The Guoqing Temple () is a
Buddhist temple
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represen ...
on
Mount Tiantai, in
Taizhou,
Zhejiang
Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...
Province, China. Originally built in 598 CE during the
Sui dynasty
The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...
, and renovated during the reign of the
Qing
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...
Yongzheng Emperor
, regnal name =
, posthumous name = Emperor Jingtian Changyun Jianzhong Biaozhen Wenwu Yingming Kuanren Xinyi Ruisheng Daxiao Zhicheng Xian()Manchu: Temgetulehe hūwangdi ()
, temple name = Shizong()Manchu: Šidzung ()
, house = Aisin Gioro ...
(r. 1722–1735), the temple is located roughly from the city of
Hangzhou
Hangzhou ( or , ; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), also romanized as Hangchow, is the capital and most populous city of Zhejiang, China. It is located in the northwestern part of the province, sitting at the head of Hangzhou Bay, whi ...
. It was the initial site for the creation of the
Tiantai
Tiantai or T'ien-t'ai () is an East Asian Buddhist school of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed in 6th-century China. The school emphasizes the ''Lotus Sutra's'' doctrine of the "One Vehicle" (''Ekayāna'') as well as Mādhyamaka philosophy, ...
school of
Mahāyāna Buddhism
''Mahāyāna'' (; "Great Vehicle") is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices. Mahāyāna Buddhism developed in India (c. 1st century BCE onwards) and is considered one of the three main existing bra ...
, founded by the Chinese Buddhist teacher
Zhiyi
Zhiyi (; 538–597 CE) also Chen De'an (陳德安), is the fourth patriarch of the Tiantai tradition of Buddhism in China. His standard title was Śramaṇa Zhiyi (沙門智顗), linking him to the broad tradition of Indian asceticism. Zhiyi i ...
(5382–597 CE).
The temple covers an area of some and features 600 rooms in a total of 14 different halls, including the Grand Hall of
Sakyamuni
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
, the Hall of Five Hundred
Arhat
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...
s and the Hall of Monk
Jigong
Ji Gong (, 22 December 1130 – 16 May 1209), born Li Xiuyuan and also known as "Chan Master Daoji" () was a Chan Buddhism, Chan Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk who lived in the Southern Song. He purportedly possessed supernatural powers, which he used ...
. The exterior of the building features
Chinese pagoda
A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...
s such as the Sui Pagoda, the Seven Buddha Pagoda, and the Memorial Pagoda of Monk
Yi Xing
Yi Xing (, 683–727), born Zhang Sui (), was a Chinese astronomer, Buddhist monk, inventor, mathematician, mechanical engineer, and philosopher during the Tang dynasty. His astronomical celestial globe featured a liquid-driven escapement, the ...
(6832–727 CE).
History
In 598 CE, according to
Master Zhiyi's last wish, the ruler of
Sui dynasty
The Sui dynasty (, ) was a short-lived imperial dynasty of China that lasted from 581 to 618. The Sui unified the Northern and Southern dynasties, thus ending the long period of division following the fall of the Western Jin dynasty, and layi ...
(581–618 CE) built Guoqing Temple on Mount Tiantai. The
Tiantai
Tiantai or T'ien-t'ai () is an East Asian Buddhist school of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed in 6th-century China. The school emphasizes the ''Lotus Sutra's'' doctrine of the "One Vehicle" (''Ekayāna'') as well as Mādhyamaka philosophy, ...
school was one of the first
Chinese Buddhist schools to evolve from
East Asian Buddhism
East Asian Buddhism or East Asian Mahayana is a collective term for the schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed across East Asia which follow the Chinese Buddhist canon. These include the various forms of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vi ...
after
it was spread to China.
Its founder, the Chinese Buddhist teacher
Zhiyi
Zhiyi (; 538–597 CE) also Chen De'an (陳德安), is the fourth patriarch of the Tiantai tradition of Buddhism in China. His standard title was Śramaṇa Zhiyi (沙門智顗), linking him to the broad tradition of Indian asceticism. Zhiyi i ...
(538–597 CE), lived on Mount Tiantai in Zhejiang for a long time—hence the name of the Tiantai school.
Under the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
(618–907 CE), a large number of
Japanese diplomats came to China. In the second year of the Zhenyuan Period (804 CE), the eminent
Japanese Buddhist
Buddhism has been practiced in Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while exten ...
monk
Saichō
was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school of Buddhism based on the Chinese Tiantai school he was exposed to during his trip to Tang China beginning in 804. He founded the temple and headquarters of Tendai at Enryaku-j ...
came with the diplomats. He studied the Tiantai doctrines in Guoqing Temple on Mount Tiantai introduced by Lu Chun, prefectural governor of
Ningbo
Ningbo (; Ningbonese: ''gnin² poq⁷'' , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), formerly romanized as Ningpo, is a major sub-provincial city in northeast Zhejiang province, People's Republic of China. It comprises 6 urban districts, 2 sate ...
, Zhejiang. One year later, Saichō returned to Japan where he founded the
Tendai
, also known as the Tendai Lotus School (天台法華宗 ''Tendai hokke shū,'' sometimes just "''hokke shū''") is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition (with significant esoteric elements) officially established in Japan in 806 by the Japanese m ...
school, based on the Tiantai teachings.
Since then, the Guoqing Temple has been regarded as the cradle of the Tendai school in Japan.
Renovation of Guoqing Temple in the PRC era
In 1972, in order to restore
diplomatic relations between China and Japan, the Japanese Prime Minister
Kakuei Tanaka
was a Japanese politician who served in the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives from 1947 Japanese general election, 1947 to 1990 Japanese general election, 1990, and was Prime Minister of Japan from 1972 to 1974.
After ...
paid a visit to the
People's Republic of China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
to which the
Chinese government
The Government of the People's Republic of China () is an authoritarian political system in the People's Republic of China under the exclusive political leadership of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It consists of legislative, executive, mili ...
attached great importance and made proper arrangements.
During Tanaka's visit, he proposed a personal request to Prime Minister
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai (; 5 March 1898 – 8 January 1976) was a Chinese statesman and military officer who served as the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, premier of the People's Republic of China from 1 October 1949 until his death on 8 J ...
to worship at Guoqing Temple, as it was the ancestral temple of
Tendai Buddhism
, also known as the Tendai Lotus School (天台法華宗 ''Tendai hokke shū,'' sometimes just "''hokke shū''") is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition (with significant esoteric elements) officially established in Japan in 806 by the Japanese ...
in Japan.
Tanaka's mother was a devout Buddhist from the Tendai school, who, before he visited China, had asked him to pay homage in the Guoqing Temple on her behalf.
After Tanaka's request, Zhou made inquiries to the relevant departments of Zhejiang province. However, he was told that the Guoqing Temple was unable to receive the Japanese guest at that time as it had not been repaired for many years.
Tanaka was informed that Guoqing Temple was being renovated and that he would receive an invitation after it was completed.
Zhou Enlai ordered the renovation plan for Guoqing Temple almost immediately after the visit and stipulated that the temple was to be renovated by 1975.
After receiving the notification document, the government of Tiantai County immediately established the Tiantai County Guoqing Temple Restoration Committee.
Because of the
Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goal ...
, some of the ancient buildings inside the temple
had been either destroyed or damaged by the
Red Guards
Red Guards () were a mass student-led paramilitary social movement mobilized and guided by Chairman Mao Zedong in 1966 through 1967, during the first phase of the Cultural Revolution, which he had instituted.Teiwes According to a Red Guard lead ...
for many years after the
anti-religious campaign in Communist China. Many original statues of Buddha and musical instruments of the temple had been lost or vandalized. The Restoration Committee gave notice to all units and people from the entire county to find these cultural relics from the Guoqing Temple. A total of 323 out of 500 statues of the Five Hundred
Arhat
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...
s from the temple were found stored in a farm implements factory in Tiantai County, with a few having sustained some damage. A large bronze musical stone () with inscriptions, which was cast during the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
(1644–1911), was also found in another storehouse. In addition, horizontal inscribed boards () were also found in a cotton textile mill in the same county.
The
State Council State Council may refer to:
Government
* State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President
* State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
permitted the Restoration Committee to select and transport some Buddha statues and sacrificial vessels to Guoqing Temple. The committee went to the
Palace Museum
The Palace Museum () is a huge national museum complex housed in the Forbidden City at the core of Beijing, China. With , the museum inherited the imperial royal palaces from the Ming and Qing dynasties of China and opened to the public in 192 ...
,
Yonghe Lamasery, Beijing Cultural Relics Management Office, and other units of cultural relics to select Buddha statues and musical instruments as a replacement. A total of 109 cultural relics were selected and transported to Guoqing Temple, which were packed in 12 big cases.
As there were many cultural artefacts, some of them being huge Buddha statues, it was decided that they would be transported by train. The railway sector arranged two specialized train carriages to transport them. Among the relics, the largest was a statue of
Sakyamuni Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
dating to the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
(1368–1644) which weighed 13 tonnes. After the renovation, the statue of Sakyamuni was placed in the middle of the
Mahavira Hall
A Mahavira Hall, usually simply known as a Main Hall, is the main hall or building in a traditional Chinese Buddhist temple, enshrining representations of Gautama Buddha and various other buddhas and bodhisattvas. It is encountered throughout ...
, with statues of the
Eighteen Arhats
The Eighteen Arhats (or Luohan) () are depicted in Chinese Buddhism as the original followers of Gautama Buddha (''arhat'') who have followed the Noble Eightfold Path and attained the four stages of enlightenment. They have reached the state of N ...
on both sides of the hall. A large bronze tripod from the
Qianlong Period of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911) was placed in front of the Mahavira Hall. Two white marble lions were placed before the gate of the temple.
The original cultural relics from Guoqing Temple, some of which were damaged, were also restored. The Restoration Committee invited 78 surviving craftsmen to participate in the restoration of Guoqing Temple. During the restoration of the horizontal inscribed boards and couplets on the pillar of the temple, it was discovered that some characters on these horizontal inscribed boards and couplets had been lost or damaged.
To restore these incomplete cultural relics, the craftsmen used a unique skill, namely the "dried lacquer and ramie process" (). The craftsmen used 13 raw materials, such as raw lacquer, ramie, colorful stone powder and tung oil to wrap and glue the linen and paint which they then polished repeatedly. Then, they painted auxiliary materials, such as cinnabar, and at last, they pasted gold foil. A total of 2.5 kilograms of gold was used in the restoration efforts.
In addition to renovating and repairing the original cultural relics, workers of the Restoration Committee elaborately designed some new sculptures and items inside the temple. Statues of two
vajra warriors (
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
: 金刚力士;
Pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...
: ''Jīngāng Lìshì'') inside Guoqing Temple were also reshaped by the craftsmen. Besides, the altar () in the Mahavira Hall were also built by the craftsmen. They spent over 300 labor-hours on the carve patterns on the altar.
The temple's
Free Life Pond is located at the southwest corner of the temple. Beside the pond are the ''Yuleguo'' ("fish's paradise") stele () inscribed by
Dong Qichang
Dong Qichang (; courtesy name Xuanzai (玄宰); 1555–1636), was a Chinese painter, calligrapher, politician, and art theorist of the later period of the Ming dynasty.
Life as a scholar and calligrapher
Dong Qichang was a native of Hua Ting (l ...
, a famous calligrapher from the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), as well as an imperial monument from the Qianlong Emperor. Ten black
carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
from Linghu Nuresery (),
Jiaxing
Jiaxing (), alternately romanized as Kashing, is a prefecture-level city in northern Zhejiang province, China. Lying on the Grand Canal of China, Jiaxing borders Hangzhou to the southwest, Huzhou to the west, Shanghai to the northeast, and the ...
, Zhejiang, was introduced into the pond.
During the renovation, an ancient
prune
A prune is a dried plum, most commonly from the European plum (''Prunus domestica''). Not all plum species or varieties can be dried into prunes. A prune is the firm-fleshed fruit (plum) of ''Prunus domestica'' varieties that have a high solu ...
tree which was planted under the Sui dynasty (581–618 CE) over 1300 years ago in Guoqing Temple was revived. With unremitting efforts of the craftsmens, Guoqing Temple's renovation was completed as scheduled.
On October 18, 1975, the first delegation of Japanese guests was received.
National treasures
The large bronze tripod () cast in
Qianlong Period of the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
(1644–1911) of China comes from the
Palace Museum
The Palace Museum () is a huge national museum complex housed in the Forbidden City at the core of Beijing, China. With , the museum inherited the imperial royal palaces from the Ming and Qing dynasties of China and opened to the public in 192 ...
. Its shape is simple, unsophisticated and elegant. With two ears and three feet, it is high overall, with the four big characters of "Sheng Shou Wu Jiang" (). The tripod is decorated with three lions playing ball wheel of life, conch and other eight-treasure patterns. Exquisitely patterned it is of very high artistic vallce. Over 40 years ago, it was collected in the Palace Museum in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. Now it belongs to Guoqing Temple more than a thousand miles away from Beijing.
The statue of Sakyamuni is a bronze statue made in the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
(1368–1644).
The 18 Arhat statues come from
Yonghe Lamasery. They are high-quantity works carved with nanmu in the
Yuan dynasty
The Yuan dynasty (), officially the Great Yuan (; xng, , , literally "Great Yuan State"), was a Mongol-led imperial dynasty of China and a successor state to the Mongol Empire after its division. It was established by Kublai, the fifth ...
(1271–1368).
The two white marble
Chinese guardian lions
Chinese guardian lions, or imperial guardian lions, are a traditional Chinese architectural ornament, but the origins lie deep in much older Indian Buddhist traditions. Typically made of stone, they are also known as stone lions or shishi () ...
come from Beijing and were carved in the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
(1644–1911).
Significance
From the Guoqing Temple, the
Tiantai
Tiantai or T'ien-t'ai () is an East Asian Buddhist school of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed in 6th-century China. The school emphasizes the ''Lotus Sutra's'' doctrine of the "One Vehicle" (''Ekayāna'') as well as Mādhyamaka philosophy, ...
school of
East Asian Buddhism
East Asian Buddhism or East Asian Mahayana is a collective term for the schools of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed across East Asia which follow the Chinese Buddhist canon. These include the various forms of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vi ...
originated and spread to both
Korea
Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...
and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
during the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
(618–907 CE). The tall brick Guoqing Pagoda built at the temple in the year 597 CE is still standing,
[Steinhardt, 433.] making it one of the oldest surviving brick pagodas in China, after the tall Chinese
Songyue Pagoda
The Songyue Pagoda (), constructed in AD 523, is located at the Songyue Monastery on Mount Song, in Henan province, China.Yetts, 124. Built during the Northern Wei Dynasty, this pagoda is one of the few intact sixth-century pagodas in China and is ...
built in 523 CE.
Gallery
Image:Guoqingsi006r.jpg, The Hall of Five Hundred Arhat
In Buddhism, an ''arhat'' (Sanskrit: अर्हत्) or ''arahant'' (Pali: अरहन्त्, 𑀅𑀭𑀳𑀦𑁆𑀢𑁆) is one who has gained insight into the true nature of existence and has achieved ''Nirvana'' and liberated ...
s
Image:Guoqingsi004r.jpg, Guoqing Temple stele
A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...
Image:Guoqingsi002r.jpg
Image:Guoqingsi005r.jpg
See also
*
Enryaku-ji
is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was first founded in 788 during the early Heian period (794–1185) by Saichō
was a Japanese Buddhist monk credited with founding the Tendai school of Buddhism bas ...
*
Jiuhuashan
*
List of Buddhist temples
This is a list of Buddhist temples, monasteries, stupas, and pagodas for which there are Wikipedia articles, sorted by location.
Australia
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Brazil
* Khadro Ling Buddhist Temple, Três Coroas, Rio Grande do Sul ...
*
Tiantai Buddhism
Tiantai or T'ien-t'ai () is an East Asian Buddhist school of Mahāyāna Buddhism that developed in 6th-century China. The school emphasizes the ''Lotus Sutra's'' doctrine of the "One Vehicle" (''Ekayāna'') as well as Mādhyamaka philosophy, ...
**
Cheontae
Cheontae is the Korean descendant of the Chinese Buddhist school Tiantai. Tiantai was introduced to Korea a couple of times during earlier periods, but was not firmly established until the time of Uicheon (1055-1101) who established Cheontae in ...
**
Tendai
, also known as the Tendai Lotus School (天台法華宗 ''Tendai hokke shū,'' sometimes just "''hokke shū''") is a Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition (with significant esoteric elements) officially established in Japan in 806 by the Japanese m ...
*
Zhou Jichang
Zhou Jichang (), Japanese: Shuu Kijou) (active late twelfth century) was a Chinese painter of the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279 AD). His artwork featured many central themes of Chinese Buddhism and Buddhist folklore.
His contemporary and associate was ...
References
Bibliography
*
*
Further reading
*Steinhardt, Nancy Shatzman. "The Tangut Royal Tombs near Yinchuan," Muqarnas: An Annual on Islamic Art and Architecture (Volume X, 1993): 369–381.
External links
Tourism in Tiantai Mountain
{{Zhejiang topics
6th-century Buddhist temples
6th-century establishments in China
Buddhist temples in Taizhou, Zhejiang
Buildings and structures in Taizhou, Zhejiang
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Zhejiang
Religious buildings and structures completed in 598
Tiantai temples
Tiantai County
Tourist attractions in Taizhou, Zhejiang