There is also a Kaiyuan Temple in Fuzhou, which is 130 years earlier than Quanzhou, but its reputation is much worse.

Speaking of Kaiyuan Temple in Fujian, the first impression is definitely Quanzhou. Interestingly, there is also Kaiyuan Temple in Fuzhou, but the reputation is too different.

Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou resounds at home and abroad, and the East West Tower is famous all over the country, while Kaiyuan Temple in Fuzhou is much lower-key. Is the latter too weak? Not exactly. Only after my field trip did I know that the latter has a higher status than the former.

Kaiyuan Temple in Fuzhou is located in an alley on Gudong Road. If you don't come here on purpose, it's easy to ignore.

In front of the lane, there is a memorial archway-style mountain gate with four columns, three doors and three floors. The roof is the roof of the palace, covered with golden glazed tiles. This is the highest-level building in China, and there is a stone tablet engraved with "Royal Temple of Tang Dynasty" next to it, which reveals the long past of Kaiyuan Temple.

Kaiyuan Temple was built in 548 AD, during the chaotic Southern and Northern Dynasties. It is the oldest temple in Fuzhou with a history of 1400 years. Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou was built in the early Tang Dynasty in 686, and Fuzhou was earlier than Quanzhou 130 years. With the blessing of years, Fuzhou Kaiyuan Temple gained more confidence.

Originally Dayun Temple, it was renamed Kaiyuan in the 26th year of Tang Kaiyuan (738) and became the royal temple in Fuzhou. In Tang Wuzong, the whole country has launched a massive campaign to destroy Buddhism, requiring each state to keep only one temple. Kaiyuan Temple is preserved because it is a royal temple.

The temple was built on Ganoderma Hill, named after the growth of Ganoderma lucidum. Ganoderma lucidum mountain is invisible. There is a saying in Fuzhou that "three mountains are now hidden", and Shan Zhi is one of the three invisible mountains.

There was a poem in Qing Dynasty: "How many temples are there in Liang Xiao today? The remains of Mount Shan Zhi still exist, telling the vicissitudes of Kaiyuan Temple.

Kaiyuan Temple in Song Dynasty covers a wide area, starting from the main road in the east, reaching Shangbin Road in the west, Sanmufang in the south and Jingyuan Lane in the north, which is the same as Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou now. Now there are only some areas left, and Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou has been the largest temple in Fujian for a long time.

The temple is not open to the public, and the plaque hanging on the gate was inscribed by Ou Yangxun, a great calligrapher in the Tang Dynasty. The layout of temples in the temple is unconventional. There is no Hall of Great Heroes, and there is no bell tower and drum tower. On the right are the Pharmacist Hall and the Tiefo Hall, and on the left are the Luohan Hall and Guanyin Garden. The two big banyan trees in the yard are big and dense, which makes the temple look much more compact.

The pharmacist temple is dedicated to the pharmacist Buddha, which can eliminate disasters and prolong life. This is the main Buddha in the temple. The pharmacist Buddha is the main Buddha of Kaiyuan Temple, which started in the Tang Dynasty and continues to this day. The sign painted in the pharmacist's hall is prescription.

Kaiyuan Temple has a tradition of treating people since ancient times. After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), Fujian Buddhist Hospital, the largest Buddhist hospital in China at that time, was established. In Guanyin Garden, there is also a temple to treat patients.

Above Yakushido is Lingyuan Pavilion, which was built in memory of Master Kong Hai. Master Kong Hai has a deep relationship with Fuzhou. At that time, the master braved many difficulties and braved the wind and waves to come to the Tang Dynasty. The first city he visited was Fuzhou, and the place where he lived was Kaiyuan Temple. While discussing Buddhism in Fuzhou, the master looked for opportunities to enter Chang 'an.

Konghai stayed in Kaiyuan Temple for 1 month, during which he wrote a poem "Poetry in the Deep of Spiritual Source": "It is difficult for those who step on danger to walk, but it is difficult for stone and alkali beasts to get up. The candle is dark and the road ahead is confusing, and Shu people are not allowed to climb. " Kaiyuan Temple has also become the "first stop into the Tang Dynasty" in the empty sea.

There is a bronze statue of the empty sea in the temple, which is bigger than a real person. He is 2.8 meters tall and weighs 1.3 tons. The master is dressed in cloth, holding a mord, wearing sandals, and his face is firm. He will not stop until Chang 'an.

The treasure of Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou is the East-West Stone Pagoda, and the treasure of Fuzhou is the iron Buddha-Amitabha Buddha.

This Buddha statue was cast in 1083, which was a rare iron Buddha statue in the Northern Song Dynasty. It is hollow inside, 5.3 meters high, 4 meters wide and weighs 50 tons. The giant Buddha is made of wax, and the casting site is in a dry well in the temple. Fuzhou, called Yecheng in ancient times, is famous for smelting and casting. This iron Buddha is a witness to the smelting level.

The iron Buddha is stored in the Iron Buddha Hall, and the couplet in front of the door reads a poem in the late Ming Dynasty: "The ancient Buddha originated from the iron man, but ordinary people say it is a golden body."

There are many Guanyin statues in Guanyin Garden, all of which are carved out of a whole granite. Each Guanyin statue has a different posture, either with one hand or meditation, one Buddha and one scene.

The resting stone bench is Guanyin's hand, the palm is a pier, and the fingers are the backrest. Sitting on such a stone bench, I dare not move, but sit quietly.

Compared with Quanzhou, there are not many tourists here, and foreign tourists rarely set foot. Most of them come to burn incense for the local people. The temple is quiet and peaceful, filled with faint incense. If you come to Fuzhou, you can look here and feel the massiness of the royal temples in the Tang Dynasty.

Address: Gudong Road, Gulou District, Fuzhou, free of charge.

Transportation: Take bus 1 17, get off at Shangbin Road Station and walk eastward 100 meters.

Free scenic spots in major cities all over the country are here. Pay attention to the author: Lin, you can get it.