Longhua Temple
A millennial Buddhist venue, Longhua Temple, located in Longhua Town, boasts is nationally famous for its long history and grand scale. It occupies an area of over 20,000 sq. m. and comprises of several adjoining halls: The Grand Hall, the Three Sages Hall, and the Hall of Maitreya and the Abbot Chamber, in addition to the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower by the side of its major building.
The well-known “Evening Chiming of Longhua Bell” takes place on the eve of the lunar New Year. When the time comes, 108 chimes of the big bell resound in the air with dragon and lion dances going on the square. Inside the temple, one hundred monks would hold a solemn ceremony praying for luck and happiness for people.
Opposite the temple stands the Longhua Pagoda. It is said that both the temple and the pagoda were built in 242 in the reign of King Sun Quan of the Wu State during the Three Kingdoms Period. The pagoda is of brick and wood structure, 40 meters tall with seven stories in octagonal shape. The eaves on every story and the bells hanging on the corners and corridors can be clearly seen from afar.
