Praying Rabbit: Domestic Temple Tourism Recommendations for the 2011 Spring Festival

Beijing Yonghe Temple

For the monks at Yonghe Temple, the first day of the first lunar month marks the beginning of the new year. In the Qing Dynasty, at this time every year, the Qing Palace would send 36 monks from Yonghe Temple to recite the "Happy Sutra to Welcome the New Year" in the middle hall. Now at two o'clock in the morning on the first day of the first lunar month, the monk got up and went to the temple to recite the Yamantaka Sutra and the Auspicious Heavenly Mother's Return of Offering Sutra until dawn. On the morning of the first day, accompanied by the deep sound of bells, the monks walked through the courtyard to the Falun Hall, recited scriptures such as "Eternal Protection Law", and prayed for world peace, national prosperity, people's safety, and a good year. .

The Lama Temple is located in the northeast corner of the inner city of Dongcheng District, Beijing, east of Yonghegong Street. It is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Beijing. In 1983, it was designated as a national key Buddhist temple in the Han area by the State Council. The temple mainly consists of three exquisite archways and five magnificent halls. It covers an area of ??66,400 square meters and has more than a thousand halls, from the East-West Archway with cornices and arches to the antique East-West Shunshan Tower. It was built during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty and has a history of 300 years. After Yongzheng's death, Qianlong transformed Yonghe Palace into Tibet Lama Temple. In the 33rd year of Emperor Kangxi's reign in the Qing Dynasty (1694), Emperor Kangxi built a palace here and gave it to his fourth son, Prince Yong, who called it a palace. In the third year of Yongzheng's reign (1725), the palace was renamed Yonghe Palace. In the thirteenth year of Yongzheng's reign (1735), when Yongzheng died, Shu stopped here. As a result, the original green glazed tiles in the main hall of Yonghe Temple were replaced with yellow glazed tiles. Because Emperor Qianlong was born here, Yonghe Temple gave birth to two emperors and became the "Blessed Land in front of the Dragon". Therefore, the temple has yellow tiles and red walls, with the same specifications as the Forbidden City. In the ninth year of Qianlong's reign (1744), Yonghe Palace was renamed Yonghe Palace, and a special prime minister was appointed to manage palace affairs without a quota. It can be said that Yonghe Temple is the highest-level Buddhist temple in China.

Opening hours: 9:00 to 17:00

Tip: Buses No. 62, 44, and 2 get off at Yonghegong, and buses No. 13, 116, and 684 Get off at the Imperial College. Take bus No. 13, 116, 117, 807, or 44 and get off at Yonghegong Station.

Must appreciate the scenery:

1. Three unique wood carvings: Five Hundred Arhat Mountain, Sandalwood Buddha, and Nanmu Shrine.

2. Bronze Xu Mi: In the courtyard in front of the main hall of the Lama Temple, there is a 1.5-meter-high bronze Xu Mi in a stone pool on an oval white marble base. In Buddhism, Mount Sumeru is the highest mountain in the world, and the Indra Heaven on the top of the mountain is naturally the highest heaven in the world and the paradise of heaven. Because Mount Sumeru is the "center of the world", Buddha Sakyamuni often lectures here.

3. Ancient Sophora japonica in the Lama Temple: Beijing, once the ancient capital of the Six Dynasties, has a large number of ancient trees. Among them, the Sophora japonica tree is a characteristic of Beijing and has been the dominant tree species among street trees in Beijing since the Yuan Dynasty. This native tree species is cold-resistant and drought-resistant. It adapts to Beijing's climatic conditions and natural environment. It has a majestic shape and rapid growth, so it is widely planted. Nowadays, ancient Chinese pagodas with hundreds to thousands of years of history can often be seen in Beijing, such as the ancient Chinese pagoda from the Tang Dynasty in Fanghua Residence in Beihai Park, and the ancient Chinese pagoda next to the broken Hong Bridge on the east side of Wuying Hall in the Forbidden City. Although it has gone through vicissitudes of life, it is still luxuriant. The ancient Chinese pagoda of the ancient temple Yonghegu in Kyoto is also a great sight.

Tanzhe Temple in Beijing

Old people often say, "First there is Tanzhe Temple, and then there is the city of Beijing." With the release of Feng Xiaogang's New Year drama "If You Are the One 2", the ancient Tanzhe Temple has become one of the "Six Scenic Spots in Beijing" and has taken on new vitality. In the film, Roi and Ann, played by Ge You, worship gods and burn incense at Tanzhe Temple, perfectly showing the peaceful and peaceful side of Tanzhe Temple. The temple was built in the first year of Yongjia in the Western Jin Dynasty (AD 307). It was originally named "Kafka Temple" and was named "Jinyun Temple" by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. However,

Tanzhe Temple is located at the foot of Tanzhe Mountain in the southeast of Mentougou District in western Beijing, more than 30 kilometers away from the city center. Sitting in the south-facing temple, with Mount Everest as its back, there are nine tall peaks surrounded by a horseshoe-shaped ring, as if they are supported by nine dragons. The tall mountains block the cold current coming from the northwest, so the climate here is warm and humid. There are towering ancient trees and pagodas in the temple, and the temples are majestic. The entire temple building is cleverly laid out according to the terrain and is well-proportioned. When decorated with famous bamboo flowers, the environment is extremely beautiful.

Opening hours: 8:20-16:30

Tips: You can get there directly from Qianmen, Fuchengmen, or bus No. 7, or you can transfer to 931 at Pingguoyuan road. Starting from the city, walk west along Fushi Road at Wukong Bridge. National Highway 108 can lead directly to Tanzhe Temple. Take National Highway 108 from Yesanpo Scenic Area and go directly to Tanzhe Temple via Magezhuang, Xiayunling and Fozizhuang.

Bishang Landscape

Mainxiong Hall: It is the most magnificent building in the temple and the highest-grade double-eaves hall style among ancient buildings. The horizontal plaque "Fu Hai Zhu Lun" is the handwriting of Emperor Qianlong. The four "gold-plated sword-light kiss strips" on both sides of the kiss are a royal gift from Emperor Kangxi and are unique to Tanzhe Temple nationwide.

Liu Bei Pavilion: The floor of Liu Bei Pavilion is paved with huge white marble and engraved with winding water channels, cleverly forming the pattern of "South Dragon and North Tiger". Visitors can enjoy the fun of "Qushui".

Stone pot fish: It is one of the "Four Treasures of Tanzhe Temple". Touching the stone fish can pray for "disaster relief".

Emperor: It is said that in the Qing Dynasty, every time a new emperor succeeded to the throne, a new branch would grow. Emperor Long named this tree "The Royal Tree".

Pilu Pavilion: It is the last building on the central axis of the temple and the tallest building in the temple. It is very rare to see the "phoenix above and dragon below" pattern on the back of its snout.

Mount Wutai in Shanxi

Mount Wutai is one of the earliest Buddhist temple buildings in China. Since Yongping of the Eastern Han Dynasty (58 ~ 75), temples have been built one after another, with towering pagodas and majestic palaces. It is the place where all the buildings in China gather. Sculptures, stone carvings, murals, and calligraphy are scattered throughout the temple, all of which are of high artistic value. Mount Wutai is a famous Buddhist resort at home and abroad. It is the dojo of the great wisdom Manjusri Bodhisattva. Mount Wutai has a long history of building temples and is large in scale. It ranks first among the four famous Buddhist mountains (——), so it is called the Golden Wutai Mountain. It enjoys a high reputation in Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal and other countries. Wutai Mountain Temple was built during the period of Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty. By the Tang Dynasty, due to the prosperity of Manjusri belief, there were more than 360 temples. In the Qing Dynasty, with the introduction of Lamaism to Wutai Mountain, two temples with their own characteristics, Qing and Huang, appeared. The area enclosed by the tops of the five platforms in Mount Wutai is called the inside of the platform, and its periphery is called the outside of the platform.

There are more than 30,000 Buddha statues in Mount Wutai, including not only Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, coercive attendants, patrons, protectors, but also Confucianism, Taoism, local religions, emperors, generals, monks and laypeople, etc. . There are eight types of Buddha statues here: clay sculptures, metal, stone carvings, wood carvings, porcelain, embroidery, embroidery, and portraits.

Wutaishan off-season ticket price: 140 yuan/person (November 1st to March 31st is the off-season)

Wutaishan peak season ticket price: 168yuan/person (April 1st) Peak season is until October 31st)

Tips:

Take the K601 train from Beijing Station to Wutaishan (22:22-04:31) to pick up the group, and then take the Take the shuttle bus and arrive at Mount Wutai in about an hour. Return: Take the shuttle bus from Wutaishan to the train station and then take the K602 back to Beijing; tourists from Beijing can take the train to Wutaishan Station (affiliated to Fanshi Blind, formerly known as Shahe Station), and then change trains. Tourists from Hohhot, Baotou, and Datong can get off at Yuanping and Xinzhou stations, and then transfer to buses to Mount Wutai. If you want to go to Mount Wutai from Shanghai, Nanjing, Suzhou, Wuxi, Xuzhou, Jinan, Shijiazhuang, Xi and Zhengzhou, you can first take the express train to Taiyuan, which is far away from Taiyuan

Famen Temple is located in Fufeng County Famen Town, ten kilometers north. It was founded in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, originated in the Northern Wei Dynasty, flourished in the Sui Dynasty, and flourished in the Tang Dynasty. Known as the "Royal Temple", it has become a Buddhist holy place that the whole country looks up to because of the placement of the finger bone relics of Buddha.

Famen Temple, a pagoda built for the relics, a temple built for the pagoda. Originally named Ashoka Temple, it was renamed Shicheng Taoist Temple in the Sui Dynasty and Famen Temple in the early Tang Dynasty. The temple was expanded in the Yuan Dynasty and the early Tang Dynasty. During the Xianqing Dynasty, No. 24 Guilin Palace was built under Emperor Gaozong of the Tang Dynasty. The architecture is spectacular. The original popular name for the tower was the "Holy Sepulchre". During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, it was rebuilt into a four-level wooden pagoda. In the Ming Dynasty, it collapsed in Longqing. In the 7th to 37th year of Wanli, a thirteen-level eight-sided brick pagoda was built, 47 meters high. In the 11th year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty, General Zhu donated money to build the tower at the end of the 28th year of the Republic of China. However, it collapsed on August 24, 1981 due to continuous rain.

Over the past ten years, under the guidance of the religious policies of the party and the government, under the guidance of Master Chengguan and Master Jingyi, and with the efforts of the four monks, the auditorium, corridor and corner pavilion have been built successively. , bell and drum towers, Zen room, old room and other places for visiting the Tang Dynasty. In 1998, the pagoda underground palace was decorated to make it a solemn reproduction, reflecting the supreme Dharma, the endless dharma realm, and combining history, religious beliefs, social sciences, and art. And as a large mandala altar with Buddha's finger relics, it reproduces the essence of Tommy Mandala, making Famen Temple the first Buddhist district in China. There is Foguang Avenue in the scenic area, with a total length of 1,230 meters, a width of 108 meters, and an area of ??about 140,000 square meters. It is a road to Buddhahood and also the landscape axis of the scenic spot.

Tickets: A one-ticket system is implemented. For 120 yuan, you can visit Famen Temple, Famen Temple Museum, and Hepu Pagoda.

Opening hours: 8:00-18:00 every day.

Warm reminder: Baoji-Famen Temple Scenic Area Route

1. Take the high-speed shuttle bus from Baoji Coach Station to Fufeng Bus Station, departing at 6:20 in the morning, and the last bus is at 18:40. Departures every 90 minutes and every 15 minutes. Ticket price is 22 yuan/ticket. 2. Transfer to a bus, shuttle bus or minibus at Fufeng Bus Station to the Famen Temple Scenic Area. The fare is 3 yuan and the journey takes 10 minutes.

Take the shuttle bus from Baoji Long-distance Bus Station to Famen Temple. It departs at 7:30 in the morning and 16:30 at 16:30. It leaves every hour and takes the Guanzhong Ring Road, which takes 150 minutes. Ticket price is 19 yuan/ticket.

In Xi'an, you can take bus No. 2 at the Railway Station Square, or take a bus at Chengxi Passenger Terminal to Fufeng County. In Baoji, you can take a bus to Fufeng County at the long-distance bus station next to the train station. After arriving in Fufeng County, take a minibus to Famen Temple Museum.

Must appreciate the scenery:

The Buddha finger relics (one gold bone and three shadow bones) unearthed from the underground palace are the only relics of Sakyamuni Buddha found in the world and have been recorded in literature And the inscriptions confirm that it is the highest holy object in Buddhism.

The Famen Temple Underground Palace is the oldest, largest and highest-level pagoda underground palace discovered in the world.

The folding pagoda of Famen Temple was built in three years. It is 148 meters high and looks like folded hands. The hollow part in the middle is a traditional Tang pagoda. There is a Foguang Avenue in front of the tower, which is 1230 meters long and 108 meters wide. Both sides of the avenue are dotted with landscape sketches and golden Bodhisattva statues derived from Buddhist scriptures. At both ends of the avenue are Pilgrimage Square and Shanmen Square, which can accommodate 100,000 people.

Henan Shaolin Temple

Shaolin Temple is located at the western foot of Songshan Mountain in Henan Province. Songshan Mountain, located in Dengfeng County, belongs to the Funiu Mountains and stretches for nearly 100 kilometers from east to west. It is one of the Five Mountains in China. There are 72 peaks in the mountains, and the peaks are famous. Taishi Mountain in the east has 36 peaks such as Taibai, Wangdu and Yunu; to the west is Shaoshi Mountain with 36 peaks such as Luohan, Luohan and Daiwan. The main peak is Jijun Peak, with an altitude of 1,492 meters, lying like a giant in the Central Plains. There are 72 temples in Songshan. Here is the oldest Songyue Temple Pagoda

Tip: To go to Songshan Mountain, you can first take a train or plane to Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, and then take a bus from the long-distance bus station opposite Zhengzhou Railway Station to the Dengshan Mountain at the foot of Zhongyue Songshan Mountain. Feng, and then take a bus from Dengfeng to Shaolin Temple, Zhongyue Temple, Star Observation Deck and other major attractions. It only takes one hour from Zhengzhou to Songshan Shaolin Temple via Dengfeng to Zhengzhou-Shaoshan Expressway. There is a one-day shuttle bus from Zhengzhou Railway Station to visit Dahuting Han Tomb in Xinmi City, Zhongyue Temple in Dengfeng, Songyang Academy, and Shaolin Temple. The round-trip ticket costs 40 yuan.

Must appreciate the scenery:

1. The Bell Tower and Drum Tower are located on both sides of the Main Hall, with the Bell Tower in the east and the Drum Tower in the west. Both buildings are four-story, ingeniously shaped and majestic. They are treasures in the history of Chinese architecture. The original building was destroyed in 1928. Later, in 1994 and 1996, the local government rebuilt the second floor according to its original appearance. After nearly 70 years of silence, the morning bells and evening drums once again echoed across the land of the Central Plains.

2. Pagoda Forest: An ancient temple hidden deep in the mountains, and Shaolin locked in the blue stream. Shaolin Temple is located in Shaoshi Mountain in the west of Songshan Mountain. It consists of Shaolin Temple, Pagoda Forest, Chuzu Temple, Bodhidharma Cave, Zuer Temple, Yongtai Temple, Shaoshi Gate and other famous attractions. Surrounded by mountains, gurgling streams, lush green cypresses and beautiful scenery, it is one of the first batch of AAAA-level scenic spots announced by the National Tourism Administration.

3. Thousand Buddha Hall, also known as Pilu Hall, is located behind Li Xue Hall. This is the last hall in the temple. The murals in the temple are very famous and are the treasures of Shaolin Temple murals.

Jokhang Temple

The Jokhang Temple is located on Bajiao Street in the center of the old city of Lhasa. It was built in AD 647. Legend has it that before the temple was built, Princess Wencheng used the Yin Yang and Five Elements to infer that the land in Tibet was like a witch lying on her back, and the Wotang Lake in Lhasa happened to be the heart of the witch. Only by filling in the lake and building a temple here can she exorcise the devil. Therefore, Songtsen Gampo built the Jokhang Temple for Princess Wencheng to enter Tibet according to her last wish.

The Jokhang Temple is called "Juekang" in Tibetan, which means welcoming Muni Buddha Temple. After seven repairs and expansions, it formed the huge building it is today. The Jokhang Temple covers an area of ??20,000 square meters and has more than 20 main halls. The main hall is in the center, four stories high and covered with a golden roof. Churches, Buddhist temples, and summoning institutions are all built around temples. There are many precious cultural relics in the Jokhang Temple, the most famous of which is the seasonal Muni Golden Buddha brought to Tibet by Princess Wencheng.

In the middle of the main hall of Jokhang Temple, there is a gilded bronze statue of Sakyamuni brought by Princess Wencheng from Chang'an. Four statues of strong men stand on both sides, with different postures and costumes exactly the same as those of Han people in the Tang Dynasty. According to Tibetan records, they were the powerful men who transported the Buddha statues to Princess Wencheng, so the Tibetan people also made statues to commemorate them. On the west side of the hall, there are collective portraits of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng and Princess Chizun of Nepal created in the 13th century. The statue of Songtsen Gampo wears a Yu Cong ring on his left index finger. It is said that this is a souvenir from Princess Wencheng's wedding and a symbol of Tibetan-Chinese friendship. Every day, many believers come here to kowtow, chant sutras, offer butter that they are reluctant to eat in front of the Buddha statue, and light thousands of butter lamps day and night.

Opening hours: 07:00-12:00 and 15:00-18:30.

Tip: You can walk to the city center, take a CMB and get off at Tibet Hospital, and take a tricycle, which costs about 4.00 yuan.

The Golden Dome of Jokhang Temple - the ticket office on the basement floor, with stairs leading to the second and third floor platforms. Looking down from the platform: Potala Palace, the magnificent building radiates and shines in the dazzling sunshine. Overlook: The Jokhang Temple Square is crowded with people, and you can see Barkhor Street, which is full of Tibetan life. There is also a teahouse here where you can take a rest in the summer.

Must-see sights:

The body image of Sakyamuni Buddha at the age of 12

There are only three statues of Sakyamuni Buddha in the world. When the founder of Buddhism, Sakyamuni, was alive, he opposed idol worship and did not build temples for gods. When he was dying, Sakyamuni only agreed to make three statues of different ages for himself, and painted the statues h

A circle around the "Juekang" Buddhist hall along the Thousand Buddha Corridor "Capsule outline" complete. This is the ‘inner circle’ of Lhasa’s inner, middle and outer turning lanes. The main sutra-reforming activities in Lhasa are centered on the Sakyamuni Buddha in the Jokhang Temple. The middle circle around the Jokhang Temple, namely "Bakuo Street", is an ancient and lively commercial street, except for the inner circle. Jokhang Temple, Wang Yao, Potala Palace, and Jokhang Temple are the "outer circle", that is, the "forest section", which has circled most of Lhasa.

Fan Huimengbei of Tang Dynasty

Entering the small square in front of the Jokhang Temple, you can see the whole picture of the Jokhang Temple. The first thing you see are two stone tablets, surrounded by a wall. On the south side is the famous Tang-Tibet Alliance Monument, which is 3.42 meters high, 0.82 meters wide and 0.35 meters thick. In the third year of Tang Changqing's reign (823), it was engraved with both Tibetan and Chinese characters.

Qiqihar Zhongling Temple

Zhongling Temple, founded in 1911, is located in Qiqihar, located in Yaoquan Mountain, one of the 14 famous mountains in Wudalianchi Scenic Area. Originally named Zhongling Temple, it was renamed Zhongling Temple due to the lack of Taoist clergy. It is now a place for Buddhist activities. The whole temple is built according to the shade, with 1 main hall, 2 main halls and 4 auxiliary pavilions, covering an area of ??6000 square meters and a construction area of ??600 square meters. They are all brick and wood structures, with sunflowers, peonies and other patterns carved on the walls. The main hall is solemn and simple, with a quiet environment. It enjoys a unique reputation and attracts visitors to stop and watch.

Must appreciate the scenery:

The representative cultural relic of Zhongling Temple is an ancient bronze bell with a height of 1.3 meters and a diameter of 0.8 meters. The bell is composed of 23 templates, engraved with 1,500 Yang Wen seal characters, describing in detail the entire process of casting the bell. Look at this clock, it looks beautiful and is well made. Whenever dawn breaks, the melodious sound of bells can be heard everywhere. An ancient saying goes, "When the morning bell rings, several celebrities in the world wake up." As a bronze civilization and superb smelting technology, this ancient bell is rare in northern China and has high ornamental and research value, so Zhongling Temple has become a local attraction.

The origin of burning incense and praying for blessings during the Spring Festival:

As the most lively traditional festival in China, the Spring Festival has a history of more than 4,000 years. There are many theories about the origin of burning incense during the Spring Festival, that is, burning incense during the Spring Festival, but the most accepted one is that the Spring Festival began with Yu Shun. One day more than 2000 BC, Shun became emperor and led his men to worship heaven and earth. After Buddhism was introduced to China from India, the custom of burning incense during the Spring Festival gradually formed. Since then, people have regarded this day as the beginning of the year. This is said to be the origin of the Lunar New Year, which later became known as the Spring Festival. Burning incense during the Chinese New Year means burning incense on the head. After midnight during the Spring Festival, when the market opens, families burn incense, worship gods, and ancestors to welcome the New Year in order to welcome good luck and avoid disasters. It is a ceremony from the boss to the ninth worshiper, which is extremely sincere.

Notes on temple tourism:

Famous temples are widely distributed and are the focus of tourists' visits. However, tourists should keep in mind the four taboos when visiting temples to avoid disputes and unpleasantness.

First, avoid inappropriate titles. The monks and Taoist priests in the temple should be called "master" or "master", and the monks who preside over the temple should be called "elder", "abbot" or "Zen master". The monks in the lamasery called him "Lama", which means "guru". It is forbidden to call him "monk", "monk" or even other insulting names.

Second, avoid improper etiquette. The common way to meet a monk is to put your hands together and lower your head slightly, or put the palm of one hand on your chest and lower your head slightly. Avoid inappropriate etiquette such as shaking hands, hugging, and touching the monk's head.

3. Don’t say inappropriate words to monks and Taoists. Do not mention words such as killing animals, getting married, or eating red meat, so as not to arouse the monk's disgust.

4. Avoid inappropriate behavior. When traveling to a temple, don’t make loud noises, make comments, say ridiculous things, and don’t walk around or move things in the temple. In particular, scratching the statue is prohibited.

At Buddhist events, you should stand quietly or leave