Chapter 14 Section 14 Dule Temple, the oldest high-rise wooden structure building

Dule Temple, also known as the Great Buddha Temple, was built in the Tang Dynasty and is located in the west gate of Ji County, Tianjin today.According to legend, An Lushan swore to rebel against the Tang Dynasty here, thinking of being alone but not with the people, so it is called Dule Temple. Dule Temple is composed of three parts: east, west and middle. The east and west are the monk's house and the palace. On the north-south axis in the middle, there are Shanmen, Guanyin Pavilion and other buildings rebuilt in the Liao Dynasty, reflecting the layout of Buddhist temples in the Tang Dynasty centered on halls. features.

The mountain gate is built on low steps, with three rooms wide and two rooms deep, with a doorway in the middle and clay statues of Hum and Ha on both sides.A plaque hangs on the mountain gate, and the inscription "Dule Temple" is said to be written by Yan Song in the Ming Dynasty. Guanyin Pavilion is divided into upper and lower floors, with a dark layer in the middle, which is more than 23 meters high.The pavilion enshrines Guanshiyin Bodhisattva, one of the largest clay statues in China.This clay sculpture is 16 meters high, with a plump face, drooping shoulders, and a seemingly motionless body. There are ten small heads on top of the head, so it is also called "Eleven-faced Avalokitesvara".The bodhisattvas on both sides and the statue of the heavenly king inside the mountain gate are very precious.The four walls of the upper and lower floors are covered with colorful murals. The theme is the standing statues of the Eighteen Arhats and the statue of the Ming King with three heads and six arms. The paintings of landscapes, clouds, forests and secular themes are created by the painters of the Ming Dynasty and are also precious works of art.

With the Buddha statue as the center, there are two rows of wooden pillars around the Guanyin Pavilion. There are bucket arches on the pillars, beams on the beams, and wooden pillars, bucket arches and beams on the beams. There are three floors in total;This design not only closely integrates the Buddha statue with the space, but also allows people to admire the Buddha from different heights and angles.However, what makes people feel mysterious is that due to the weak light in the back of the pavilion, people can only distinguish a rough outline of the back of the Buddha statue.Guanyin Pavilion is famous for its superb architectural techniques. There are thousands of beams and brackets, but the arrangement and use are very orderly. In particular, 24 types of brackets are used due to their different positions and functions.After being eroded by wind, frost, rain and snow for nearly a thousand years and many earthquakes, Guanyin Pavilion still stands tall, and it is the oldest wooden structure high-rise pavilion in my country.