Xiangyan Temple

Xiangyan temple in Xichuan, also known as Changshou temple and Xiantong temple, is one of the four famous temples in the Central Plains. Huangfeng temple. National key cultural relics protection units

Xiangyan Temple

Xiangyan temple, also known as Xiangyan longevity temple, is a national 3A scenic spot. Located in cangfang Town, 40 kilometers south of Xichuan County, Xiasi, the original two Buddhist temples, has been flooded by Danjiang Reservoir, and now only Shangsi is left. Shangsi is located four kilometers northwest of cangfang town.

Xiangyan temple is located in the south of Longshan mountain. "For the great Tang Huizhong national master Daochang", there were hundreds of monks, known as "Qianqing Xiangyan". According to the Ming Dynasty, "Xiangyan temple was built in the Tang Dynasty." Also according to "Xichuan Xiangyan Temple Zhongxing stele.".

Xiangyan temple is also called "Xiangyan longevity Temple" because it is "the Taoist temple of Huizhong National Master in the Tang Dynasty, where Shu Li gives longevity. It is passed on by Xiangyan. When the national master enters the tower, the fragrance will last for a hundred Li, and it will not disperse after the moon.". Since then, it has been abandoned and built again and again. Today, Shangsi is basically in the architectural style of the Qing Dynasty.

Brief introduction to temples

Xiangyan Temple (commonly known as Wuliang Temple). On the hillside to the north of Mayu village, Xudong, 5km west of the county. Temple week peach white, fragrant overflowing, hence the name. Since its establishment, it has experienced many vicissitudes. Every year, the temple fair is held on July 29 of the lunar calendar, and there is an endless stream of tourists. The main building of the temple is a stone structure with three beamless halls, namely, the East, middle and West halls are arranged in turn. There are three Buddhist temples, namely, dizang, Sakyamuni and Guanyin. The East Hall, the middle hall and the two halls are built with stone beams and caissons layer by layer without beam frame, so they are called "no beam hall". After the West Hall was tilted, it was turned into a hard hill and a rolling hole in the 17th year of Qianlong. 、

Layout structure

The three main Buddhist halls are built with imitation wood components. On both sides of the hall door are carved stone statues of the Jin Dynasty. In Guanyin hall, there are red phoenix and sunrise, rhinoceros and moon. There are stone statues of Qin Qiong and Jingde (famous generals of Tang Dynasty) in the zhongfo hall. These statues are simple and smooth in line, powerful and lifelike in image, which are still vividly remembered, clearly visible, and glittering with the brilliance of China's art in the Jin and Liao dynasties. In 1988, through the research of provincial archaeological experts, it was found that the temple has unique structure, solemn shape and high scientific and artistic value. It is the only large-scale stone structure Jin Dynasty building in the province.

Folklore

Traveling eastward along the mountain is the later restored Wangyun building, Huashi, guild hall, Songzi Guanyin hall, Wulian cave and Wulong cave. Wulong cave is made of stone with three bays. It was originally built for the sacrifice of black and white five dragons, so it is called Wulong cave. There is no statue in Dongting Lake, only a spring well. The spring water is clear and extremely sweet. The villagers call it "Longquan Yuye". There are still beautiful myths and legends.

Every year during the temple fair, some young women, in twos and threes, come to the Zhongquan well of Dongting Lake to fish for stones and take them home. In the coming year, they will have sons and daughters, and they will get what they wish.

historical origin

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, villagers built Guangong temple, Sanqing hall, woyun Pavilion and so on. These buildings from west to East twists and turns, scattered. Inside and outside the temple, there are many mountain flowers, green willows, gurgling springs, elegant and quiet. Looking down from the top of the building is like facing an abyss. Overlooking from afar, the heaven and the earth are connected, and the clouds are shrouded. If you are in a fairyland, you can have a panoramic view of the beautiful scenery of the county. "Xiling Xiangyan", one of the eight scenic spots in the old records, refers to this. It is very poetic and picturesque

For several times, the Spring Island has not been prosperous, and the wine has been worshipped by the haze.

Xiangshan breaks through Wang suncao, and Meiyu comes to swallow's house.

Win a day to spell its drunk, with the flow also like hat with oblique.

The scenery in the scene is charming, and I'm only ashamed of the dust and the falling flowers.

It fully expresses the intoxication of tourists who are on the spot and forget to return.

Related allusions

On the ridge 50 meters to the southwest of the temple, it used to be the cemetery of monks in the temple. It was the place where the monks died in the past. It is said that during the period of the Republic of China, there was a monk named "mengmen". When he was old and passed away, he meditated on the spot, with his nose running to his chest. He held his chest high and was calm. The little monk at his side came forward to clean his nose out of kindness. He didn't want master mengmen to lie down here immediately, and then burned.

For this reason, Buddhist monks call master mengmen's two noses "golden beams and jade pillars", which shows that the villagers worship and respect master mengmen. Xiangyan temple has a history of more than 1200 years since it was built. However, during the "Cultural Revolution", there was no one to manage and the man-made destruction was extremely serious. Except for the three stone buildings without beams, the Loutang temples built in the Ming and Qing Dynasties were basically in ruins.

In 1994, the moon tower, guild hall, Wulian cave, Wulong cave, Qixing temple and other ancient buildings were successively restored. In October 1995, the top of the three Buddhist halls was renovated. In the midsummer of 1996, Shanmen and Songzi Guanyin hall were restored one by one. The historic temple in the county extends her arms and warmly welcomes visitors from all over the country.

main hall

There are two temples in Xiangyan temple. According to the tablet in the 13th year of Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty, "there are two Xiangyan temples, one is surrounded by Baiya mountains, the other is beside Danshui at the foot of the mountain, facing each other for 30 Li, commonly known as SHANGXIA temple. "Xiasi was designated as the inundated area of Danjiang Reservoir in 1967. The existing upper temple, halls and houses basically keep the original appearance. Mountain Gate, Weituo hall, obstructed moon Pavilion, Daxiong hall, reception Pavilion, Dharma hall and Sutra collection building are arranged on the central axis from bottom to top to form a complete set of Wujin courtyard. The grand momentum is unmatched by ordinary temples.

The scale

There are 144 existing houses in the temple, covering an area of 11544 square meters. The layout is rigorous, and the scale is magnificent. There are many scenes inside and outside Xiangyan temple that we can watch, appreciate and aftertaste. We feel nostalgic for the Millennium murals of the unity of Buddhism and Taoism: figures, animals, huge waves, flowing clouds, etc. We sigh for banbu's Zhongxing stele, which is 3.26 meters high, 0.97 meters wide and 0.22 meters thick, and is located in the northwest corner of Daxiong hall. At the head of the stele, which is 0.8 meters high, there are relief pictures of two dragons playing with pearls. The inscription has 23 lines and 58 characters.

It records the construction of Xiangyan temple, the origin of its name and its rise and fall. We love and marvel at the clear pearl spring, the double stone cave built by the craftsman's axe, the wonderful one cypress with eight elms and one cypress with one stone, the national scenic tree "beauty embraces the general", the itchy tree that knows good and evil, the millennium old cypress planted in the Tang Dynasty, and the most fascinating is the dense bamboo forest. The whole temple is set off in the green bamboo, making people relaxed and happy.

Temple style

Temple block north to south, built on the mountain. Covering an area of 4200 square meters, there are 141 existing halls, halls, buildings, pavilions and various buildings. The main buildings are Shanmen, Weituo hall, ningyuexuan, Daxiong hall, connecting living room and Sutra collection building, which are distributed on a central axis from bottom to top. On both sides, East and West guest rooms, monk's room and ten King's hall are built. In the East, another "retreat" is set up, one enters five courtyards and ascends step by step.

The whole building is rigorous and symmetrical, with grand scale and different styles. It is one of the larger and well preserved temples in Nanyang. The mountain gate is a stone archway with four pillars and plaques. It is three rooms wide. It is written with the six characters of "Xiantong Temple". Beside the gate, there is a big round carved stone lion squatting on both sides. Weituo hall is a hard mountain building, with five rooms wide and three rooms deep. The corridor is lined with twelve big columns, carved beams and painted buildings, which makes it more solemn and solemn. After Weituo hall, it is ningyuexuan. It is a small and exquisite building. It is a resting place for noble people to enter daxiongbao hall. The main hall is a hard mountain style building, with five rooms in width, three rooms in depth and two eaves on the mountain. In particular, the hall is full of murals of deities and Buddhas, such as figures, animals, huge waves, flowing clouds, etc. the composition of the murals is bright, the shapes are different, and they are lifelike.

The whole temple is hidden in the dense mountain forest, surrounded by green bamboo, ancient trees and springs, with beautiful mountains and waters, birds singing and flowers fragrant, and charming scenery. In the bamboo forest in the east of the temple, there are two white marble towers, 15 meters high, six corners and seven levels. They are exquisitely carved and imitated pavilions, which are like natural pictures against the green sea. Inside and outside the temple, there are many places of interest, such as pearl spring, Shuangshi cave, Longquan, shuilian cave, waterfall (also known as "Baibu Chaoyang"), Huaguo Mountain, yibaidan Bayu, Yibai Yishi Yimiao, Yibu Sanyan well, Yibu sandaomen, etc.

Cultural value

In 1986, it was listed as a key cultural relic protection unit in Henan Province.

Buddhist activities

According to textual research, Xiangyan temple was built in the Tang Dynasty. It has a history of more than 1300 years, with a total area of 20000 square meters. After renovation in the song, yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, there were 437 ancient buildings in its heyday, with a courtyard wall of more than 700 meters. It is known as "Wanqing Xiangyan". Xiangyan temple is also known as "Changshou Temple" and "Xiantong Temple". It is divided into upper and lower temples. The lower temple has been submerged in the reservoir water, and only the upper temple is left.

The upper temple is built in accordance with the mountain situation. It faces the south in the north. Once entering the five steps courtyard, five entering the five courtyard, it rises step by step. After liberation, due to Buddhist activities and ten years of turmoil, most of the houses of the temple have been demolished, but there are more than 140 existing houses with reasonable layout and strict structure. In history, Xiangyan temple is the Taoist center of the national masters of two dynasties, and the temple of the emperor becoming a monk in one dynasty, which is more mysterious. The 1300 year history of Buddhist culture and the rise and fall of many dynasties make every eye that looks at her marvel and fascinate.

Ginkgo in the temple