imported>Ciic: Created page with 'The '''Great Xiangguo Temple''', standing in the centre of Kaifeng, is a temple of great fame, status and influence in Chinese Buddhism. It was established in 555, the sixth...'

2010-03-24T01:37:52Z

Created page with 'The '''Great Xiangguo Temple''', standing in the centre of Kaifeng, is a temple of great fame, status and influence in Chinese Buddhism. It was established in 555, the sixth...'

New page

The '''Great Xiangguo Temple''', standing in the centre of [[Kaifeng]], is a temple of great fame, status and influence in Chinese Buddhism.

It was established in 555, the sixth year of the Tianbao Period of the [[Northern Qi]] and called the Jianguo Temple. It was destroyed in war and rebuilt in 711. In 712, Emperor Ruizong (r. 710-712) renamed it Great Xiangguo Temple to mark his enthronement.

In the early [[Song Dynasty]], around the mid-10th century, it became the royal temple, with the emperor directly appointing the abbots of its branch temples.

Now, the temple has a Devaraja Hall, a Mahavira Hall, an octagonal Vaidurya Hall and a Sutra Pavilion. A Sharira of Sakyamuni’s true body donated by the Lingshan Temple of Singapore was set in the monastery in 1993. Many of its Buddhist statues are rarities, which include a gingko-wood statue of the 1,000-Armed-and-1,000-Eyed Avalokiteshvara in the octagonal Vaidurya Hall. Famous both at home and abroad, the seven-meter-high statue has 1,000 hands in each of its four sides, stretching out in four layers. This exquisite piece of art was made during the reign period of the Qing [[Emperor Qianlong]] (1736-1785), and took over 50 years to complete.
[[File:Great Xiangguo Temple.jpg|thumb|Great Xiangguo Temple, Kaifeng, Henan]]
[[category:tourism]][[category:temple]]

Great Xiangguo Temple - Revision history

imported>Ciic: Created page with 'The '''Great Xiangguo Temple''', standing in the centre of Kaifeng, is a temple of great fame, status and influence in Chinese Buddhism. It was established in 555, the sixth...'