The highest temple of Theravada Buddhism - the Xishuangbanna Grand Buddhist Temple

The Grand Buddhist Temple, built in 615 AD, has a history of over 1400 years and is the first Buddhist temple built in the Xishuangbanna region after the introduction of Theravada Buddhism. 700 years ago, the Grand Buddhist Temple was designated by the Pacification Commissioner as the highest-ranking temple, responsible for issuing territorial Buddhist activities, serving as the place for the announcement and approval of senior monk promotions, the inauguration of new Pacification Commissioners, and the oath-taking ceremonies of various local chieftains. To this day, it still oversees more than 590 temples in Xishuangbanna Prefecture, becoming the center of Theravada Buddhist culture in China, as well as a hub for cultural exchange between Chinese, Southeast Asian, and South Asian Buddhism. The architecture of the Xishuangbanna Grand Buddhist Temple is grand and majestic, with beautifully carved beams and columns. Its splendor is truly stunning, and its plaque was inscribed by Zhao Puchu, the president of the Buddhist Association of China, unmatched by other temples. During our visit, we also encountered the vice president of the Buddhist Association of China, Pa Song Lie Long Zhuang Meng, who is from the Dai ethnic group in Menghai, Yunnan, presumably here to preach and spread the teachings at the Buddhist college. The main structures of the Grand Buddhist Temple are built according to traditional Dai architectural craftsmanship, consisting of the main hall, precept hall, Ajamuni Relic Stupa, drum tower, bell tower, elder's quarters, monk's quarters, Buddhist college, guest reception building, dining hall, and a standing Buddha statue approximately 7.9 meters high. The temple's main buildings are exquisitely beautiful, with the outer walls inlaid with traditional zodiac bas-reliefs, eight patron saint bas-reliefs, and ten dragon guardian deities sculpted above the ten entrance halls. The silver treasure cauldrons on top of the main hall shine brightly under the sunlight; the temple is surrounded by a golden glow, as if the Buddha's light is shining and blessing all beings. The bell tower and drum tower are used by the temple to convey information to the faithful and to respectfully invite the Buddhas from all directions during Buddhist ceremonies, sending auspicious and peaceful messages to the people through various bell and drum sounds. In the western corner of the Grand Buddhist Temple, there is a special sacred Bodhi tree, brought over from Sri Lanka in 2005 by a Buddhist delegation consisting of the Sangharaja, the Minister of the Tooth Relic, and the Bodhi elder, who escorted it all the way to Yunnan, China, to be enshrined in the Xishuangbanna Grand Buddhist Temple. It is said that this Bodhi tree is the third-generation sapling of the very tree under which Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment and became the Buddha, and it is revered as a sacred Bodhi tree.