The Haibao Pagoda 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 ...

located in Xingqing District of Yinchuan, Ningxia,

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 ...

. Because of earthquakes, the modern temple was founded in the 18th century in the period of the

Qianlong Emperor The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...

(1736–1796) during the mid- Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It is the headquarters of the Buddhist Association of Ningxia.

History

The temple was first constructed in the early 5th century, during the Northern and Southern dynasties (420–581). The temple is named after the Haibao Pagoda (), also known as "Hebao Pagoda" () and "Heibao Pagoda" (). According to the local county annals, the pagoda was restored by Helian Bobo (381–425) and the Emperor Wulie of Xia Kingdom (407–431). The temple had been subjected to two earthquakes in 1712 and 1778, during the mid- Qing dynasty (618–907). In the early Republic period (1912–1949), it was called "Haibao Chan Temple" (). In March 1961, it was listed among the "

Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Ningxia Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicator ...

" by the

State Council of China The State Council, constitutionally synonymous with the Central People's Government since 1954 (particularly in relation to local governments), is the chief administrative authority of the People's Republic of China. It is chaired by the p ...

. In October 1963, the then Vice-President Dong Biwu visited the temple. In the 1960s, Deng Xiaoping visited the temple. In 1983, the temple was categorized as a

National Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Area National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

by the State Council of China.

Architecture

The entire complex faces the west and has an exquisite layout in the order of the

Hall of Shanmen The Shanmen (), also known as the Gate of Three Liberations, is the most important gate of a Chinese Chan Buddhist temple. Etymology The origins of the name "sanmen" are debated. One theory is that "''Shanmen''" takes its literal meaning of "M ...

, Hall of Four Heavenly Kings,

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 ...

, Hall of Skanda, and Hall of Jade Buddha.

Hall of Shanmen

The

is a gable and hip roof building. Under the eaves is a plaque with the Chinese characters "" written by Zhao Puchu, the then president of the Buddhist Association of China.

Mahavira Hall

The

in the main hall in the temple which houses the statues of the Three-Life Buddha. The statues of Eighteen Arhats are enshrined on the left and right side of the hall.

Hall of Jade Buddha

The Hall of Jade Buddha is the hall where the statue of Shakyamuni is enshrined. The statue was carved in the

Burmese Burmese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Myanmar, a country in Southeast Asia * Burmese people * Burmese language * Burmese alphabet * Burmese cuisine * Burmese culture Animals * Burmese cat * Burmese chicken * Burmese (hor ...

style. The statue is made of

jade Jade is a mineral used as jewellery or for ornaments. It is typically green, although may be yellow or white. Jade can refer to either of two different silicate minerals: nephrite (a silicate of calcium and magnesium in the amphibole group of ...

Haibao Pagoda

The eleven story, tall, dodecagon-based, Haibao Pagoda () is made of

brick A brick is a type of block used to build walls, pavements and other elements in masonry construction. Properly, the term ''brick'' denotes a block composed of dried clay, but is now also used informally to denote other chemically cured cons ...

and stone, also known as the Northern Pagoda (). It is built on a square brick base, each side measuring long and high. It is composed of a pagoda base, a dense-eave body, and a thatsa.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Temple of Haibao Pagoda Buddhist temples in Ningxia Buildings and structures in Yinchuan Tourist attractions in Yinchuan 5th-century establishments in China 5th-century Buddhist temples 18th-century establishments in China 18th-century Buddhist temples Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Ningxia