China's Key Temples: No. 92: Huiju Temple, Jiuhuashan, Anhui

(This article was published in the Shenzhen Daily on April 21, 2014.)

The trail from the top at Tiantai Temple (天台寺) led between the two
main buildings at Huiju Temple (慧居寺) on Jiuhuashan, Anhui (安徽,
九华山), although a new hall has been built behind the one on the right.

June 21, 2012 - Of course, a temple (or any other place) usually puts its front door on the side from which cars approach.

So, having come down four or five kilometers of stairs from the top of Tiantai Peak, I was approaching Huiju Temple through the "back door." Nevertheless, what joy I felt in arriving!

The rear buildings of the temple were situated on either side of a large plaza directly behind the Main Hall. The newer one, encountered first on the way down, was marked "Mountain Gate Hall" over its back door. This is peculiar: usually the mountain gate is on the downhill side! It has a hall for Dizang, the patron of Jiuhuashan, downstairs, and a hall for the popular Guanyin, bodhisattva of compassion, upstairs.

Across the plaza from this newer hall is the older (or older-looking) sutra repository, with another statue of Dizang. A half-moon pond lies at the rear of the plaza between the two.

Down some semi-circular stairs, the mountain trail passes a residence hall behind the Main Hall, and then makes a turn to run between the Main Hall and the Weituo Hall, which hangs off the hillside.

Inside, the Main Hall has fine gilded statues of three Buddhas, with the eighteen Arhats arranged in glass cases along either side. Puxian and Wenshu Bodhisattvas have their own glass cases. The Laughing Buddha lives with his protector Weituo in the other hall.

Passing these and starting down the hill, I saw some vegetable gardens with small white bungalows beyond. The Jiuhua Shan Buddhist Association is also on the grounds.

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