Xitian Temple

Xitian Temple

Xitian Temple

It is located in zucuo village, XunZhong Town, Dehua County, on the north slope of the West Tianshan Mountain with an altitude of more than 900 meters. Xitianshi was listed as the second batch of cultural relics protection units in Dehua County in April 1983. Xitiansi temple is located in the northwest of ZengShi korong Hall (see Quanzhou ancestral hall, ZengShi korong Hall) in the belly of xitianshan mountain. It was built by the ZengShi people of korong to worship Guanyin Bodhisattva.

Xitian temple was built in the late Tang Dynasty and early Song Dynasty. According to the place name in the local genealogy and the list of monks in the past dynasties, the temple existed in the Song Dynasty. Before the Ming Dynasty, it was called the Xitian temple. There were many monks living in the temple. They were self-sufficient in farming. Later, they became officials because of the production of the temple, and the monks and disciples went to the temple.

The Xitian temple has been repaired in the past dynasties. During the great leap forward in the 1950s, it was once regarded as the headquarters of Dehua chemical plant. During the "Cultural Revolution", Xitian temple was damaged; after 1981, it was rebuilt many times, named Xitian temple and added Guanyin Pavilion. It forms two main buildings seen in today's Xitian temple. Walking along the forest path for more than 500 meters, it is the "monk field" site, which is now opened as a release pool. There is a deep stream in front of the pool, full of craggy rocks and strange rocks, and flowing water. Beside the pool, there are Buddha pavilions such as "benevolence Palace".

Introduction to Temple

Xitiansi temple is built in the Qing Dynasty. It is a civil structure with three entrances and three bays. The building area is 505.46 square meters. There is a plaque on the top of the main hall in 1732. In front of the door, there is a big iron bell hanging on the eaves beam, which is donated by Li Daotai, a Jinshi in the second year of Kangxi (1663) of the Qing Dynasty (see the list of Quanzhou people · Li Daotai) and his sons, grandsons and resident monks.

In the hall, Guanyin Bodhisattva is worshipped. On the left side of the hall, Puming patriarch is worshipped. On the right side, Gutan wooden plate is worshipped by one to four generations of monks living in Xitian temple. There is also a statue of King Buddha in Tibet in the Qing Dynasty, and a bronze censer donated by Xu Guangdong in the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty. There are two murals in the hall: one is the second year of Daoguang (1822) and the other is the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860). It should have been done by the Zeng family.

Layout structure

There are seven pairs of wooden couplets inscribed on the inner and outer porch pillars of Xitian temple, including Zeng Guansheng and Zeng Naisheng, Gongsheng in Ming Dynasty (1457-1464), Zeng Xiyuan, Ding chouke Jinshi in 1757, Zeng chongdeng and Zeng Qingyang, renwuke Jinshi in 1742.

Zeng Guansheng of Ming Dynasty said: "the moon shines on Kefeng, which was originally the eye of the West; the clouds and waters of tanyun and tengde always belong to the South China Sea." Sign: "Buddhist disciple Zeng Guansheng and Zeng Weizu are both honoring the magazine." In the Qing Dynasty, Zeng repeated: "the mother's kindness is due to the fact that she is silent and shows kindness and diligence; the son, Hu ran, is always praying for this place. He is not ashamed to be true." Sign: "foyizi has been on the title again." Zeng Xiyuan, Qing Dynasty: "bisiya, ziiya, lingshuang Tathagata, how can the Dharma world divide each other? It's heaven, it's not heaven, the clouds are not stained, and every inch of heart knows right and wrong. " Sign: "Li Ren Zeng Xiyuan title."

Zeng Huanzhang and Zeng Xianglong: "when you wake up in a dream of fame and benefit, you feel as if you are immortal as Buddha." Sign: "Buddha disciple Huan Zhang, to Long Jing ti." The wooden column couplet in front of the hall: "living in the South China Sea for thousands of years, it's like the eternal spirit in the West." Zen chamber couplet in the left chamber of the main hall: "all beings have understanding, and everyone can become a Buddha."

Plants in the temple

On both sides of the courtyard in front of the hall, there are two camellia trees more than 200 years old, named "Eighteen Bachelor". The biggest tea tree is about 3 meters high, and the smaller one is about 2 meters high. Its trunk is as strong as a small barrel, its crown and branches are numerous, and its buds and buds are as bright as stars.

Its unique feature is that the same plant with different pistils can produce delicate and colorful flowers on the same plant, such as crimson, peach, pink, snow-white and milky white. Camellia with white in red and red in white gather in one tree. The instruction board of Camellia said: "Zeng Gong, the native place of Camellia, was brought back from Yunnan in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and has been cultivated ever since." According to the county annals, the two Camellia plants were brought back from Yunnan by Qianlong Jianli people when they were in the main hall of Pingyi County, Qujing Prefecture, Yunnan Province. (refer to the list of Quanzhou people, Zeng redun, Quanzhou history website)

Goddess of Mercy Pavilion

Guanyin Pavilion is a two-story brick and wood structure with a construction area of 344 square meters.

At the top are more than 100 bottles of Avalokitesvara, which were donated and sponsored by people from all walks of life in January 2000. There are various kinds of Guanyin, such as wood carving, porcelain carving and copper casting. The largest is 50 cm high, and the smallest is 40 cm high.

The lower floor is the dream room for pilgrims.

Main landscape

Xitian temple has beautiful scenery and pleasant climate. There are many precious cultural relics and scenic spots in the scenic area. There are deep forests and ravines, strange peaks and rocks, clear springs and waterfalls. Xitian temple is the core scenic spot of the scenic spot. It was built in the Song Dynasty and is a county-level cultural relic protection unit. There are two "authentic 18 bachelor's" Camellia in the Qing Dynasty in the temple, which are more than 220 years old, and have high ornamental and protection value. At the same time, there are wooden couplets, murals, cast iron clocks, copper censers carved by Jinshi in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, which have high cultural relic protection value There are more than 100 bottles of wood carved, porcelain carved and copper cast Avalokitesvara in different sizes and colors. The Seven Star Cave Scenic Spot is mysterious, and the shady path is a good place for fitness and leisure. The scenic spot also has some scenic spots and cultural relics, such as the free life pool, the monkey garden, the tomb of the prime minister, and the Kerong hall, which is the first choice for Dehua suburban holiday tourism and leisure fitness.

geographical position

Xitian temple is located in zucuo village, XunZhong Town, Dehua County, Fujian Province. It is more than 900 meters above sea level and about 12 kilometers away from Chengguan.

According to the local genealogical name and the list of monks in the past dynasties, the temple existed in the Song Dynasty. Before the Ming Dynasty, it was called Xitian temple. There were monks living in it. Later, because the temple was produced and became an official, the monks went there, so it was renamed Xitian room. The temple is famous for worshiping Guanyin. It has been repaired in all dynasties.

Reconstruction period

The temple is rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty, with a suspended mountain style wooden structure. The main building is 25.5 meters long, 19.9 meters long and covers an area of 505.46 square meters. In the temple, there is an iron bell donated and cast by Li Daotai and his sons, grandsons and resident monks in the second year of Kangxi reign (1663 A.D.), a plaque in the 10th year of Yongzheng reign (1732 A.D.), Zeng Guansheng and Zeng Naisheng in tianshunjian reign (1453-1464 A.D.), Zeng Xiyuan in Dingchou reign of Qianlong reign, Zeng chongdeng in renxu reign of Qianlong reign and Zeng Qingyang in the Qing Dynasty, and seven pairs of inscribed wooden couplets It is the ancient sandalwood plate of the ancestors of the past dynasties, a king Buddha in Tibet carved in the Qing Dynasty, and a copper incense burner donated by Xu Guangdong in Yongchun of the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty.

During the "Cultural Revolution", Xitian temple was destroyed. Since 1979, the local people have carried out renovation.

literary allusion

In the martial arts novel Tianlong Babu, Jin Yong used Duan Yu's words to describe this vividly: "there is a famous Camellia in Dali, which is called" Eighteen scholars ". It is the best in the world. There are eighteen flowers on one plant. They are different in color. The red one is all red, and the purple one is all purple. There is no half mixture. And the 18 flowers are different in shape, each with its own beauty. When they open, they open together, and when they thank, they thank each other. "

In Xitian temple, there are two very rare Camellia plants. The biggest one is about 3 meters high and 220 years old. According to Jiang Limei of Dehua County Forestry Bureau, its unique feature is that it can produce colorful flowers on the same plant, such as crimson, peach, pink, snow-white and milky white. Camellia with white in red, Camellia with red in white gather in one tree. Under the sunshine, red and white are matched, which is full of fun.

According to the records of Dehua county annals, the two Camellia plants were brought back to Dehua Xishan temple for cultivation by Zeng chongdeng, a Jinshi of renxuke in 1741.

According to the introduction of forestry experts, the flowers of the eighteen bachelor Camellia native to Yunnan are mostly red or crimson in the same color, and the eighteen bachelor Camellia like Dehua, which can produce different color flowers from the same plant, are rare in China.

Appreciation value

There are more than 100 bottles of Avalokitesvara in Xitian temple, including wood carvings, porcelain carvings and bronze carvings. Each bottle of Avalokitesvara is of different sizes, colors and various forms. The largest Avalokitesvara is 50 cm high and the smallest is 40 cm high. These art group sculptures are elaborately carved by art creators and have high appreciation value and protection value.

Address: Jiuhua street, Jiuhua Mountain, Jiuhua Town, Qingyang County, Chizhou City

Longitude: 117.801296

Latitude: 30.479409030153

Tel: 0566-2832630

Ticket information: no ticket required. Included in the ticket of Jiuhua Mountain scenic spot. There is a charge for accommodation and meals.

Chinese PinYin : Xi Tian Si