Daci'en Temple
Daci'en Temple | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Buddhism |
Sect | East Asian Yogācāra |
Location | |
Location | Yanta District, Xi'an, Shaanxi |
Country | China |
Geographic coordinates | 34°13′26″N 108°58′14″E / 34.223942°N 108.970523°E |
Architecture | |
Style | Chinese architecture |
Founder | Emperor Gaozong of Tang |
Funded by | Xuanzang |
Date established | 648 |
Completed | 1466 (reconstruction) |
Daci'en Temple (Chinese:
History[edit]
Located in Jinchangfang (进昌
The temple was rebuilt in 1466, in the reign of Chenghua Emperor in the Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
On March 4, 1961, the temple was listed among the first group of the "Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Shaanxi" by the State Council of China.[5]
In 1983, the temple was authorized as a National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Area by the State Council of China.
In early 2001, it was categorized as an AAAA level tourist site by the China National Tourism Administration.
On June 22, 2014, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was added to UNESCO's list of World Cultural Heritage.
Architecture[edit]
The complex include the following halls: Shanmen, Mahavira Hall, Hall of Four Heavenly Kings, Bell tower, Drum tower, Buddhist Texts Library, Xuanzang Sanzang Hall, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Pagodas Forest, etc.
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda[edit]
The Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, also called the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Great Wild Goose Pagoda and Dayan Pagoda. Was built by Xuanzang in 652. The 63.25-metre (207.5 ft) pagoda has the brick structure with seven stories and four sides of ancient Indian style. It has been renovated and redecorated several times since the Tang dynasty (618–907).[6][7][4]
Mahavira Hall[edit]
The Mahavira Hall enshrining statues of Vairocana, Mahavairocana and Sakyamuni. The two disciples' statues are placed in front of the statue of Sakyamuni, the older is called Kassapa Buddha and the middle-aged is called Ananda. The statues of Eighteen Arhats sitting on the seats before both sides of the gable walls.
Xuanzang Sanzang Hall[edit]
The Xuanzang Sanzang Hall (
Pagodas Forest[edit]
The temple has a history of almost 1400 years, has nine pagodas, which enshrine the Buddhist relics of successive abbots of Daci'en Temple. Their names and birthdates are carved in their pagoda.
National treasure[edit]
The temple houses 20 slices of the palm leaf manuscript, which were brought from ancient India by Xuanzang.
References[edit]
- ^ a b Zhang Yuhuan (2012), p. 223.
- ^ a b Zi Yan (2012), p. 16–17.
- ^ "Why Modi visited Daxingshan Temple and Ci'en Temple". Chinadaily. 14 May 2015. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Xi'an attractions: Big Wild Goose Pagoda". Chinadaily. 4 March 2011. Retrieved 24 April 2018.
- ^
国 务院关于公布 第 一批全国重点文物保护单位名单的通知. sach.gov.cn (in Chinese). 2010. Archived from the original on 2017-11-28. Retrieved 2018-04-24. - ^ Liang Sicheng (2005), p. 122.
- ^ Zhang Yuhuan (2012), p. 224–225.
Bibliography[edit]
- Zi Yan (2012). Famous Temples in China (in English and Chinese). Hefei, Anhui: Huangshan Publishing House. ISBN 978-7-5461-3146-7.
- Zhang Yuhuan (2012). "Cradles of East Asian Yogācāra: Xi'an Daci'en Temple" 《
法相 宗祖 庭 :西安 大 慈恩寺 》. 《图解中国 佛教 建 筑》 [Illustration of Buddhist Architecture in China] (in Chinese). Beijing: Contemporary China Publishing House. ISBN 978-7-5154-0118-8. - Liang Sicheng (2005). "Giant Wild Goose Pagoda in Ci'en Temple" 《
慈恩寺 大 雁 塔 》. 《中国 建 筑史》 [Architecture History in China] (in Chinese). Heping District, Tianjin: Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House. ISBN 7-5306-4168-9.