Chapter 1280: Dao Crown, Ancient and Modern Virtue Match Heaven and Earth, Taiyuan Confucian Temple at Zongtang Site

Traveling around in search of beauty and picking up relics, Huang's Ancient Architecture Encyclopedia

Jumbo Heritage List & Huang Explorer Sail

I took a few photos of the pagodas of Yongzuo Temple and left the twin pagodas. I took bus No. 820 to the train station, got off and walked along Jianshe North Road for a few kilometers. I turned left at Fudong Street and saw some buildings being demolished. In the square, there are many high-rise buildings nearby, and there are many people riding bicycles, and there are many beautiful women.

In an instant, I walked to Wuyi Road, and then turned into Wanshougong Road. Along the way, I saw the construction site of ancient buildings being repaired. After continuing on, I arrived at Chongshan Temple on Dilianggong Street. In a quiet place, there is a giant dog at the door. Walking carefully into the temple gate, I found that although the inside is small, it has a unique cave. The main hall is actually made of wood, which is very precious.

Chongshan Temple is located in Yingze District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. Created in Tang. It was originally named Baima Temple, later changed to Yanshou Temple, Zongshan Temple, and Chongshan Temple in Ming Dynasty. In the fourteenth year of Hongwu (1381), the third son of Zhu Yuanzhang, King Gong of Jin, Zhu, recommended his mother, Empress Gao, to expand the site of the temple. It is 550 meters long from north to south and 250 meters long from east to west, with a total area of 140,000 square meters. As the first batch of key cultural relics protection units in Shanxi Province,

It is said that before the Ming Dynasty, it was only a small temple. Some said it was the palace of Emperor Yang of Sui Dynasty when he visited Taiyuan, and some said it was the site where Wu Zetian became a monk when he was young. It may be derived from these legends.

According to the wooden plaque in the temple, in order to commemorate his mother, Empress Ma Shi, Emperor Gong of Jin Dynasty, in April of the 16th year of Hongwu, Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty, approved the establishment of the new temple, which lasted 8 years and was completed in the 24th year of Hongwu ( 1391), named Chongshan Temple. The Chongshan Temple in the Ming Dynasty was built completely in accordance with the standard palace-style building format. The Vajra Hall, Heavenly King Hall, Daxiong Hall, Pilu Hall, Dabei Hall, and Jinling Hall on the central axis line up from south to north. On the left and right of the main halls, a series of small courtyards are neatly arranged. They are not only symmetrical, but uniform.

This pattern is very similar to the layout of the main hall and the six east and west palaces on the central axis of the Forbidden City in Beijing. From the historical paintings, one can imagine how magnificent and magnificent Chongshan Temple was, covering an area of 245 mu. The Chongshan Temple was not only eye-catching in appearance, but more importantly, it had conditions that other temples did not have, that is, it was not only a temple, but also an ancestral temple of the Zhu family dynasty. The last hall on the central axis, the Golden Spirit Hall, is an ancestral temple without a throne. This is rare in the construction of Buddhist temples in my country.

Chongshan Temple is both a Buddhist temple and a royal ancestral temple, so it enjoys more incense than ordinary temples. Against this background, it passed its period of exuberance and prosperity. The Chongshan Temple I see now is only a tenth of the original temple, and it is only one of the six main halls: the Great Compassion Hall. The other magnificent buildings of Chongshan Temple were all reduced to ashes in the fire in the third year of Tongzhi in Qing Dynasty (1864 A.D.). The Great Compassion Hall, which was spared from destruction, was repaired during the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty and the Jiaqing period of the Qing Dynasty, but they were all minor repairs, ranging from the beams to the doors and windows.

Therefore, it has a higher historical value. The Buddhist scriptures are its first treasure. The Buddhist scriptures preserved here are rare in the whole country for their large number and rare editions. The early precious editions in the history of woodcut printing in my country are preserved in the temple: "Chongning Wanshou Collection" in the Northern Song Dynasty and "Qisha Collection" in the Southern Song Dynasty. "Chongning Wanshou Collection", also known as "Gushan Dazang", took 33 years to complete. There are 564 letters and more than 5,800 volumes in the original edition. Only seventeen volumes and eighteen pages survive. "Qisha Zang" was engraved in the fourth year of Shaoding in the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1231), and was completed in the second year of Yuan Yingzong Zhizhi (AD 1323).

After a hundred years of engraving, "Qisha Zang" has a total of 591 letters and 6,362 volumes. There are five hundred and sixty-two letters and four thousand eight hundred and forty-six volumes. In addition, the Yuan version of the Tibetan scriptures has been preserved here, that is, the "Puning Tibetan" engraved by private fundraising in the first year of Yuan Huangqing (AD 1312). There are 505 copies and 4,250 Seventeen volumes, eighty-one letters less than the original edition, 2068 volumes.

In addition to the above-mentioned editions, there are many kinds of Tibetan scriptures that were later transferred from other monasteries or places, such as the Ming version of the Tibetan scriptures "Southern Tibet" transferred from Taiyuan Zhongshiwanyuan and "Northern Tibetan" transferred from Datong. , the photocopied Tibetan "Tripitaka", also known as "Kanjur", which was purchased from Japan in the 1970s. In addition, there are other distinctive stone rubbings of the "Diamond Sutra", gold-lettered "Huayan Sutra", "Lotus Flower Sutra" and blood-punched "Huayan Sutra", etc. It is precisely these scriptures of different periods, versions and characteristics that enable Chongshan Temple to occupy an important seat in Buddhist temples.

The second treasure of Chongshan Temple is the copies of the two sets of murals. In ancient times, when there was no photography and plate-making technology, copying was the only way to pass on the famous paintings in history to future generations. Today, I can see the painting style on the Liangye promenade of the Daxiong Hall, and I should thank the ancestors who left such precious copies. These two sets of paintings, one is "Shakyamuni World Honored One's Response to Transformation Demonstration Map", which depicts the story of Sakyamuni's becoming a Buddha;

The other set is "Fifty-Three References of the Boy of Good Fortune", which depicts the story of the boy of Shancai's visit to all Buddhists to learn the Dharma. These two sets of facsimiles are still as bright as ever, even after more than 500 years, and are called "gem paintings". These paintings not only allow people to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Chongshan Temple, but also provide valuable information for studying the history of painting in our country.

The third treasure of Chongshan Temple is the three statues of clay sculptures and gold-plated Bodhisattvas on the Sumizuo in front of the Great Compassion Hall. These three Buddha statues were molded during the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, and have a history of more than 500 years. In the middle is the statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with thousands of hands and eyes; on the left is the statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva; The three standing statues are all about eight meters high, with a beautiful figure, kind face and kind eyes, elegant and luxurious, giving people an amiable and respectable feeling. These three Buddha statues are peculiar in shape and exquisite in carving, which are really treasures of Chinese sculpture art. The cultural relics and treasures of Chongshan Temple are very distinctive and precious.

The Great Compassion Hall, which covers an area of only 900 square meters, is only a few tenths of the original Chongshan Temple, but it still preserves the essence of Chongshan Temple and the priceless treasures. In the seventh year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty (1881), Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Shanxi, built a Confucian Temple on the ruins of Chongshan Temple. Since then, the Chongshan Temple has been divided into two parts, and the Confucian Temple occupies most of the place. This is the first part of the Shanxi Museum, and the Great Compassion Hall, which only occupies one-fortieth of the original temple area, has become the ancient White Horse Temple, the Chongshan Temple of the Ming Dynasty. Of course the Zen temple is represented.

The main hall in the temple is in the middle, nine rooms wide and more than 30 meters high. There are nearly a thousand halls, pavilions, verandas and corridors. In 1864, the third year of Tongzhi in the Qing Dynasty, most of the buildings were destroyed by fire. The part of the existing Chongshan Temple, including the mountain gate, the bell tower, the east and west hatchbacks and the Great Compassion Hall, also forms its own pattern. The back is the Great Compassion Hall, which is seven rooms wide and four rooms deep, with double eaves resting on the top of the mountain. It is the most complete and standard building in the Ming Dynasty and has high artistic value. The ceiling, under the eaves, there are bucket arches to support the eaves, and the yellow-green glazed trimming of the tile roof is magnificent.

On the altar in the middle of the hall, there is a thousand-handed, thousand-eyed and eleven-faced Avalokitesvara; on the left is Manjusri Bodhisattva with a thousand bowls, and on the right is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. The statue is 8.5 meters high, with moderate proportions, smooth clothing and intact. On the front of the hall is an 8.3-meter-high standing statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with thousands of hands and eyes. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva with Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes actually has only 20 arms on the left and right, with one eye in the center of each hand. The 40 hands and 40 eyes are multiplied by the Buddhist "twenty-five existences" to form the Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes.

According to the interpretation of the Buddhist scriptures, thousand hands and thousands of eyes are one of the "six disguises" of Guanyin, which symbolizes insight into all the misfortunes and blessings in the world. The eye on the forehead symbolizes that she has practiced to the state of "Sama". The eight magic tools, such as the wheel, snail, umbrella, building, flower, vase, fish, and knot, symbolize good luck; the knife in her hand , spears, swords, and halberds are said to be used to subdue demons and demons; the daily utensils on the two hands on the head symbolize the immeasurable Buddha Dharma that dominates the universe; Admiration... She is big but not aggressive, with a beautiful figure and a gentle feminine demeanor.

Fluttering belts, smooth lines, and emotional faces all show a dignified and prudent inner beauty. This Buddha statue is not only a precious religious artwork, but also a masterpiece of ancient Chinese sculpture art. In the temple, there are also collections of the Song edition of the Qisha Tibetan Sutra (all) in the fourth year of Song Shaoding, the Yuan edition of the Tibetan Sutra (partial), the Ming edition of the Northern Tibetan Sutra in the fifth year of the Ming Dynasty (the whole), and the seven volumes of the Dehua Sutra written in red gold in the eighth year of Ming Chenghua ,

In the 30th year of Jiajing in the Ming Dynasty, the Nanzangjing (all), in addition, there are also two volumes of Sakyamuni's deeds and the fifty-three colorful paintings of Shancai Boy (these albums, although they are works of the Ming Dynasty, are as colorful as new and very colorful. attractive), a pair of iron lions cast in the 24th year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty, and a big bell cast in the 14th year of Zhengtong in the Ming Dynasty.

On both sides of the main hall, there are dozens of antique scripture cabinets, and a "Huayan Sutra" handwritten by a monk in the Qing Dynasty, which is particularly eye-catching. The platform of the Hall of Great Compassion is not high, but the platform is very large, accounting for almost two-thirds of the entire compound, which may be the main reason why the entire compound is not congested due to its tall buildings. In order to make the flat platform change, smart ancient architects added two small hexagonal pavilions on both sides of the platform, the drum pavilion on the left, and the bell pavilion on the right. It is very elegant and also a precious early Ming building.

The big bell tower at the southeast corner of the compound is more than 20 meters high. Hanging on the tower is a big iron bell cast in the first year of Zhengde (1506). It is 2 meters high, 1.8 meters in diameter, and weighs tens of thousands of catties. The sound range of the big bell is wide, the light strike is mellow and deep, elegant and pleasant, while the heavy strike makes the sound loud and clear, thick and powerful. Whenever there is a celebration, the thick and melodious bells can be heard throughout the city. A pair of iron lions in front of the gate, cast in the Hongwu period of the Ming Dynasty, has a mighty appearance and strong muscles and bones. It is a masterpiece among lions and beasts in the Ming Dynasty.

On the right side of Chongshan Temple, there are some newly built simulated wing rooms, and on the left side is the place where monks live now. When I walked in to visit, I saw dozens of monks coming out of the room. There are many free Buddhist study books. In fact, as long as there are monks, the temple will survive, after all, it has aura.

After I came out of the temple, I continued along the wall, and soon arrived at the Confucian Temple of Taiyuan Fucheng, where Zhao Puchu wrote his inscription. , he is really a prolific professional autographer!

Zhao Puchu was born in Anqing on November 5, 1907, and moved back to his hometown in Siqianhe, Taihu County with his parents in 1911. In his early years, he studied at Soochow University in Suzhou. After 1928, he served as secretary of the Shanghai Jiangsu-Zhejiang Buddhist Association, secretary of the Shanghai Buddhist Association, and president of the "Buddhist Jingye Society". After 1938, he served as a director of the Shanghai National Salvation Association, secretary and chief secretary of the Buddhist Association of my country, member of the Standing Committee of the Refugee Committee of the Shanghai Charity Federation Relief War Zone and director of the shelter unit, vice president of Shanghai Jingye Home for Vagrant Children, and village head of Shanghai Juvenile Village. After 1953, he served as vice president and secretary-general of the Buddhist Association of my country, director of the Writers Association of China, vice president of the China-Japan Friendship Association, vice president of the China-Myanmar Friendship Association, vice president and honorary vice president of the Red Cross Society of my country. Vice-President of the Masses for Peace and Disarmament Association.

Afterwards I found out that there were too many titles of the Bianbian Lao Zhao. He was also an outstanding Buddhist leader, an outstanding calligrapher, a famous social activist and a great patriotic crowd. A memorial hall of Zhao Puchu was built, which will not be shown for the time being.

When I walked into the Confucian Temple, I saw the eldest sister cleaning, and then someone was setting up an exhibition in the square. I suspected that some leaders came to observe some calligraphy and painting exhibition today. According to records, in 1881 (the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty), the Fen River broke its embankment and the Confucian Temple was destroyed by floods. The gentry and scholars in Fucheng were all terrified of it, thinking that the literati were a sign of evil from the sky. After the water receded, they gathered in the government office and asked the prefect of Taiyuan to come forward to rebuild it.

The prefect of Taiyuan submitted the joint letter of all the literati in Fucheng to Zhang Zhidong, the governor of Shanxi, and asked the governor to make a decision. At that time, not long after Zhang Zhidong took office in Futai, in order to stabilize the hearts of Taiyuan literati, he decided to rebuild a larger Confucian temple. He personally chose the site in the ruins of Chongshan Temple that was burned during the Tongzhi period, and advocated raising funds from the provincial capital. Under his active advocacy, without using public funds, a magnificent new Confucian Temple was built soon, and the name of Confucian Temple Lane was also derived at this time. The newly built Confucian Temple covers an area of more than 13,000 square meters. It consists of pavilions, halls, gates, verandahs, and ancestral halls. , Elegant, handsome.

According to records in "Taiyuan Fuzhi" by Ming Wanli and Qing Daoguang's "Yangqu County Chronicles", in the west of the county government, there are two school palaces in Fuxian County standing side by side, and there are two Confucian temples in Fuxian County in the palace. This is the earliest Taiyuan Confucian Temple. The Fu Confucian Temple was built in the Jintianhui period, and the County Confucian Temple was built in the Jin Dading period, with a large scale.

There are two big squares outside the temple, which are called "virtue matches heaven and earth" in the east and "daoguan ancient and modern" in the west, which belong to the two temples. The main buildings in the temple include Lingxing Gate, Halberd Gate, Dacheng Hall, East and West Halls, Minghuan Temple, Xiangxian Temple, Filial Piety and Loyalty Temple, Chongsheng Temple, Wenchang Temple, Kuiguang Tower, Jingyi Pavilion, Changing Hall, Panchi Stone Bridge and Minglun Hall, Zhaifang, Jiaoyu House, Discipline House, etc. are used for teaching.

In the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty, the Fenshui River flooded and the two Confucian temples on West Street were destroyed. In the eighth year of the Republic of China, it was established as the Provincial Library Museum. In 1927, it was renamed "Shanxi Provincial People's Education Center". During this period, the Dacheng Hall dedicated to Confucius was changed into the "Exhibition Room of Ancient Gifts and Musical Instruments"; the majestic Dacheng Gate was changed into the "Lecture Hall of the Auditorium". Other halls are either reading rooms, bookstores, or other activity rooms and showrooms.

In 1937, the Japanese army attacked Taiyuan. After the fall of Taiyuan, the puppet government of Taiyuan City changed the name of the Confucian Temple to "Xinmin Education Center of Shanxi Province". In 1953, after the founding of New my country, it was changed to Shanxi Provincial Museum until now. In order to protect the Confucian Temple and other reasons, the Shanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau was built according to the Confucian Temple. From south to north, Taiyuan Confucian Temple has Zhaobi, Hexagonal Well Pavilion, Lingxing Gate, Dacheng Gate, Dacheng Hall, East and West Verandah and Chongsheng Temple. The heart of the courtyard is broad, with towering ancient trees. have been protected to a certain extent.

As part of the museum, the Confucian Temple is open to the public. The main exhibition hall is the Dacheng Hall and its east and west verandas. The content of the exhibition is the history of Shanxi, which is divided into two parts: ancient and modern. The whole exhibition reflects the important position of Shanxi's politics, economy, culture, military and other aspects in the history of our country. Abyss and other characteristics. For example, the Dacheng Hall has been renovated: the tall Confucius statue is awe-inspiring, and various cultural relics are neatly displayed, and most of them are placed in glass boxes and are well protected.

Leaving the Confucian Temple, I hurried all the way, and soon got on the overpass. I was looking at Taiyuan Square. Soon, a woman wearing high heels walked in. There were a lot of people going to work in the morning glow, and the street was bustling with people. I walked to the opposite side On the road, I saw a small hillside next to Chunyang Palace. The gate was closed at that time, so I thought to myself that it is still so late to welcome guests?

If I pushed open the gate, I saw the decoration inside, so I strode in and took a look. After going around a few times, I wanted to climb to the pavilion on the right hill to watch. At this time, a cadre came over, and he said that now During the maintenance period, tourists are temporarily not accepted, so I can only give up. But fortunately, I walked around and saved a ticket fee.

Taiyuan Chunyang Palace is a famous Taoist temple. In the northwest corner of Wuyi Square, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province. It is a national key cultural relics protection unit. Also known as Lu Zu Temple. It was first built in the Yuan Dynasty, rebuilt during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, and renovated and expanded during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty. There is a wooden archway with four pillars and three floors in front.

The main buildings in the building include Lu Zu Hall, Corridor Pavilion, Wei Pavilion, side rooms, brick caves, Guan Gong Pavilion, etc.; the main building, Lu Zu Hall, is three rooms wide and majestic. The statue of Lu Dongbin was originally enshrined in the hall; Composition, high and low, twists and turns, unique form; Weige in the backyard is the tallest building in the palace, climbing the pavilion and looking around, the urban scenery is vivid.

An octagonal pavilion is built in each of the four corners of the palace. In the past, it was one of the famous Taoist temples in Taiyuan. Chunyang Palace is a five-entry courtyard integrating temples and garden styles. There are all kinds of pavilions and pavilions in the courtyard. In front of the gate, there is a wooden archway with four pillars and three floors. Its shape and color are unique and eye-catching.

Lu Zu Hall is the main hall of Chunyang Palace. It is located in the center of the courtyard. It is three rooms wide and square. It is the most spectacular building in the palace. The architectural pattern of the courtyard at the back of the hall is quite unique. It is said that it was built according to the orientation of the Eight Diagrams. It has distinct Taoist architectural features and is also the essence of the entire Chunyang Palace.

The building of Chunyang Palace does not occupy a large area, and it is praised by the world for its ingenious layout. The two courtyards behind are pavilion-style buildings, well-arranged, twists and turns, wandering here, there is a feeling of "the mountains and rivers are full of doubts, and there is no way out, and the willows are dark and the flowers are bright and another village". The Wei Pavilion in the backyard is the tallest building in the temple. When you climb the pavilion and look around, you are on top of Qionglou Yuyu. The unique layout is really rare in the temples and temples. The main buildings of Chunyang Palace are: Lu Zu Hall, square single-room corridor pavilion and Wei Pavilion.

Surrounded by supporting houses and brick-rolled cave dwellings. The front yard is also a pavilion-style building, with a square plane and corners, and octagonal pavilions are built on the four corners, which adds to the elegance. After liberation, rockeries were added, and Guan Gong Pavilion and stele corridors were built. The Yanggong complex has a rigorous layout and various types, with caves, stone pavilions and pavilions, and alternate halls and buildings. It is a unique and excellent example of Taoist architectural culture.

It is now turned into the Shanxi Provincial Art Museum, which is currently under maintenance and construction and will not be open for the time being. After I came out of Chunyang Palace, I walked all the way to the ancient mosque, which is located on Jiefang Road. There were hundreds of people queuing up to buy mutton and beef at the gate. The people believed that Muslims were more sincere and would not deceive people by selling fake beef like some Han people.

Next to the ancient mosque is the Hongbinlou Roast Duck Restaurant, one of the large-scale Muslim restaurants in Taiyuan, and the only large-scale restaurant in Shanxi that operates Beijing Roast Duck. The dishes of Hongbinlou have a variety of dishes and flavors, and each dish has its own style. From delicacies from mountains and seas to beef, mutton and eggs, all dishes are not bad.

Nine varieties, including Peking duck, mutton shabu-shabu, five-ziged chicken, crystal duck feet, fried cake with raw noodles, small round steamed buns, multi-flavored Lantern Festival, and peony Western-style duck, were named by Taiyuan City. Lamb shabu-shabu is well-known in Taiyuan area.

my country's Islamic mosque is also called Chongzhen Temple. According to the existing records in the temple, the mosque was rebuilt in the second year of Qing Dynasty (1876). The temple was built in the first year of Tang Zhenyuan and rebuilt in the second year of Song Jing. After that, it has been repaired and expanded for generations. Archaeologists believe that according to the existing architectural remains, cultural relics and relevant historical facts, the temple was built in the early Ming Dynasty. There is an archway in front of the gate, with a horizontal plaque "Ancient Mosque". It was written by Wang Juemin, the magistrate of Taiyuan in the second year of Shunzhi in Qing Dynasty (1645). The ancient mosque was originally rebuilt from Yu’s Garden, commonly known as Beida Temple. In 1742, it was built to its current scale under the auspices of Imam Li Zhonghe. The places where compatriots worship, among which the Moon Tower was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution.

The ancient mosque is the most complete site preserved after the Taierzhuang War. At that time, it was the command post of the regiment headquarters of the 186th Regiment, and it was the focus of competition between China and Japan. It can be clearly seen in the eyes that it was an ironclad evidence of the Japanese invasion of China at that time. In 1988, the Museum of Revolutionary History of my country took away a piece of brick wall riddled with bullet holes from the outer wall of the mosque and displayed it in the museum to educate future generations not to forget the national humiliation.