Qixia Temple

Qixia Temple () is a Buddhist temple located on Qixia Mountain in the suburban Qixia District of Nanjing, Jiangsu, northeast of downtown Nanjing. It is one of Nanjing's most important Buddhist monasteries. The temple is the cradle of East Asian Mādhyamaka.

History

Built in AD 489, the 7th year of the Yongming era during the Southern Qi dynasty (479–502),Qixia Temple
/ref> the temple is known for its large collection of Chinese Buddhist visual art and sculptural art in the grounds. These consist of pagodas, murals and artwork that date back to the 10th century.

It has had several names over the centuries, including the "Gongde Temple" (; Tang dynasty), "Miaoyin Temple" (; Southern Tang dynasty), "Puyun Temple" (; Song dynasty), "Yanyin Chongbao Chan Temple" (; Song dynasty), "Jingde Qixia Temple" (; Song dynasty) and "Huxue Temple" (; Song dynasty).

In 1372, at the dawn of Ming dynasty (1368–1644), the temple was renamed "Qixia Temple" which is still in use now.

In the late Qing dynasty (1644–1911), Qixia Temple was completely destroyed by the Taiping Rebellion.

The modern restoration of the entire temple complex was carried out in 1919, after the establishment of the Republic of China. During the Nanjing Massacre, the temple was a temporary refuge of four months for more than 24,000 civilians fleeing the masscare. The incident was reenacted into a movie ''Qixia Temple 1937'', which helped in boosting visitorship to the temple.

Near the temple site and situated on the slopes of Qixia Hill, is the "Thousand Buddha Caves", a grotto containing many Buddhist sculptural works of art.

Description

Buddha's Relics Pagoda

The Qixia Stupa () or Buddha's Relics Pagoda is in the southeast of Qixia Temple. It was built in 601 and destroyed in the Tang dynasty (618–907). In 945, it was rebuilt by Southern Tang dynasty emperor Li Jing.

The pagoda has a five-story, octagon-shaped structure. It is high and perched on a two-story stylobate carved with waves and a dash of fish and Chinese flowering crab apples.

Pilu Hall

Behind the Mahavira Hall is the Pilu Hall () enshrining the statues of Vairocana, Brahma and Indra. At the back of Vairocana's statue are statues of Guanyin, Longnü and Sudhana. The statues of the Twenty Devas stand on both sides of the hall.

Pavilion of Giant Buddha

The statue of Amitābha is enshrined in the Pavilion of Giant Buddha (). It was built in the 5th century during the Southern Qi dynasty (479–502). The sitting statue is high and high adding the throne. Statues of Guanyin and Mahasthamaprapta stand on the left and right sides of Amitābha's statue. In front of the pavilion there are two statues of Guiding Buddha of the Qixia Stupa, both are more than high.

Thousand Buddha Rock

To east side of the Qixia Stupa is the Thousand Buddha Rock (), the only Buddhist grottoes of the Southern dynasties (420–589) in China. There are 297 Buddhist niches and 515 statues. In the following dynasties, such as Tang (618–907), Song (960–1279), Yuan (1271–1368) and Ming dynasties (1368–1644), statues were also carved. Totally there are more than 700 statues.

Alumni

Hsing Yun

Hsing Yun, the founder of Taiwan's Fo Guang Shan, was tonsured at Qixia Temple in 1941. He was a disciple of Master Zhikai and studied for several years at the Qixia Vinaya School.

References

Bibliography

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Qixia Temple
Buildings and structures in Nanjing
Tourist attractions in Nanjing
1919 establishments in China
20th-century Buddhist temples
Religious buildings and structures completed in 1919
Buddhist temples in Nanjing
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Jiangsu
Buddhist relics