Puguang Temple () or Puguang Chan 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
Yongding District of
Zhangjiajie,
Hunan, China.
History
According to ''Hunan Yongding Records'' (), the temple was first built by a military official Yong Jian () in 1413, under the
Ming dynasty (1368–1644).
In 1733, in the reign of
Yongzheng Emperor in the
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), a local official named Shi Cheng renovated and refurbished the temple.
Architecture
The extant structure is based on the Ming and Qing dynasties building principles and retains the traditional architectural style. The complex include the following halls:
Shanmen,
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 Four Heavenly Kings,
Hall of Guanyin
The Hall of Guanyin or Guanyin Hall ( or ) is the most important annex halls in Chinese Buddhist temples and mainly for enshrining Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara). Guanyin, also called "Guanshiyin" (), "Guanshizizai" (), "Guanzizai" (), etc., is the at ...
,
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...
,
Drum tower,
Hall of Arhats,
Dharma Hall
The Dharma Hall, also known as Lecture Hall, is an important building in Chinese Buddhism, Han Chinese Chan Buddhism, Buddhist temples. The Dharma Hall is the place for senior monks to preach and generally ranks right after the Mahavira Hall.
Wit ...
, Dining Room, etc.
Shanmen
Statues of
Heng and Ha sitting on the seats before both sides of the
Shanmen.
Mahavira Hall
Under the eaves is a plaque with the Chinese characters "
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 ...
" written by former Venerable Master of the
Buddhist Association of China Zhao Puchu. It went through more than 10 rebuilds. The latest maintenance was in 1989. 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 ...
enshrining the statues of
Guanyin,
Manjushri
Mañjuśrī (Sanskrit: मञ्जुश्री) is a ''bodhisattva'' associated with '' prajñā'' (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumārab ...
and
Samantabhadra Samantabhadra (Lit. "All Good", or "Always Auspicious") may refer to:
* Samantabhadra (Bodhisattva), a bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism associated with practice and meditation
* ''Samantabhadra'' (Tibetan: ''Kuntu Zangpo''), the name of a Buddha, ...
.
Hall of Arhats
The Hall of Arhats houses statues of lifelike
Eighteen Arhats with different looks and manners.
Hall of Guanyin
A statue of
Guanyin is enshrined in the
Hall of Guanyin
The Hall of Guanyin or Guanyin Hall ( or ) is the most important annex halls in Chinese Buddhist temples and mainly for enshrining Guanyin (Avalokiteśvara). Guanyin, also called "Guanshiyin" (), "Guanshizizai" (), "Guanzizai" (), etc., is the at ...
.
Gallery
References
Bibliography
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puguang Temple
Buddhist temples in Hunan
Buildings and structures in Zhangjiajie
Tourist attractions in Zhangjiajie
1733 establishments in China
18th-century Buddhist temples
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1733