Mingfu Temple

Mingfu Temple

Mingfu temple, a national key cultural relic protection unit, was built in the early Northern Song Dynasty.

Mingfu temple is located in Anyang City, Henan Province

In the south of Jiujie street, Chengguan Town, Huaxian County, it is 150 kilometers away from the provincial capital Zhengzhou in the south, 70 kilometers away from the ancient capital Anyang in the north and 30 kilometers away from national highway 107 in the West. National Highway 106 and ashen Expressway run through the north and south. Provincial highways and urban and rural highways cross in all directions.

The origin of history

Mingfu Temple Museum is built in the west of Mingfu temple tower, 400 meters from north to south, 200 meters from east to west, 260 meters from east to west, covering a total area of 11.9 hectares. The museum is mainly in the style of Sui Dynasty, which is lacking in domestic antique buildings. It generally includes three roads of middle, East and West, and many courtyards. The single building forms all reflect the legacy of Sui Dynasty ancient temples, and have a strong sense of history and cultural tourism value.

Mingfu Temple Pagoda is a brick Pagoda with seven levels of pavilions. It is 43 meters high and 11 meters in diameter at the bottom. It is octagonal in plane. The pagoda is folded layer by layer and slightly in a beautiful parabolic red shape.

Layout structure

The whole tower is composed of three parts: the base, the body and the Tasha. The base is built with bluestone, while the body and Tasha are built with more than 70 kinds of gray bricks of different specifications. The corners of each layer of the tower are built with exquisite bamboo shaped chair columns made of brick carvings, and the outer wall of the tower is inlaid with more than 50 types of 1234 Buddha brick statues. The figures have the style of the Tang Dynasty. The internal structure of the tower is also divided into seven layers, which is the same as that of the external building. The staircase is built inside the wall, which is combined with the climbing corridor of the flat seat. It can spiral up to the top of the tower, and the peach shaped tower brake is set on the top. Mingfu temple tower, originally nine stories high, was struck by lightning, and more than five stories collapsed.

Well preserved

In 1929, when it was rebuilt, it was changed to seven floors, which is still in good condition. The tower stands on a stone foundation 2.4 meters high. Each layer of the tower has two eaves, and the outer wall is built with a round niche for sitting Buddha. Above the second floor, there are round doors in the southeast and northwest. Each layer has two levels of eaves. Under the eaves, there are carved brackets, lotus petals, cornices and so on. The outer wall of the tower is lined with horizontal tiles, with a round niche on it and a Buddha sitting inside. The height and plane diameter of each layer of tower body decrease from bottom to top. There are leaning columns in each corner of the tower, which are slightly curved. The column is decorated with lotus flowers.

The fourth side of the fifth floor is decorated with rectangular mullion false windows, and the fourth side of the seventh floor is decorated with swastika pattern. The top of the tower is peach shaped, just like a fairy peach. Looking at the whole tower, it is tall and magnificent, with exquisite carving and unique form. It is a masterpiece of Chinese ancient tower architecture art.

Great significance

Mingfu temple, with a history of 1400 years, has gone through many disasters. Mingfu temple tower is like an experienced old man, supporting a shuddering body, as if to recall the historical record. On the outer wall of the pagoda, there are round niches carved on Dafang bricks. Each round niche has a sitting Buddha. 1234 Buddha statues have different expressions and postures. They are vivid and lifelike, which is quite a legacy of the Tang Dynasty. Their exquisite brick carving art is rare at home and abroad.

The body of the pagoda is hollow, and Sakyamuni Buddha sits in it, preaching scriptures. More than 1000 disciples (sitting Buddha) around the pagoda meditate and listen to Zen. Sakyamuni's attitude of closing his eyes and praying sincerely bless this pagoda. As if to call back the noise of the past

Textual research on cultural relics

Huaxian annals clearly records that Mingfu Temple Pagoda was built in the second year of Tang Baoli (826 A.D.), but according to the research of the cultural relics department, the architectural form of the pagoda is closer to that of Song Dynasty. It is speculated that it may be built in the early Northern Song Dynasty. However, Mingfu Temple Pagoda not only has the architectural style of Tang Dynasty, but also has the charm of Song Dynasty. It is not important when it was built, so it is worthy of being a precious national treasure. Now, as a national key cultural relic, Mingfu Temple Pagoda has been repaired and effectively protected.

Address: Huazhou Road, Chengguan Town, Huaxian County, Anyang City

Longitude: 114.55447554588

Latitude: 35.553481160651

Ticket information: free. At present, the scenic spot is in the construction stage and is not open to the outside world