(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on July 9, 2012.)
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The Buddha (佛) and Arhats (罗汉) in the grottoes behind Qixia Temple (栖霞寺) in Nanjing, Jiangsu (江苏, 南京市). You can clearly see that the heads, replaced after vandalism, are a different color. |
The "temple gate" actually admits you to a large scenic area, not just the temple itself. I roamed through an archway and past a lake, and between the two huge drum and bell towers, to reach the temple proper.
The temple was founded in 489 C.E.; it currently includes buildings from a restoration in 1908. It's nice enough, with the usual features: a front hall with the Four Heavenly Kings, the Laughing Buddha, and Weituo; and a main hall with my favorite Buddha, Vairochana.
But the real treats are in the "back yard."
There one finds a stunning pagoda built of stone in the10th-century, to replace the wooden one commissioned by Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty; it once held one of the 83 portions of Buddhist relics that he divided up and sent all over the country. The pagoda today is a treasure itself, carved with Buddhist figures and standing 18 meters tall.
Just beyond the pagoda is another treat. The so-called "Thousand Buddhas Cliff" (started in 484) has grottoes actually containing 515 statues and 294 shrines. Throughout history, many of the Buddhas have lost their heads. Some have been replaced; others have not.
After dining with the monks, I took a slower-but-cheaper local bus back into the city, accompanied by a young monk and a layman who were going my way.
GPS Info:
- 32.15103, 118.95605
Map:
GALLERY
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A statue of Guanyin graces Mingjing Lake, in front of Qixia Temple, Nanjing |
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The first hall at the temple |
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The tenth-century Sheli Pagoda |
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Some of the exquisite carvings on the Sheli Pagoda |
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Inside these archways are some of the "Thousand Buddha" grottoes |
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One of the Buddhas who "lost his head" in the grottoes |
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