Zhiyuan Temple

Jetavana-vihara

synonym

Zhiyuan Temple generally refers to Zhiyuan Temple (Zhiyuan temple in Jiuhua Mountain)

Zhiyuan temple is located in the northeast of Jiuhua street in Jiuhua Mountain scenic spot, at the West foot of Zhaxiao peak. Zhiyuan temple is a national key temple. It was formerly known as "Zhishu Temple", also known as "Zhiyuan Temple". It was first built in the Ming Dynasty. The existing building is in the Qing Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, it was one of the Dongliao buildings of Huacheng temple in Jiuhua Mountain.

Zhiyuan temple, together with Ganlu temple, Centenary palace and Dongyan Buddhist temple, is the four major Buddhist temples in Jiuhua Mountain. It is originally called Zhishu temple. It is said that because the place where Sakyamuni lived during his lifetime was neither a temple nor a courtyard, but a jingshe or garden, it was renamed Zhiyuan, or lonely garden, which is generally called Zhiyuan temple in modern times.

On October 28, 2004, Zhiyuan temple was listed as a municipal cultural relic protection unit.

Historical evolution

Zhiyuan temple was first built in the middle of the 16th century and the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty. It was rebuilt and rebuilt many times in the Qing Dynasty. In the eighth year of the Republic of China, it was renovated and then expanded again and again. The scale of the temple is the largest in Jiuhua Mountain. Zhiyuan temple is the only palace style building in Jiuhua Mountain Temple. It has carved beams and painted buildings. It is resplendent and magnificent, including Mountain Gate, Tianwang hall, Daxiong hall, Sanjin hall and hundreds of hall houses. The front wall of the mountain gate has three glass cornices, which is magnificent. Inside the gate are two general hem HA and Wang Lingguan with red face and three eyes, holding a steel whip. In the main hall, there are three spray gold Buddha, which is more than 6 meters high. It is the largest Buddha statue in all the temples in Jiuhua Mountain. There are 18 Arhats on both sides, and the atmosphere is solemn and solemn. In addition, there are many houses, such as Abbot's house, retreat house, hanging house, clothes bowl house and fire house, which are like a labyrinth.

The first Abbot

In September 1986, the ten square jungle was restored in Zhiyuan temple, and the system of selecting sages was implemented. Shi Rende was the first abbot. Ren De is also the president of Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association and the dean of Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist College.

Surrounding scenic spots

Zhiyuan temple is adjacent to the following scenic spots: Centenary palace, Yingshen Bodhisattva, zhantan forest, north gate of the body hall, five hundred arhat hall, great compassion hall, Huacheng temple, taibaishu hall, shangchan hall, body hall, Dongya bell tower (Youming Bell Pavilion), shenguangling, Dongya Yunfang, Jiuhuashan cultural relics Museum.

Architectural style

Zhiyuan temple is the only palace temple in Jiuhua Mountain. In addition to Maitreya hall and Mahatma hall are palace buildings, the rest are residential buildings. Although the temple is arranged according to the traditional pattern of Mountain Gate - Tianwang Hall (Maitreya Hall) - Main Hall - other auxiliary halls, its technique is tortuous and changeable.

Only Garden Temple, the whole building on the mountain, row upon row, compact layout, clear hierarchy. The temple also uses pine forests and streams to decorate a beautiful natural environment, which is fascinating. Zhiyuan temple was first built in the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty (1522 AD)? ~In 1566), the temple is composed of nine single buildings, including Ling palace, Maitreya hall, Da Xiong hall, guest hall, Zhai hall, Ku yuan, tui Ju Liao, abbot Liao and Guangming lecture hall, with a construction area of 5175 square meters. Zhiyuan Temple used to be an ordinary temple. There was no abbot and the temple was about to collapse. Later, after the elder's discussion, he invited Longshan Zen master of Fuhu cave to rectify the temple. The temple took on a new look and the incense became more and more prosperous. After the death of Zen master Longshan, the temple was rebuilt by Zen master Dagen, and then expanded by Zen master kuanci, and the main hall was built, making this ordinary temple the largest Zen forest in Jiuhua Mountain.

Buddhist facilities

The gate of Zhiyuan temple is octagonal, with a three-story pagoda style building with double eaves on the top, half eaves hanging on the top, and yellow green glazed tiles. The entrance is an arch with a plaque on it. The temple is divided into front hall, middle hall and back hall. The axis of the front hall and the axis of the middle hall and the back hall form a 45 ° angle, which is a rare asymmetric plane layout.

The front hall is a three story, single eaves and hard mountain top. There are two generals of hem HA and a Dharma protector with three eyes holding a whip. On both sides of the hall are couplets with the words "three eyes watching the world, one whip awakens the world". In the middle hall, there are four statues of Vajra on the top of Xieshan mountain with double eaves and yellow walls. After the hall is the main hall, double eaves Xieshan, red walls, covered with golden glazed tiles, tall and magnificent. On the three lotus seats in the hall, there are three gold spraying Buddhas, all about 7 meters high, which are the crowns of the Buddha statues in Jiuhua temple. On both sides, there are eighteen Arhats with different expressions and expressions. There are Island painted wall carvings behind the Buddha statues, with Buddhist stories as the theme, lively and artistic appeal. These furnishings, together with the huge incense burner, candlestick and other Buddhist utensils, make the whole hall more solemn and solemn. On the back of the three great Buddhas in the main hall, stands the "island" Buddha group with a height of 1.5 meters. There are a group of colorful Buddha stories, such as "Guanyin fighting a fish", which are vivid.

The scale

From the corridor on the opposite side of the main hall, there are fa hall, Zhai hall, abbot Liao, Yi Bo Liao, Da Liao, Xiao Liao. Downstairs, there are Chan hall, Xin Jie hall and other halls. There is a big copper pot in the temple, which is called qianseng pot. In 1933, the "five hundred arhat period" Dharma teaching society was established. It was used to cook and provide fast food for thousands of people. This shows the scale of the temple. At the back of the hall are various houses and ancillary buildings for monks to live in. The Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association is located here. On the east side of the temple are the Sutra collection building and the upper hall. Rare and precious scriptures are collected in the Sutra collection building. Among them, Longcang, whose full name is Qianlong version of Dazangjing, also known as Qingzang, was completed in the third year of Qianlong reign of Emperor Gaozong of the Qing Dynasty (1738 AD). It is the only official engraved Chinese Dazangjing in the Qing Dynasty, with a total collection of 1669 sutras and 7168 volumes. Tourists should enter through the temple gates on both sides, because it is disrespectful to Buddha and Bodhisattva to cross the middle threshold, or even stand or sit on the threshold. There are more than 100 Bodhisattvas in the temple.

There are seven large copper pots in the Zhaitang Hall of Zhiyuan temple. The largest pot is 173cm in diameter and 56cm in height. It is called "qianseng stove" and can cook 200kg of rice at a time. Zhiyuan Temple skillfully uses the terrain, high and low, zigzag, exquisite structure, dignified, is a boutique of temple architecture, with architectural research value. In September 1986, the ten square jungle was restored in Zhiyuan temple, and the system of selecting sages was implemented. Shi Rende was the first abbot. Ren De is also the president of Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association and the dean of Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist College.

cultural meaning

Zhiyuan Temple of Jiuhua Mountain was built in the Jiajing period of Ming Dynasty (1522-1566 AD). It was rebuilt and added many times in Qing Dynasty. It is the largest forest in Jiuhua Mountain. It is said that Sakyamuni preached Buddhism in Zhiyuan for more than 20 years. Jiuhua Mountain only Garden Temple is named after this story. The name of Zhiyuan temple comes from the Buddhist Scripture story: for those who believe in Buddhism, they buy Prince Zhituo's garden for the price of gold paving the ground. They are ready to ask Shiying to explain it. Zhituo also believes in Buddhism and voluntarily gives up the garden. Therefore, the garden has two people's names, the full name of which is "Zhituo tree lonely garden", referred to as "Zhiyuan jingshe" for short, and becomes one of the holy places for interpretation. The passage of Zhiyuan temple is engraved with money to symbolize the holy mark of Shiying.

The nearest railway station to Jiuhuashan is Chizhou station, about half an hour's drive.

1. Civil aviation can fly to Jiuhuashan airport, or Nanjing, Hefei, Huangshan, Anqing, Wuhu airport, and then take bus to Jiuhuashan.

2. Take the train to Chizhou, Tongling, Anqing, Tunxi and Nanjing, and then take the bus to Jiuhua Mountain.

3. Take the ship to Chizhou, Tongling, Wuhu port, and then take the land route to Jiuhua Mountain.

4. There are shuttle buses from Jiuhuashan to Hefei, Guichi, Qingyang, Wuhu, Tongling and Huangshan.

Traffic routes

Shanghai, Nanjing direction:

1. Shanghai Jiuhua: self driving route map of Shanghai Jiuhua

Shanghai can go up Huqingping highway, take national highway 318, pass Huzhou and Guangde, go up Xuanguang Expressway from the entrance of Guangde, go down Xuancheng exit, then take national highway 318, pass Nanling and Qingyang, and reach Wuxi of Qingyang. You can see the gate of Jiuhua Mountain, and then you can reach Jiuhua street from there.

2. Shanghai Nanjing Jiuhua route: self driving route map of Shanghai Nanjing Jiuhua

1) Central ring road - a11 (Shanghai Nanjing Expressway) (Nanjing direction) - Nanjing Nanjing Ma Expressway (Ma'anshan direction) - Wuhu lower Expressway (there is no Expressway in front) - G205 National Road (Nanling direction) - G318 National Road (Qingyang direction) - after passing Qingyang, turn left (Jiuhua Mountain direction) at doushangye see S219. Relatively speaking, Ning Ma highway in Wuhu (near Fanchang) after the end, can take the national road. It should be said that the road is relatively easy to walk, that is, the road on the ground is too long. But the cost is the least and the distance is the shortest.

2) Central ring road - a11 (Nanjing direction) - Hefei Nanjing Expressway (Hefei direction) - Hefei Huanghua Expressway (Tongling direction) - after crossing the river, the expressway ends. Datong Dazhen G318 (Qingyang direction) S219 (Jiuhuashan direction) is enough.

Hangzhou direction: after going out of Hangzhou City, go to hang Ning expressway, get off Changxing exit, take national highway 318 to Guangde, then go to Xuanguang expressway, get off Xuancheng exit, then take national highway 318, pass Nanling and Qingyang, reach the Wuxi border of Qingyang, see the gate of Jiuhua Mountain, and then go up to Jiuhua street.

Transportation: walk from the gate of Jiuhua Mountain to the entrance of Jiuhua street.

Opening to the outside world

Opening hours: 8:00 am to 17:30 PM.

Accommodation: Jiuhuashan centenary villa, Chizhou grand Jiuhua Hotel, Jiuhuashan camphor Garden Hotel, Jiuhuashan Julong Hotel, Jiuhuashan Xifeng villa, etc.

Address: Jiuhua street in Jiuhua Mountain scenic spot, Jiuhua Town, Qingyang County, Chizhou City

Longitude: 117.804907

Chinese PinYin : Zhi Yuan Chan Si