Fengguo Temple

Fengguo Temple made me fall in love at first sight! From the moment I saw the photo, I decided to visit. I couldn't wait for the Qingming Festival mini-holiday to rush to Yixian County in Jinzhou, where Fengguo Temple is located in this little-known small county town. When I, full of anticipation, truly stood inside the Daxiong Hall and looked up at the seven Buddha statues, the shock in my heart told me: this trip was worth it. Built in 1020, Fengguo Temple is a royal monastery constructed by Emperor Yelü Longxu of the Liao Dynasty in his mother Empress Dowager Xiao's hometown. It has a typical Han Chinese Buddhist temple layout, and the Daxiong Hall is the only remaining Liao Dynasty building in the temple, hailed by Liang Sicheng as 'a millennium national treasure, the supreme national treasure,' and is the largest existing ancient single-story wooden structure in China. The temple's mountain gate, archway, and Hall of Heavenly Kings were all rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. When it comes to 'Buddha,' most people only think of Sakyamuni, but the main hall of Fengguo Temple houses seven Buddha statues, representing Sakyamuni and the six Buddhas who appeared before him. All seven Buddhas have entered parinirvana and are thus known as the Past Seven Buddhas. The seven Buddha statues have similar sitting postures and expressions, but a closer look reveals that each has a different hand gesture, representing different aspects of Buddhist wisdom and compassion. 🔶Essence of the Daxiong Hall: 1. Architecture: A representative of the top construction standards of the Liao Dynasty, using the highest specifications of seven-layer bracket sets for Buddhist halls. The fact that we can witness this once-in-a-millennium treasure today is not unrelated to the exquisite craftsmanship and meticulous material selection of the time. 2. Liao Dynasty clay-colored Buddha statues: In addition to the seven Buddha statues, the Daxiong Hall also contains 14 Bodhisattva statues and two Heavenly King statues, all of which are fine examples of Liao Dynasty Buddhist statuary art. 3. Reversed Avalokiteshvara: Sculpted during the Ming Dynasty, it sits back-to-back with the Vipasyin Buddha among the seven Buddhas, a relatively rare male form of Avalokiteshvara. 4. Paintings and murals: The paintings on the beams of the Daxiong Hall are well preserved, with excellent depictions of flying Apsaras. There are Yuan Dynasty murals on the walls, but unfortunately, they are severely damaged and have become indistinct. 🔶Hall of Heavenly Kings: Originally built during the Jin Dynasty and rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. In the center of the hall, Maitreya Buddha is enshrined, flanked by Heavenly Kings holding different ritual instruments, symbolizing the wish for favorable weather. The well-preserved murals here are worth a closer look, depicting stories of Sakyamuni. Fengguo Temple Practical Information 📍Address and Transportation: No. 18 Dong Street, Yixian County, Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, equipped with a parking lot that charges per use. 🕑Opening Hours: 8:00-16:30 🎫Ticket Price: On-site tickets are 50 yuan, online tickets are 40 yuan, but they must be purchased at least 3 hours in advance. 🌟Tips: 1. There is a guided tour service in the scenic area, which allows for a more detailed visit. 2. The temple offers a self-service vegetarian meal, worth trying if you happen to be there at mealtime. 3. The cultural and creative shop offers stamp collection and souvenirs for purchase.

Fengguo Temple is located within the city of Yixian in Jinzhou, Liaoning Province. It was founded in the ninth year of the Kaibao era of the Liao Dynasty (AD 1020) and encompasses ancient Chinese wooden architecture, sculpture, colored painting, mural, stone carving, stele, plaques, and more, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic, and scientific value. The Fengguo Temple's Liao Dynasty Daxiong Hall is 55 meters long and 33 meters wide, with a total height of 24 meters. The architectural style is a combination of a five-ridged single-eave seven-bay hall and a pavilion-style wooden structure, which is the highest grade of ancient Chinese wooden architectural remains. In 1961, it was announced by the State Council as one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units, in 2008 it was rated as a national AAAA-level tourist attraction, in 2012 it entered the 'Chinese World Cultural Heritage Tentative List', and was included in the UNESCO 'World Heritage Tentative List'. Fengguo Temple is one of the three major Liao Dynasty temples in China, and its iconic ancient building—the Daxiong Hall—is the largest surviving ancient Buddha hall in the world, which can be called a world wonder. Inside the hall, there is the world's oldest and largest group of clay-colored Buddha statues. The hall has seven doors in the front, and inside, the main seven Buddhas sculpted during the Liao Dynasty are enshrined, from left to right they are: Kasyapa Buddha, Krakucchanda Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, Kashyapa Buddha, Vipasyin Buddha, Sikhin Buddha, and Sakyamuni Buddha. They are majestic and spiritually transcendent, all seated on Sumeru thrones, each over 9 meters tall.

Today's people do not see the ancient moon; the moon once shone upon the ancients. 【P1-P6】Fengguo Temple Photos simply cannot capture the shock felt the moment you step through the temple doors. Seven Liao dynasty clay Buddha statues, each over nine meters tall, are surrounded by the remnants of Tang dynasty murals, all standing together in the large hall built in 1004 with mortise and tenon joints. The tangible sense of history is overwhelming here. No amount of praise in words can compare to witnessing it with your own eyes. 【P7-P9】Wanfo Hall Grottoes Wei steles. The scenic area built along the river. To be honest, it's a bit disappointing; only very small areas have been preserved, and the damage is very severe. There are also no significant protective measures, which is truly regrettable. -

I have finally arrived at the Fengguo Temple in Yixian County, Jinzhou This royal temple, which was founded in the ninth year of the Liao Dynasty's Kaibao era (1020), ✅ The Mahavira Hall is the largest ancient hall remaining in China ✅ It houses the world's oldest and largest clay-colored statues ✅ Represents the highest level of Chinese architecture in the eleventh century ✅ One of China's first batch of key national cultural relics protection units ✅ Liang Sicheng called it a 'millennium national treasure, supreme national treasure' It is also the beloved filming location for director Wong Kar-wai's 'The Grandmaster' · In order to fully experience Fengguo Temple, I researched many sources before departure, and finally found a way to stay in the temple that even the locals don't know about It's like staying in Aman, which has a direct access channel to the Summer Palace The Xianxi Zen rooms allow me to have a secret passage directly to the Mahavira Hall without a ticket, and I can enter and exit an unlimited number of times It's like I have a room with a Buddha view In the morning, when I open my eyes, I can see the majestic Great Buddha Hall up close while lying in bed As night falls, I can enjoy the night sky and stars of Fengguo Temple all by myself Appreciating this ancient temple of a thousand years without being disturbed by tourists · Immersed in it, the shock is indescribable The changes of dynasties and the chaos of wars over the past one thousand and four years have never altered the layout inside the Mahavira Hall by a bit History and legend intertwine within it Two days and one night are simply not enough to appreciate the details of Fengguo Temple I will summarize more strategies for Fengguo Temple, Yixian, and Jinzhou and continue to post them

Jinzhou Yixian Fengguo Temple, a royal temple that was founded in the ninth year of the Liao Kai Tai era, this Grand Hall is the largest in scale among the ancient relics in China, and it also enshrines the world's oldest and largest clay-colored statues. This temple represents the highest level of Chinese architecture in the eleventh century, it is one of the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units in China. This temple is also highly esteemed, Liang Sicheng called it 'a millennium national treasure, a supreme national treasure', it is also the beloved shooting location for director Wong Kar-wai's film 'The Grandmaster'. In order to fully experience the charm of Fengguo Temple, after much research, I finally found a way to stay in Fengguo Temple, a method not even the locals know about. I stayed in the Xianxi Zen rooms, which provide a secret passage that leads directly to the Grand Hall, and I could enter and exit an unlimited number of times, making me feel as if I owned a room with a Buddha view. In the morning, as I opened my eyes, I could see the majestic Grand Buddha Hall up close from my bed; as night fell, I could enjoy the night sky of Fengguo Temple all to myself, undisturbed by tourists, admiring this ancient temple that has stood for a thousand years. Here, I deeply felt the awe of Fengguo Temple, with history and legend intertwined within, indescribable in words. A thousand and four years of dynastic changes and wars have not altered the layout inside the Grand Hall.

【Distant hoof sound·Yixian Fengguo Temple】 The small Jinzhou Yixian hides national treasures! Fengguo Temple was built in the ninth year of Liao Kaitai (1020), it is a royal temple built by Liao Shengzong Yelv Longxu in memory of his mother Empress Xiao (yes, that Empress Xiao who was hated by the Central Plains dynasty). It is a truly millennium-old ancient temple. Fengguo Temple is one of the three existing Liao structures in China (the other two are Huayan Temple in Datong and Dule Temple in Tianjin). Inside the Great Hall of Fengguo Temple, there is the oldest existing clay-colored Seven World Buddha in China. The Great Hall is simple and majestic, showing royal style; the seven original Liao Dynasty giant Buddhas in the hall have gone through thousands of years of wind and rain, and they are still shining. In addition, the inverted seated Guanyin and Weituo statues from the Ming Dynasty, the archway and murals from the Qing Dynasty, are also highlights. Fengguo Temple is a royal building during the heyday of the Liao Dynasty, and it has been preserved through hardships, fortunately, feast your eyes! Ticket🎫: Purchase online on Ctrip, with discounts ⏳Play time: Recommend 2-3 hours

Looking back a thousand years, the temple has survived five calamities to this day; a moment of emotion, the changes of several generations seem like yesterday. The city is named after the temple, and the temple is blessed by the city. The city and the temple depend on each other, breathing the same air. The righteousness of all teachings ultimately returns to culture; the benefits of the local customs are more than just wisdom. Don't ask who the Buddha is, the Tathagata is formless; don't chase the original appearance of the temple, it is free and empty. Decline and prosperity, fortune and misfortune, are not what is sought out of the world; low and high, grand and small, life is grasped only when one enters the world.

Speaking of Yixian, I believe many people have never heard of it, after all, it is just a small city with a population of only 300,000. But if you talk about the history of Yixian, it really has been brilliant, it has witnessed the rise and fall of the Five Yan Dynasties and the Liao Dynasty! For example, a Fengguo Temple can tell half of the history of the Liao Dynasty The Liao Dynasty was a minority dynasty established by the Khitan tribe, which was later destroyed by the Jin Dynasty, erasing all its history and text, so there are very few works passed down from the Liao Dynasty, but Fengguo Temple miraculously survived Fengguo Temple is a royal temple built by Emperor Shengzong of the Liao Dynasty, Yelu Longxu, in 1020 to commemorate his mother, Empress Xiao. It has the largest main hall in China, with a width of nine rooms. The hall contains seven Buddha statues, which are rare in the country. Only by entering the main hall can you feel the grandeur of the architecture and statues There are a few details about the seven Buddha statues in Fengguo Temple that you need to do your homework on 1. The Buddha statue in the middle of the seven Buddhas is Empress Xiao, the last Buddha statue is Yelu Longxu himself, the reincarnation of Sakyamuni Buddha, and the other five Buddha statues correspond to five emperors 2. The seven Buddha statues are 9m high, the Bodhisattvas on the side are 2m high, and they are made of mud. We are used to seeing golden, bronze, and jade Buddhas, but there are very few mud Buddhas left 3. The mud Buddha is made of four materials: yellow mud, rice straw, glutinous rice paste, and hemp. It has a hollow structure with wooden dragon bones. After nearly ten repairs during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, the whole body is brightly colored, and the Buddha's expression is calm and vivid 4. The Buddha statue suffered a lot of loss in the Liaoshen Campaign and the Cultural Revolution. In 1961, it was reported by Liang Sicheng, and the State Council issued a document to protect it as a national key cultural relic. It was spared in the Cultural Revolution 5. The seven Buddha statues represent career, health, family, wisdom, wealth, peace, and light respectively 6. The inverted Guanyin on the back of the Buddha statue is a rare male Bodhisattva and was used as a filming location for the movie 'The Grandmaster' 7. The dust on the seven Buddha statues is incense ash that has merged with the Buddha's body. It is expected to be repaired by the Shaanxi Cultural Relics Bureau this year. I believe that these seven Buddhas can shine again under the hands of experts At present, there are only three temples left from the Liao Dynasty, in addition to Fengguo Temple in Yixian, the other two are Huayan Temple in Datong, Shanxi, and Duole Temple in Ji County, Tianjin. Be sure to go and see if you have the chance ⚠️⚠️⚠️Small tips 1. Ticket🎫: 50 (10 yuan during the temple fair from the first to the fifth day of the lunar new year) 2. Business hours⏰: 8:30-16:00, stop selling tickets at 15:30 3. Fortune telling: 100 yuan for 8 signs (7 Buddhas➕1 Guanyin), wish for good luck in the new year 4. With a ticket➕1 yuan, you can eat vegetarian noodles 5. The staff who charge 100 yuan for fortune telling will give a free explanation. They are all locals from Yixian and have a strong sense of mission for the inheritance of this history, which touched me deeply 6. The whole temple is not very large, and the estimated visit time is 2h 7. The restaurant next door is good, with many special dishes 8. The preservation of the Wanfo Cave and Antai Gate is very poor, and it is not at the same level as Fengguo Temple. The attitude of the staff at Wanfo Hall is extremely poor, and it is not recommended to go 9. The Guangsheng Temple Pagoda is an ancient pagoda of the Liao Dynasty, which is also very good

After appreciating the grandeur of Huayan Temple and Dule Temple, I have long wanted to visit the Fengguo Temple. Knowing that the temple may undergo large-scale renovation soon, I feel that the trip must be advanced, for reasons you know . At this point, all three major Liao Dynasty temples have been seen, and two of the eight major Liao structures have not been visited . The biggest highlight of Fengguo Temple is the main hall, the Great Buddha Hall, which is the largest single-story wooden structure in ancient Chinese architecture and is known as the "First Great Buddha Hall in China" . It is nine bays wide, with a huge architectural volume, many Tang Dynasty styles, representing the highest level of Chinese architecture a thousand years ago, very shocking. Seven large Buddhas are enshrined in a row, all original versions of the Liao Dynasty. They are all over nine meters high, with consistent faces, distinguished by gestures. This layout is rare, usually with three main enshrinements, the five large Buddhas of Shanhuasi are a few examples, I didn't expect there to be seven here . Each Buddha has a Bodhisattva standing on each side, with different expressions, lifelike. At the east and west ends of the Buddha altar, there is a statue of the Heavenly King, strong and mighty. What's more amazing is that there is a seated Guanyin from the Ming Dynasty behind the main Buddha, the statue retains the charm of the male Guanyin before the Tang Dynasty . In addition to the statues, the stone steles in the main hall, the paintings on the beams, and the murals on the four walls are not to be missed, but unfortunately the murals are poorly preserved and severely damaged . Next, let's talk about personal visiting experiences. First of all, the management level of the scenic area is very high, the staff are very kind and will enthusiastically explain relevant knowledge to the surrounding tourists, the facilities are complete, and there is vegetarian food provided . Secondly, this is the first place I have visited in the north and south of the Yangtze River where visitors are openly allowed to take photos without using flash. This behavior does not make too many comments. Whether many strictly forbidden photo-taking spots are out of selfishness or for the protection of cultural relics can only be seen as benevolent and wise . Finally, there are activities here during the Spring Festival from New Year's Eve to Lantern Festival, discounted tickets, many performances, very satisfying .

Fengguo Temple is the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units, founded in the ninth year of Liaokaitai (1020), originally named Xianxi Temple, built by Liao Shengzong Yelv Longxu to commemorate his mother Xiao Chao's military achievements. Amid the sound of chisels and saws, a majestic and spectacular royal temple was born, with seven Buddhas, and magnificent halls. The main hall of the temple once enshrined the past seven Buddhas, Fengguo Temple's main hall is unique, a unique example in the country, and even more miraculously survived several wars without damage. Don't miss such a legendary temple when you travel to Jinzhou. Walking on the bluestone road, listening to stories from thousands of years, is like walking in the long river of history, washing the soul, purifying the mind! Fengguo Temple is worth a visit!

Fengguo Temple was first built in the ninth year of Liao Kaitai (1020), it was a royal temple built by Emperor Shengzong of the Liao Dynasty, Yelv Longxu, in his mother's 'family fiefdom', originally named Xianxi Temple (also known as the Great Buddha Temple or Seven Buddha Temple because of the seven Buddha statues it houses). It was renamed Da Fengguo Temple in the Jin Dynasty. It is one of the three existing Liao Dynasty temples in China. Architect Liang Sicheng highly praised the value of Fengguo Temple, calling it a 'millennium national treasure, supreme national treasure, and rare treasure. Fengguo Temple is also the largest Buddha hall of the Liao Dynasty.'

Today is the beginning of winter. The first snow that just fell in the northeast a few days ago has almost melted away, replaced by a drizzle and chilly weather. The main hall of Fengguo Temple in Yixian, Liaoning, still has some remaining snow on the north side of its roof. The green tiles and white snow, under the ink-dyed sky, seem like a boundary painting from the Song Dynasty. A snowfall brings Yixian back to the Liao Dynasty a thousand years ago. In 1020 AD, it was the fourth year of Tianxi in the Northern Song Dynasty. However, the sixteen states of Youyun, where Yixian, then known as Yizhou, was located, belonged to another dynasty, the Liao Dynasty, and the year was the ninth year of Kaixi in Emperor Shengzong's reign. Emperor Shengzong of Liao, named Yelü Longxu, was a capable emperor who was well-versed in Han culture. Under the leadership of his mother, Empress Dowager Xiao, he had repeatedly led troops to invade the Song Dynasty south of the Great Wall, forcing the Song Dynasty to sign the Chanyuan Treaty at their doorstep, paying annual tributes in exchange for over a hundred years of peace on the Liao-Song border. Under Yelü Longxu's diligent governance, the Liao Dynasty was prosperous and economically strong. At this time, his mother, Empress Dowager Xiao, who had nurtured him into a wise ruler, had passed away ten years ago. He, too, had passed the prime of his life and was about to enter the last decade of his life. Standing in the second half of life, one can't help but look back. Under the influence of Empress Dowager Xiao, Yelü Longxu had a high level of Han cultural accomplishment, was good at poetry and literature, understood music, and 'comprehended the principles of both Buddhism and Taoism'. It was rumored that Yelü Longxu was the reincarnation of Sakyamuni Buddha, and Yixian was the fief of his mother, Empress Dowager Xiao's family. Therefore, he ordered the construction of a royal temple here. The temple was built, initially named Xianxi, later changed to Fengguo, with a grand scale and Tang Dynasty style. The main hall undoubtedly is the absolute core of this group of buildings. It is situated in the center of the temple, standing on a high platform, declaring the supreme imperial power with the dignity of the 'nine-five'. Inside the hall, on the altar, the past seven Buddhas were lined up from east to west, towering and solemn. In front of each Buddha, there were two Bodhisattvas, and on the beam, there were colorful flying apsaras. Among the past seven Buddhas, the one on the far west is Sakyamuni Buddha, who is said to be the previous life of Emperor Shengzong of Liao, Yelü Longxu. Therefore, some people infer that this is very likely based on the concept of 'the king is the Dharma king', corresponding to the 'past seven Buddhas' in Buddhism, from the founding emperor of Liao to Taizu, Taizong, Shizong, Muzong, Jingzong, and Shengzong, a total of seven emperors. A thousand years have passed, and things have changed. A wooden building has miraculously survived through the long and turbulent times, avoiding wars, lightning, earthquakes, and movements. When I stand on the high platform of the main hall, looking at it, that glance is a thousand years.