Cultural Landscape of Nanwutai Scenic Area

As one of the holy places of Buddhism, there are many temples in Nanwutai. By the Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were more than 40 large and small temples. These temples of different sizes are distributed on various platforms, with orderly layout, exquisite architecture and fascinating. Among many temples, Shengshou Temple is the oldest and largest one.

Shengshou Temple is located on the hillside northwest of Nanwutai in Chang 'an District, Xi 'an, one kilometer southwest of Taigoukou Village in Wutai Township. Because it is located in Tasigou, it is also called Ta 'er Temple.

Walking up from Nanwutai, you can see many places of interest: the lampstand, Shen Ying Daishi death tower, Chaotianmen, Tianmen and Shengbaoquan Temple. Shengbao spring water is sweet and delicious, and it is a natural high-quality mineral water. There are Ertianmen, Qianfo Temple, Zizhulin, Santianmen and Sitianmen in turn. , all the way to Datai (the highest peak of Nanwutai). There are also some other places of interest, such as Mituo Temple, Baiyitang, Lingyingtai, Selin Temple, Wufosi Temple and Wuguan Temple. Mituo Temple is located in the south of Taigoukou Land Temple on the northern slope of Nanwutai, which is a large temple at the foot of Nanwutai Scenic Area in Zhong Nanshan National Forest Park. It is about 25 Li away from the winding path of Dading Yuanguang Temple. Surrounded by green hills on both sides, the hillside is lush with green trees. A clear stream flows in the west of the temple. When the flowers fall in late spring, there is a rouge fragrance outside the mountain, and its beauty is beyond words.

There are two ancient red and white magnolias in the temple, which are more than one arm thick. They are the oldest trees and the largest plants, which can be called a scene. In addition, there are phoenix trees, rafters, weeping willows and various flowers, and the environment is extremely beautiful. When the weather is fine, you stand outside the temple gate and overlook it. The villagers by the river are washing clothes and the farmers in the fields are farming. It is an idyllic scenery and a pleasure.

According to legend, the temple was built in the Sui Dynasty, and there is an original stone tablet in the temple. Because it is impossible to verify the specific time of its establishment, it will be called Nantangfang in the future. This temple is located at the mountain pass, with convenient transportation. Before liberation, it was occupied by Kuomintang troops many times. 1943, Chiang Kai-shek visited this temple when he held a military meeting in Huangfu. 1in the spring of 944, China held secret talks in this temple on behalf of Zhang Zhizhong, Lin and Wu to discuss the anti-Japanese issue. Prepare for the October 10th Agreement.

1984, Shi De, a member of the CPPCC National Committee of Chang 'an, made great efforts to rebuild the Great Hall of Mituo Temple. Religious people at home and abroad and kind men and women try their best to sponsor it. 1985, the renovation of the Fifth Hall of Daxiong was completed, and the inscription on the main hall of Mituo Temple in Nanwutai was sponsored. 14 years, the second floor of the Buddhist temple building of the monk family was completed in July of the lunar calendar.

The rebuilt Amitabha Temple is magnificent, with five halls dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva, which is very imposing. There are three naves, with Pilu Buddha in the middle, Manjusri Bodhisattva and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva around, and Guanyin Bodhisattva stepping on a big fish behind. There are three new Luohan pagodas in the depths of the temple. The stupa is cleverly laid out, and the base is 1.5 meters high. The hexagonal five-story wooden tower (also known as the Sky Blue Tower) is placed in the center of the Lohan Tower. On each floor of the upper four-story pagoda, there are six carved Buddha statues and bodhisattva statues, and 24 Buddha statues are embedded in its pagoda. There are 500 arhats embedded in the walls around the main hall. Its images are diverse and lifelike, which can be called artistic treasures. It has been said that no matter who has seen 500 arhats, there is always one who looks similar to himself. This statement shows the superb art of stone carving. Today, Mituo Temple is one of the more complete Buddhist temples in Nanwutai, with complete halls, meditation rooms, monasteries, painted Buddha statues, hanging banners, wooden fish and bronzes. This place is not only a holy place for Buddhists and good men and women to worship, but also a rare tourist attraction. After passing the flowing water stone, along the stone plank road, through Xingbaoquan, a river-crossing building with a bamboo forest stream, you will see a beautiful and small temple, bamboo east gallery, lattice screen, carved door, carved window, blue bricks and white walls among green trees, which is quiet and elegant. This is the ancient white hall.

According to legend, Baiyitang was founded in Sui and Tang Dynasties. After vicissitudes of life, it was in disrepair for a long time, and it was ruined during the Xianfeng period of Qing Dynasty. At that time, the mother of magistrate of a county in Chang 'an County was seriously ill and dying, so she asked a famous doctor in West Street to treat her mother. The magistrate of a county was very grateful and wanted to reward her with a large sum of money. The famous doctor declined and proposed to rebuild the Nanwutai White House. Grandpa Lin of Beiguan and other good people believe in women, and when they heard about it, they sponsored it, so they worked together to rebuild the White House and make it look brand-new. At that time, there were three buildings in Baiyitang, with six left and right wings in the middle, and a back door in front and left of the main hall. Its architecture has formed a quadrilateral pattern, which is integrated with Xiushan Creek here, compact, reasonable and natural.

The white bodhisattva enshrined in the main hall has a moist complexion, slightly open eyes, a dignified and solemn expression, beautiful and elegant, extraordinary dust removal, long hair hanging over the shoulders, oblique clothes, necklaces, garlands, armbands and waist skirts. On the powder wall of the main hall, there is a mural of Tang Priest's Buddhist scriptures in the West, which is absolutely exquisite and can be called a work of art 1959 Xiupanshan Highway Blasting Shigu Baiyitang.

Nanshan National Forest Park was established at the end of 1992, and decided to restore and rebuild tourist spots. From 65438 to 0993, Longshou Village in Anbeiguan, Xi began to rebuild. In September of the same year, the three pavilions were completed. Shengshou Temple was built in Renshou period of Sui Dynasty (60 1 ~ 604). It is said that Yang Di's mother once practiced in Shengshou Temple. In the sixth year of Tang Dynasty (77 1), it was called Nanwutai Shengshou Temple, and the Nongji Temple in Dingan was the upper courtyard of Shengshou Temple. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, Shengshou Temple was destroyed by mutiny.

In the third year of Taiping and Xingguo in the Northern Song Dynasty (978), there was a round light at the top of Daiding, and the forehead was the Hall of Round Light in Wutai Mountain. Since then, Shengshou Temple has been changed to the lower hall of Guanyintai Yuanguang Temple. Such an ancient Buddhist temple with a history of 1400 years, after many vicissitudes and repairs, still has a certain scale and is listed as a cultural relic protection unit in Shaanxi Province.

The existing Shengshou Temple, covering an area of about 9,000 square meters, sits in a narrow direction from west to east and was renovated in the Qing Dynasty. There are three mountain gates and three anterooms, forming a complete courtyard. Daxiong Hall, brick and wood structure, colorful eaves and arches. There are Maitreya, Wei Tuo and Galand Bodhisattva in the temple. In addition, there are temples, monk rooms, guest rooms and other buildings.

In the temple, the Shengshou Temple Tower built in the Sui Dynasty stands on the north side of Daxiong Hall, also known as Sakaguchi Pagoda, which is one of the oldest temple towers in China.

There is another story about the origin of the pagoda: According to legend, Emperor Wendi of Sui Dynasty and his mother traveled to India and brought back a Buddha tooth. When I came to Nanwutai, I saw the beautiful scenery and convenient meditation and chanting, so I built a tower here. Incense is flourishing here all year round, and Wendi often comes here for summer vacation, Zen meditation and Buddha worship. In the early Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin's mother came here to worship several times a year. In this way, Nanwutai became famous and became one of the holy places of Buddhism. Looking back at the Shengshou Temple in those days, it was huge, flying in the sky and reflecting the sun, with pavilions and clouds. So far, many buildings have long been dilapidated, leaving only one hall. The tower is a seven-level square attic brick tower with a height of 29.5 meters and a base circumference of 7.5 meters. The south of the first, third, fifth and seventh floors of the tower is = 1 Bi, and the east and west sides of the second, fourth and sixth floors are provided with ticket doors, and the bricks between the floors protrude into eaves, and two rows of water chestnut teeth are carved with bricks. The walls above the second floor are square wood, each floor is divided into three rooms, and the leaning column, diaphragm and bucket arch are made of bricks. The spire is also made of flat bricks, with seven iron wheels on it and an octagonal iron gate on it. The whole temple tower is made of bricks, with exquisite configuration and simple style. This tower is similar to Xingjiao Temple Tower, which was built in the second year of the Tang Dynasty (669). Because it is located in a narrow valley, the tower wall is still bright and clean, and there are almost no traces of weathering and erosion. It is said that there is a Buddha tooth relic buried under the tower. About 50 meters north of Shengshou Temple Tower, there stands the stone tower of the shadow hall of Master Yin Guang, a modern monk.

Master Yin Guang, born in Heyang County, Shaanxi Province in the 11th year of Xianfeng in Qing Dynasty (186 1), is a famous Buddhist master in modern China. Master Yin Guang was very clever when he was a child. He studied Confucian classics with his brother. Later, by some chance, he became a Buddhist.

In the seventh year of Guangxu (188 1), he became a monk at Lianhuadong Temple in Nanwutai, Zhong Nanshan. Later, in the process of practice, I accidentally read the Pure Land of Dragon Trees in the Lotus Temple in Hubei Province, and realized the mysterious convenience and harmony of the pure land Sect of Buddhism. Since then, I have been a pure land family, specializing in Buddhist practice. Then I gave him an anklet at Shuangxi Temple in Xing 'an.

In the 12th year of Guangxu (1886), Master Yin Guang went to Zifu Temple in Hongluoshan, Huairou, Beijing to specialize in pure land. In August of the same year, he recited Buddha in the temple, followed by the name, and made a wish to inherit the legacy of the pure land created by Master Hui Yuan of Tuolin Temple in Lushan Mountain in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. Later, Master Yin Guang moved to Longquan Temple, Yuanguang Temple and other famous temples.

At the invitation of Master Wenhua, abbot of Fayu Temple in Putuo Mountain, Zhejiang Province, he came to live in Fayu Temple in the 19th year of Guangxu (1893), where he studied the Tripitaka and made great progress in his studies. After that, Master Yin Guang went to Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai to give lectures and promote the Pure Land Method.

After 19 19, Master Yin Guang devoted himself to the practice of chanting Buddha in Shanghai and Nanjing. Together with lay people all over the world, he set up the Lotus Society, promoted Buddhist charity, set up Buddhist sutra printing activities, and published many articles on Buddhist theory in the Journal of Buddhism, which spread the pure land to Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, and many disciples converted because of Yin Guang.

1926, the lineal warlord Liu Zhenhua besieged Xi 'an, and Chang 'an was devastated and people's livelihood was difficult. The sculptor used the money he printed to help the people and enjoyed a high reputation in society.

1930, Master Yin Guang lived in Guobao Temple in Suzhou. After the September 18th Incident, the master was anxious to protect the country and benefit the people. He told all sentient beings to come to Shanghai at the age of 70 and called on Buddhists all over the country to make contributions to resisting Japan and saving the country. 1937 after the full-scale outbreak of War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, he took refuge in Lingyanshan Temple in Suzhou, specializing in chanting Buddha, and stopped taking part in any social activities.

1940, Master Yin Guang died in Lingyan Mountain at the age of 79. He was honored as the 13th ancestor of Pure Land Sect (13th ancestor of Lianzong Sect). His main works include Doubt of Pure Land, On Religion Should Not Be Mixed, Printing Master's Paper Money, etc., which are all important materials for practicing Pure Land. The mage preached the pure land all his life, and hung the word "death" in the middle of his humble room, which has been used to warn himself. He emphasized practice, did not covet fame and fortune, devoted himself to Buddhism and strictly observed the precepts. There is a stone statue of Master Yin Guang in Shengshou Temple.

The stone tower of Yin Guang Master Cinema is a three-story square stone structure with a total height of 8.4 1 m and a bottom circumference of 3.55 m.. There are two eaves in the middle, the tower is in a hurry, and the top is a stone vase. There is a stone gate on the east side of the tower bottom, with a square tower room and two stone tablets embedded. Its threshold is the inscription "Yin Guang Master Cinema" written by Yu Youren, a famous calligrapher, veteran of the National People's Congress and patriot in modern times. In addition, Shengshou Temple has a tablet inscribed on Guanyin Long Fu in the 29th year of Daoguang in Qing Dynasty (1849) and a portrait tablet inscribed on Yin Guang, the 13th ancestor of Lian Zong in the 34th year of the Republic of China (1945).

There are two ancient pagodas in Tang Dynasty in front of Shengshou Temple, which are rare in China and stand tall and straight. Together with Shengshou Temple Pagoda, they are called Tang Huai Sui Pagoda. There is also the larch, a symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship presented by former Japanese Prime Minister tanaka kakuei, which is now deeply rooted and towering.

Out of the gate of Shengshou Temple, we circled up the mountain road. There are temples built in modern times on all platforms in Nanwutai. Quiet scenery, beautiful everywhere, cool climate, quite suitable for people. This is really a resort for summer vacation and sightseeing.