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Huayan Temple
Huayan Temple (Huayan si), lying in the
western part of town, got its name because it was, and remains,
a major temple of the Huayan sect, a sub-category of the
Buddhism popular in north China. This is one of the biggest
temples in China, and it is easy to spend a day here, wandering
about the halls and courtyards, admiring the architecture.
The temple was originally built in the
Liao Dynasty (916-1125 AD), as an ancestral temple to the
imperial family, but it became an important Buddhist temple
in the ensuing Jin Dynasty (1115-1234 AD). The temple's
most prosperous years, apart from recent wealth, were during
the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD), when popularity
allowed for the large scale repairs and renovation that
give the temple its modern day look.
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The large temple is divided into two parts,
both with a separate entrance fee. The Upper Temple has
various halls, the largest of which is the Grand Hall (Daxiong
baodian), otherwise known as the Mahavira Hall, that houses
five large Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD) Buddhas, 26 guardians
and numerous attractive murals. Surrounding the Grand Hall
are other halls for other Buddhas, including a side hall
dedicated to Ksitigarbha, the guardian of the earth who
is known in China as Dizang. The Lower Temple is smaller
than the upper, but has a lot of charm. The main room here,
the Bojiajiaocang Hall (Baojiajiaocang baodian), contains
some Liao Dynasty statues, and some heavenly deities, known
in China as Tianwang.
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