Located next to Feilai Peak in Hangzhou, in China’s Zhijiang Province, Lingyin Temple is one of the ten most famous Buddhist Temples in China. According to legend, Huili, a Buddhist monk from India came to the area. He was so inspired by the natural scenery and of Feilai Peak, that he named the temple “Lingyin” which translates as Temple of the Soul’s Retreat. He felt it must be the dwelling place of Immortals. A temple has been at the site since the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). During the Fie Dynasties period (907-960), the king of the Wu Yue Kingdom rebuilt and enlarged on the original temple to show his devotion to The Buddha. The rebuilt temple had 9 buildings, 18 pavilions, 77 palaces and halls, and 1,300 rooms to accommodate 3,000 monks. Inside the first hall, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, is a tabled which was carved with characters written by Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). He visited the temple and was so inspired by the temple, surrounded in mist, that he wrote “Cloud Forest Buddhist Temple”. On the door of the hall is a couplet which says ‘Let us sit and wait upon the the threshold, where we shall see another peak flying from afar. Let us welcome spring with a smile as the snow melts and the brook begins to flow again.’ The hall’s ceiling is painted with dragons and phoenixes. There are four huge statues of the Heavenly Kings, two on either side and in the center, there is a statue of the Laughing Buddha. Located beyond the hall is a large courtyard dotted with ancient pines. Beyond this is another temple, Da Xiong Bao Dian (Hall of the Great Hero). It is believed to be the largest single storey building in China, with a height of 33.6 meters. The Hall’s centerpiece is a 24.8 meter, gold leafed statue of The Buddha. Carved from camphor wood, it is one of the largest wooden statues in China. It is flanked on either side by twenty saints. There are also statues of the twelve disciples of The Buddha on the rear wall. There are a lot of beautiful surprises awaiting those with the time to explore the Ling Yin Temple. There are many garden areas and smaller buildings which have a peaceful atmosphere which call to visitors.
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 - Oct 05,2015, 23:26 PM
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