Yongning Temple

Yongning Temple

Yongning Temple in Yancheng was built in the sixth year of Wude of Tang Dynasty (AD 624). The former site is located in the north head of Guangming Lane in Yancheng county (now the playground in the south of Yancheng middle school). It was one of the 36 famous temples in China at that time. In 1129 ad, the army led by Nian Han surrounded Huaiyin in two ways, and Han Shizhong retreated after defeat. The account of the Chinese army was in Yongning Temple. Master yunyin, a devout protector of the country, on the one hand healed Han Shizhong and on the other hand raised food. After that, Han Shizhong went to Zhenjiang and defeated the golden soldiers in Huang tiandang. After the southern Anhui Incident, master Xuesong, the abbot of Yongning Temple, organized the Anti Japanese rescue team of Yancheng Buddhist community to treat the patients of the New Fourth Army and publicize the Anti Japanese principles. He was called "revolutionary monk" by Chen Yi and Liu Shaoqi. After that, the temple was destroyed. In early 1993, Yancheng Municipal People's government decided to rebuild Yongning Temple in Haichun road.

Yongning Temple is currently presided over by master Renfeng, with more than 20 monks. The morning bell and the evening drum sound loud and clear every day. He has received Buddhist personages from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and other countries, as well as tens of thousands of domestic pilgrims. Yongning Temple has become a scenic spot for tourists and worshippers.

Historical evolution

overview

The former site of Yongning Temple is located in bazixiang (now the southeast corner of Yancheng middle school) in the north of Yancheng county. It was built in the third year of Wude of Tang Dynasty (620). It is one of the 36 temples in Tang Dynasty. Until the end of Qing Dynasty, it was still the hall of five entrances. south

In 1129, Han Shizhong, a famous anti Jin general, set up a Chinese military tent in the temple. Yue Fei went to Yongning Temple four times to discuss the anti Jin plan with Han Shizhong and Liang Hongyu. Han Shizhong and his wife lived in seclusion in their later years. During the Anti Japanese War, master Xuesong, the abbot of Yongning Temple, actively participated in the Anti Japanese and national salvation movement, and rescued the wounded and sick of the New Fourth Army with his own traditional Chinese medicine. He was praised as "revolutionary monk" by Liu Shaoqi and Chen Yi. Yongning Temple was also destroyed by Japanese artillery fire.

At the beginning of 1993, the people's Government of Yancheng City decided to rebuild Yongning Temple in another place. The current site is located at No. 12, Haichun Road, Yancheng City. It faces south and covers an area of 40 mu.

After ten years of construction, Yongning Temple has basically restored its original scale and reappeared the scene of the jungle in the past. He has received Buddhist circles from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore, as well as pilgrims from home and abroad. Yongning Temple has become a scenic spot for promoting Buddhism and sightseeing in Yancheng City.

Historical records

According to the records of Yancheng county annals of Xuxiu, "the temples of the temple are towering and resplendent, and they have sprung up hundreds of miles away. People who used to swim in the sea take this as a guide car. "There is a screen wall outside the eight character red wall. In the center of the red wall is the head hall. On both sides of the red wall are two clay sculpture generals. In the middle of the red wall is Maitreya with gold. The second hall has a 10 Zhang square patio with a stone slab in the middle. To the north of the patio is the main hall, which says: "huaisi is the first, and it can not cover empty clouds.". The grand building is a rare large-scale Dougong structure in Northern Jiangsu. The hall is a double eaves with no beam and purlin. It integrates arch, flying crane, shaking, flat seat, juetou, forehead, column, paving and Fu Yuan. The design is exquisite and unique. The top of the hall has 7749 grid caisson ceiling with simple and unique patterns. There are eighteen Arhats in gold on both sides of the hall. In the hall, there are three Buddhas of the third Buddha of the Tathagata. They are more than ten feet high. The body of the Buddhas is big and the gold is bronze. On the back of the hall, there are three-dimensional sculptures decorated with white elephants and some gods and generals. In the back of the hall, the patio is the Sutra collection building, which is a two-story ancient building with a number of Sutra cabinets and ten thousand volumes of sutras. Why is Yongning Temple so large? According to the records of Geography in the old book of the Tang Dynasty, "Wei Che occupied Shezhou and Sheyang, Anle and Xin'an counties at the end of the Sui Dynasty. He came and returned in the fourth year of Wude (621 A.D.), abandoned Shezhou in the seventh year of Wude (624 A.D.), and still set up Yancheng county.". At the end of the Sui Dynasty, the world was in chaos, the people were in dire straits, and there were many heroes. Weiche, a leader of peasant uprising, led an uprising army to conquer Yancheng, an important coastal town, in the 11th year of Daye of Sui Dynasty (615 AD). He became king in Yancheng and set up Shezhou. He divided Yancheng into three counties, namely Sheyang, Xin'an and Anle (the latter two counties govern dingmagang in the northwest of Louwang town in Yandu County and shangchengzhuang in the southwest of Qingfeng town in Jianhu County). Weicher built a temporary palace at the South Gate of Yancheng (now Yancheng middle school), where he ruled for seven years. In the fourth year of Tang Wude, Li Yuan, a cousin of emperor Gaozu of Tang Dynasty, and Li Shentong, king of Huai'an, defeated Wei Che and fled. Wei Che almost captured him alive. After Wei Che saw that the general trend of Li Yuan's unification of the world had been decided, he took the initiative to surrender, and Li Yuan still made him king. Three years later, weicher died of illness. Li Yuan ordered the state and its three counties to withdraw, but Yancheng county was still restored. The temporary palace was demolished, and a large temple was built on the original site of the palace, which is called "Yongning Buddhist temple for protecting the country", which means here to worship the gods, and there will be no more rebels. Yongning Temple has been repaired from generation to generation and kept in good condition. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, it was still a hall of five entrances, a side hall of two chambers, and many monk rooms. In the mountain gate, there is an ancient cypress planted by Cheng Yaojin in the early Tang Dynasty. After Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty went south, Han Shizhong, the general of the imperial camp and his wife Liang Hongyu, were stationed in Huaiyang. In 1129 A.D., in the third year of Jianyan of the Southern Song Dynasty, he led a large army to encircle Huaiyang in two ways. Han Shizhong was defeated and retreated. In March, he stationed in Yancheng, and the Chinese Army's tent was located in Yongning Temple. At the beginning of the Anti Japanese War, Yongning Temple was struck by lightning and caught fire in a storm, destroying the ancient cypresses and some temples. Before the Japanese army attacked Yancheng, the Kuomintang troops in Yancheng voluntarily abandoned Yancheng and set fire to the city. Yongning Temple was seriously damaged again. After the southern Anhui Incident, the New Fourth Army rebuilt its headquarters in Yancheng. Acting commander Chen Yi and political commissar Liu Shaoqi visited Abbot Xuesong at Yongning Temple several times. When the Anti Japanese democratic government of Yancheng county was established, master Xuesong served as a member of the Senate of Yancheng county. With the education and help of Chen Yi, Liu Shaoqi and other leaders, he supported the Anti Japanese national united front of the Communist Party, actively participated in Anti Japanese cultural propaganda activities, organized the Anti Japanese rescue team of Yancheng County Buddhist circles, and served as an instructor himself. With his expertise in traditional Chinese medicine, he rescued many patients of the New Fourth Army. He also risked his life to cover Hu Yang, Su Hai, Huan Jiping, Li Jinong and other Communist Party cadres. Chen Yi and Liu Shaoqi called him "revolutionary monk". After the Japanese occupied Yancheng, the monks of Yongning Temple fled and the temple was further damaged. After the victory of the Anti Japanese War, Yongning Temple was left in ruins. At the beginning of 1993, Yancheng Municipal People's government decided to rebuild Yongning Temple in another place, and established a Yongning Temple restoration Committee with the vice president of China Buddhist Association, the president of Jiangsu Buddhist Association and master Mingshan, the abbot of Dinghui temple in Jiaoshan, Zhenjiang, as the director. After reconstruction, the original scale of Yongning Temple is basically restored, and the Buddhist scene of Yongning Temple in the past is reappeared. Yongning Temple is currently presided over by master Mingshan and supervised by master Chengyuan, with more than 20 monks. The morning bell and the evening drum sound loud and clear every day. He has received Buddhist personages from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and other countries, as well as tens of thousands of domestic pilgrims. Yongning Temple has become a scenic spot for tourists and worshippers.

Main attractions

Yongning Temple has a mountain gate, Tianwang hall, Daxiong hall, bell and Drum Tower, sutra collection building, pagoda and wing room, monk's house, etc. on the mountain gate is a famous temple craftsman inscribed by Zhao Puchu, President of the National Buddhist Association. In the heavenly king hall, there are four heavenly kings carved with camphor wood. In the main hall, there are 5.2 meters long, 8 tons of lying Jade Buddha and several sitting Jade Buddha, as well as statues of Avalokitesvara and other Buddhas.

There are four heavenly kings carved in Cinnamomum camphora wood in Tianwang hall. In Daxiong hall, there is a 5.2-meter-long Jade Buddha weighing 8 tons. In front of the hall, there is a 15 meter high open-air statue of Avalokitesvara, which is pure, solemn and bright.

Address: Hailong Road, Tinghu District, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province

Longitude: 120.14170074463

Latitude: 33.402084350586

Chinese PinYin : Yong Ning Si