan Buddhism. The head is in the onlooker's posture, the waist is in the twisting posture, the hair is in the loose drape style, and the body is hung with a wreath, which is particularly lively and vivid. On both sides of the walls, there are Thangka, a Tibetan painting painted on cloth. In addition, on the capitals of the main hall and Manjusri hall, there are peach shaped plaques with Sanskrit incantations written on them. All these are unique in the architectural decoration of Tibetan Buddhist temples.

Buddhist activities

Daxiong hall is the main place for holding large-scale Buddhist activities in the temple. The main hall is surrounded by a stone corridor, and the front is connected with the roll shed double eaves hall. The carved beams and painted buildings are resplendent, and the inside is for Buddha Sakyamuni, Maitreya and Maitreya III. In this majestic hall, the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, the great living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism in China, once preached scriptures here when they visited Mount Wutai. At the same time, Banchan erdenich jijianzan, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, also gave lectures in the main hall of bodhiding temple when he visited Mount Wutai in 1980.

Looking up from the big screen wall on the top of the Bodhisattva, the 108 level stone terrace is very steep, like a ladder to the heaven. Step by step along the 108 stone steps, you will trample on 108 kinds of troubles in the world. Standing on the platform of stone steps, the wooden archway has four columns and three doors, three floors up and down, and seven building heads. On the large plaque at the middle door of the archway, Emperor Kangxi personally inscribed "Lingfeng Shengjing" in four gilded characters, flashing with light. After climbing 108 steps and passing the magnificent archway, another section of stone steps connects the mountain gate. This section of stone steps is different from those seen in all monasteries. It is a stone step with a vertical band of stones. The middle of the stone step is paved with an inclined imperial road and carved with a pattern of Jiulong water absorption. Jiulong is tumbling and intertwined with each other. It can be described as "vivid" and is no different from the layout of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The main hall has three broad couplets and two deep rooms. The single eaves rest on the top of the mountain. The top of the hall is covered with yellow glazed tiles. The main hall is surrounded by stone carvings, which are for Sakyamuni, Mitha and pharmacist Buddha. Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, the great living Buddhas of Tibetan Buddhism in China, all preach scriptures here when they worship Mount Wutai. When Banchan Erdeni quejijianzan, vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, visited Mt. Wutai in 1980, he also gave lectures in the main hall of bodhiding temple.

Reconstruction period

There is a stone archway in front of the main hall of Manjusri Bodhisattva. On the stone wall, there are four words of "Wutai Holy Land" written by Kangxi. The Manjusri hall was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. It has three broad couplets and two deep rooms. The roof of the hall is covered with yellow glazed tiles. After hundreds of years of cold storage, the color of the hall is still as new as before. In the middle of the ridge of the hall is a golden bronze Falun. In the hall, there are colored clay statues of Manjusri Bodhisattva riding lion dragon on the Buddhist altar, and eighteen Arhats on the Buddhist altar on the East and west sides. Manjusri Bodhisattva hall on the top of Bodhisattva is the place where pilgrims must worship. In the Han Dynasty, Buddhists usually worship, burn incense and kneel down. When the Buddhists of Mongolian and Tibetan ethnic groups worship, they practice "five body worship", that is, their heads and limbs climb down on the ground at the same time, which is very respectful and devout. There are 12 Tibetan paintings worshipped by Tibetan Buddhists in the hall. The paintings are made of red gold and colorful stone natural pigments. They are treasures of Tibetan paintings. Some people also call Manjusri hall "Dishui hall". One of the stone steps under the eaves of the hall rises up like a honeycomb, which is the mineral scale formed by the dripping water from the eaves for a long time. When the sky is clear, the hall is still like the ancient time "drip", a drop of water every certain time. The big copper pot placed in the backyard of Bodhisattva top is famous all over the mountain. The thicker one is 2.04 meters in diameter and 1.15 meters in depth, while the thinner one is 1.68 meters in diameter and 1.1 meters in depth. Beside the eaves of the west corridor, there is also a large copper pot with a diameter of 5 feet and a depth of 4 feet. In the past, these copper pots were used once a year for the "June meeting" to make fast rice and steam the white flour demon king. They were used by all the Yellow Temple lamas to gather together to do Buddhist activities, to jump gods and suppress demons. They were also used once on the eighth Buddha's day in the early lunar month. They were put into yellow rice, mung beans, lotus seeds, chestnuts, red dates, rice, peach kernels and brown sugar to make "eight treasure porridge" for Buddha and meeting.

Qianlong stele

Bodhisattva top three in a row into the hall, there are two sets of courtyard before and after. The front yard is the monk's house and the back yard is where the Lama lives. On both sides of the hall, peacock blue glazed tiles and bell and drum towers are built

Chinese PinYin : Pu Sa Ding