Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
have achieved enlightenment and pass to nirvana at death) on either wall to the side. In
other temples the
luóhàn
appear in a crowd of 500, housed in a separate hall; the Azure
Clouds Temple in Fragrant Hills Park has an example.
A statue of Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy) often stands at the rear of the main hall,
facing north, atop a fish's head or a rocky outcrop. The goddess may also be venerated in
her own hall and often has a multitude of arms. The rear hall may house Sutras (Buddhist
scriptures) in a building called the Scripture Storing Hall (Cángjīnglóu).
Sometimes a pagoda
(tǎ)
may rise above the main halls or may be the last vestige of a
vanished temple. These were originally built to house the remains of Buddha, and later
other Buddhist relics, and were also used for storing Sutras, religious artefacts and docu-
ments. Some pagodas can still be climbed for excellent views, but many are too fragile
and are out of bounds.
Taoist Temples
As Taoism predates Buddhism and connects to a more primitive and distant era, Taoist
shrines are more netherworldly and project more of an atmosphere of superstition and ma-
gic. Nonetheless, in the arrangement of their halls, Taoist temples appear very similar to
Buddhist temples.
You will almost certainly see the shape of the circular
bāguà
(a circular figure made up
of eight possible combinations of three parallel lines) reflected in eight-sided pavilions
and diagrams. The
yīn-yáng
Taiji diagram is also a common motif. Effigies of Laotzu (the
Jade Emperor) and other characters popularly associated with Taoist myths, such as the
Eight Immortals and the God of Wealth, are customary.
Taoist temple entrances are often guarded by Taoist door gods, similar to those in
Buddhist temples, and the main hall is usually called the Hall of the Three Clear Ones
(Sānqīng Diàn) and devoted to a triumvirate of Taoist deities.
China's most legendary figure has endured a roller-coaster ride throughout Chinese history.
These days, Confucius is enjoying an upswing with his vision of a 'harmonious society'
now endorsed by the CCP. That's in marked contrast to the Cultural Revolution, when Red
Guards savaged his teachings as one of the 'Four Olds'.
Confucian Temples
Běijīng's Confucius Temple is China's second largest after the temple in Qūfù in
Shāndōng, the birthplace of the sage.