Ciyun Temple (Chongqing)
History
The original temple dates back to the Tang dynasty (618–907). The modern temple was founded in 1757 during the reign of Qianlong Emperor in the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) and initially called "Temple of Guanyin" (观音庙). It was enlarged in 1927 by Chan master Yunyan (云岩) and would later become the "Ciyun Temple". Ciyun Temple has been designated as a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Area by the State Council of China in 1983. A modern restoration of the entire temple complex was carried out in April 2016.
Architecture
Now the existing main buildings include Shanmen, Heavenly Kings Hall, Mahavira Hall, Hall of Samantabhadra, Hall of Guanyin, Hall of Manjushri, etc. Most of the halls and rooms still maintain the architectural style of the Tang dynasty (618–907).
Mahavira Hall
The Mahavira Hall is the main hall in the temple. A 1.87-metre (6 ft 2 in) high and 1,500-kilogram (3,300 lb) weight jade statue of Sakyamuni is enshrined in the center of the hall. It was bought from Myanmar in 1931. It is one of the four largest jade statues of Sakyamuni in China. Statues of Eighteen Arhats lines up on both sides.
References
- ^ 重庆慈云寺取消门票免费开放(图). sina (in Chinese). 2013-05-13.
- ^ 僧尼同修:重庆慈云寺. ifeng (in Chinese). 2010-12-03.
- ^ Zheng Xuan (2014-06-06). 一代高僧惟贤长老舍利入塔 重庆千人雨中相送. ifeng (in Chinese).
- ^ 时隔89年慈云寺首次大修(图). 163.com (in Chinese). 2016-04-05.
- ^ 重庆慈云寺,这里有中国四大玉佛之一. 163.com (in Chinese). 2017-08-17.
- ^ "Ciyun Temple in Chongqing". Chinadaily (in Chinese). 2014-10-25. Archived from the original on 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2018-06-25.