Chapter 16 Section 16 Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Temple Putuo Mountain Temple Group

Putuo Mountain is located in Putuo County, Zhejiang Province today. It is a small island in the Zhoushan Archipelago, located outside Hangzhou Bay, Zhejiang Province.To its southeast is the famous Luojia Mountain, which is collectively called "Putuo Luojia Mountain".Mount Putuo is long and narrow, 8.6 kilometers long from north to south, 3.5 kilometers wide from east to west, covering an area of ​​about 12.76 square kilometers.The highest peak, Foding Mountain, is 291.3 meters above sea level.The island has undulating terrain, winding coast and beautiful scenery. It is known as "the number one sea mountain" and "the fairy mountain on the sea".

In the early Tang Dynasty, early Buddhist buildings appeared on the island, and there began to be myths and legends about the appearance of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva here.In the first year of Shaoxing in the Southern Song Dynasty (1131 A.D.), the Buddhist schools of Mount Putuo were unified into Zen Buddhism. In the seventh year of Jiading (1214 A.D.), it was officially stipulated that the mountain should be dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva.As a result, Putuo Mountain has become a recognized Avalokitesvara Dojo. Avalokitesvara is one of the Mahayana Bodhisattvas of Buddhism, the left attendant of Amitabha Buddha, the leader of the Western Paradise, and one of the Three Saints of the West.In the eyes of Buddhists, Avalokitesvara is a bodhisattva who is merciful, compassionate, rescues suffering, has boundless mana, and has great supernatural powers.The Buddhist scriptures say: When all living beings in the world encounter difficulties, as long as they recite its name wholeheartedly, the Bodhisattva will be able to observe its voice in time and go to rescue, so it is named Guanshiyin.In the Tang Dynasty, it was abbreviated as Guanyin to avoid Li Shimin's taboo.Interestingly, in India, Avalokitesvara was originally a male, but after being spread to the East, Avalokitesvara was transformed into a graceful "Buddha Chang'e".During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, statues of Avalokitesvara appeared in our country. After the Tang Dynasty, Avalokitesvara in temples has generally been molded into female images.Due to the exaggeration of religious myths, every plant, every tree, every stone and every hole on Putuo Mountain are all covered with the cloak of "Avalokitesvara Holy Relic".

After the Tang and Song Dynasties, due to the rewards and grants from the emperors of the past dynasties, the Buddhist temples in Putuo Mountain were lined up, and the incense was at its peak.In its heyday, the island had 218 monasteries, nunneries, and thatched buildings, and more than 2,000 monks and nuns.The "Haitian Buddhist Kingdom" temple complex centered on the three major Zen temples of Puji, Fayu and Huiji has been formed. Puji Temple, also known as Qian Temple, was formerly known as "Baotuo Guanyin Temple" and has a history of more than 900 years.Puji Temple is located in the south of the island, and it can be reached after disembarking from Short Girl Road at the southern end of Putuo Mountain and passing through Zhengqu Pavilion.Puji Temple was built in the open area between the front mountain and the back mountain. It is large in scale, covering an area of ​​14,000 square meters. It is the main temple dedicated to Guanyin Bodhisattva on Mount Putuo.During the three years from the ninth year of Emperor Yongzheng (AD 1731) to the twelfth year (AD 1734), 9 halls, 12 pavilions, 16 halls, and 4 pavilions were built, with a total of more than 200 houses.On the central axis, there are existing buildings such as the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Hall of Yuantong, the Hall of Sutras, and the Hall of Abbots.Among them, the Yuantong Palace is a single-story double-eaves hall, which is the main hall of Guanyin Bodhisattva.It is spacious and spectacular, and can accommodate thousands of people at the same time.The 8.8-meter-high Pilu Avalokitesvara is enshrined in the hall, surrounded by the thirty-three incarnations of Avalokitesvara unique to the Avalokitesvara Dojo.The lotus pond in front of Puji Temple covers an area of ​​about 15 mu, and is famous for its abundance of five-color lotus flowers.The Duobao Pagoda in the southeast of the temple was built in the second year of Yuan Zhengtong (AD 1334). It is the earliest existing building in Mount Putuo.The pagoda has five floors on four sides and is 32 meters high. It is built with Taihu stone and is an extremely precious historical relic.

Fayu Temple, also known as Hou Temple, is located at the southern foot of Houshan Mountain. It was founded in the eighth year of Wanli in Ming Dynasty (AD 1580), and was originally named Haichao Temple.Later, because Emperor Kangxi bestowed a plaque of "Tianhua Fayu", it was renamed "Fayu Temple".After a large-scale expansion during the Kangxi period, there are more than 200 halls and pavilions, covering an area of ​​47,600 square meters, becoming one of the three major Buddhist temples in Putuo.Fayu Temple sits on the hillside and rises layer by layer. There are six halls from front to back, with a total of 245 halls.Among them, Guanyin Hall (also known as Jiulong Hall) has a magnificent appearance and a gorgeous and exquisite interior.

Huiji Temple is located on the top of Foding Mountain and was founded in the Ming Dynasty. After a large-scale reconstruction in 1907, four halls, six floors and seven palaces were built.These buildings are carved with carved beams and painted buildings, with exquisite craftsmanship.Although Huiji Temple was built late and its scale is not large, its layout is unique.The main building is flexibly arranged on a horizontal axis according to the conditions of the mountain, breaking the axisymmetric layout of traditional Chinese architecture.These buildings are well-arranged, together with the winding red walls and deep corridors, it makes people appreciate the purity and profoundness of Buddhism and the mystery of a very religious atmosphere.The Baihuading on the top of Foding Mountain where Huiji Temple is located is also known as Pusading. If people can catch up with a good time, they can enjoy the mysterious and strange mirage scenery here.There are many ancient trees and exotic flowers around Huiji Temple. A hornbeam [li calendar] in the northwest of the temple is a rare ornamental tree in my country.

The three major temples of Puji, Fayu and Huiji all occupy the key terrain and key parts of the island's mountain system, so they can properly control the space of the whole island, which is conducive to highlighting the solemn and quiet atmosphere of the ancient temples hidden in the mountains, and can also strengthen their presence in the mountains. The dominant position in Haitian Buddhist Kingdom. In history, although Mount Putuo has been destroyed many times and has gone through vicissitudes, it has always had the same scenery and incense.In addition to Buddhist temples, there are more than 20 scenic spots on Mount Putuo, such as Chaoyin Cave, Chaoyang Cave, Fanyin Cave, Qianbusha, and Crystal Palace. It is a famous island tourist attraction and bathing beach featuring famous Buddhist mountains.