Haichao Temple

Haichao Temple

Haichao temple, also known as Jiulong temple, is located in the mountain depression of Dinghai Bay, Lianjiang county, Fujian Province. It is surrounded by mountains on three sides and the sea on the north.

Haichao temple, covering an area of 10 mu, is a famous ancient temple along the coast of Lianjiang county.

Historical evolution

According to Lianjiang county annals, Haichao temple was built in the fifth year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty and rebuilt in the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of more than 600 years. The temple was renovated on the basis of Ming and Qing Dynasties. According to folklore, Haichao temple is built near the sea, where thunder waves can be heard, so it is called "Haichao Temple". The mages of Haichao temple are honored as "Haichao elder". Like other temples, Haichao temple also worships Buddha, Bodhisattva, arhat and other Buddha statues. Although the number is small, the layout is different. Several "white jade" statues of Avalokitesvara Buddha with thousands of hands and eyes are rare in other temples.

A new Maitreya Buddha, 108 cm high and 80 cm wide, was built in the heavenly king hall. What's more, Haichao temple also has a set of 33 volumes of Fangshan Shijing. The book is one of the important cultural relics in the history of Buddhism in China.

Folklore

This ordinary temple, however, has a long and magical legend: Once upon a time, there was a mage who, according to the Buddha's will, drove an oval bluestone across the sea to Dinghai Bay. After landing on the beach to the north of Dinghai Bay, the master closed his eyes and sat quietly on the bluestone for a few days. Huang and Qiu, the two rich men on the shore, were surprised to find this scene. They asked curiously. The master opened his mouth and said, "Amitabha, benefactor, please give me a cassock field and build a temple to make Buddhism shine again." Huang Qiu and his "two men" looked at the cassock that the mage was wearing. It was less than a Zhang, so they agreed.

I saw the master take off his cassock and throw it into the air. The cassock was in the air, and the golden light was shining. In a twinkling of an eye, it covered the ten acres of land. When Qiu and Huang saw the scene, they knew that they were eminent monks, so they gave the land covered by the cassock to the mage and helped him build the temple. After the temple was built, the mage accepted many disciples and taught them sutras. As the temple is built near the sea, the sound of thunder like waves from the shore can be heard in the temple. Therefore, in order to praise the master's merits, later generations called the temple "Haichao Temple" and honored the master as "Haichao elder".

Experience

Another name of Haichao temple is "Jiulong Chan Temple". There is also a moving legend about its origin: it is said that master Haichao, after repairing the temple, opened the altar every day to preach scriptures and Dharma, and helped all living beings, which was praised by people. This event shocked the nine dragons in the sea. One day, Jiulong secretly left the Dragon Palace and drove to Haichao temple to find out. Just as the master was preaching scriptures to the monks, the Nine Dragons pressed the cloud head and quietly walked around the temple to listen to the Dharma. Master Haichao was so profound that Jiulong was so intoxicated that he forgot the return time that he turned into nine rolling mountains to accompany the Buddhist temple forever. After hearing the news, the Emperor gave Haichao temple the title of "Jiulong Temple". As a common name in memory of master Haichao, Haichao temple is loved by more people. As a result, two different Temple names have been used to this day. In the temple, there are statues of master Haichao crossing the sea by stone, as well as the legendary ovate bluestone that can cross the sea.

Winding along the nine mountain ranges in the East, West and south of the temple, the world has always been fascinated by the scene of master Haichao preaching. Someone wrote a poem and said, "sitting on the right side of the floating sea, you can enjoy the cassock skill. Brother Qiu Huang has a long eye, and the meeting in Kowloon shows the light of Buddha. "

For more than 600 years, Haichao temple was once prosperous. At its peak, there were more than 100 monks and attracted many visitors.

cultural meaning

According to historical records, sun Wenxi, the Prime Minister of Dali temple in Ming Dynasty, came to Haichao temple when he visited Dinghai. He praised its quiet scenery and wrote a poem: "when the sun sets on the western mountain road, it's too late to see the clouds return.

The moss on the edge of the stone is cold, and the birds are singing outside. Wild old man adds wine bitterly, mountain flower laughs for poem. Drunk door half closed, crescent hanging pine branches

Address: Hailongtun scenic spot, Zunyi

Longitude: 106.81915711381

Latitude: 27.811108654938

Chinese PinYin : Hai Chao Si