Perhaps it is because Beijing and Tianjin are too bright, but Hebei rarely appears on the list of "tourist destinations" in China. Most people only have a vague impression of it, so that mentioning special attractions always makes people speechless. Word.
In fact, Hebei has been an important place for Jifu since ancient times. In terms of geographical advantages, it is the only province in the country that has multiple landforms such as mountains, lakes, and seashores. Human beauty. And the ancient cities in Hebei also have a rich history, many of which are "Hometown of Opera", "Land of Fish and Rice in the Northern Kingdom", "Ancient Capital of Five Dynasties" and so on.
Among these ancient cities, I am most impressed by Zhengding. At first mention of this name, you may be a little unfamiliar, but when it comes to Rongguo Mansion in "A Dream of Red Mansions", you must be familiar with it. The TV series was filmed in Zhengding. Later, Rongguo Mansion was restored according to the original description and became a symbol of Zhengding.
This thousand-year-old city not far from Shijiazhuang is naturally more than one tourist attraction. As the saying goes, "Three mountains are missing, nine bridges are not flowing, nine towers, four pagodas, eight temples, and twenty-four golden arches", which describe Zhengding's rich ancient architectural relics. All kinds of buildings can be found here, known as the "Museum of Ancient Chinese Architecture and Art". If you like to visit ancient times and find seclusion, this is the right place to come here.
Longxing Temple is the most eye-catching place among them. Some people say that the history of Zhengding is half of the history of Chinese Buddhism, and Longxing Temple is an indispensable part of Zhengding history. Longxing Temple, commonly known as the Great Buddha Temple, was built in the Song Dynasty. If you overlook it from a height, you will find that the main building is very symmetrical on the central axis, which is not common in Chinese temples. Some scholars once lamented that it is the only majestic building in the north with such a neat front outside the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Walking into the temple, the surroundings are clean and peaceful, with towering ancient trees, which seems to be a quiet place amidst the hustle and bustle. Apart from the aura of Longxing Temple, just being an ordinary compound makes people feel peaceful. The main color of the temple is gray, without too many flashy decorations, it looks extremely low-key. The skins of many red wooden pillars have fallen off, and if you stroke them with your hands, you can feel all the things the temple has experienced for thousands of years.
Dabei Pavilion is the main building of Longxing Temple. The Yushulou and Jiqing Pavilion on both sides are connected by Hongqiao, and the three pavilions are connected side by side in a line. extremely rare. The Avalokitesvara with Thousand Arms and Thousand Eyes in the pavilion is also very spectacular, with a pair of arms clasped in front of the chest, 20 arms on each side, and another eye painted on each arm, which has the meaning of protecting all living beings. It is also the largest surviving ancient bronze Guanyin in my country.
In addition, there is also the largest runner in the early stage of our country in the pavilion, with a diameter of 7 meters and a shape that looks like an octagonal pavilion. It is said that its weight is only borne by the needle hidden at the bottom, and it can be turned with just a slight push. I often see devout believers standing in front of the wheel, as if immersed in the thousand-year history, looking forward to this giant turning again.
In addition to these three places, there are four other cultural relics in the temple that are known as the most in China. They can be the treasure of the town hall if they are placed in any place, but they are concentrated in one temple, which is a feast for the eyes. So Mr. Liang Sicheng praised it as "the first famous temple outside Beijing". It is worth traveling slowly and thinking about it.
When visiting the temple, the colorful Guanyin in the Mani Hall is one of the first to be seen. In the middle of a large group of clay sculptures and colorful hanging mountains, leaning on this oriental beauty, she wears a crown, shawl drooping, phoenix eyes slightly open, and looks down on all living beings with a smile on her face. And on the colorful hanging sculptures around her, mortals, immortals, arhats, birds and beasts are all over it, just like a world of bliss. Lu Xun praised her as "Avalokitesvara sitting upside down", saying that other Buddha statues deified people, but this Avalokitesvara deified people.
The murals of the Ming Dynasty in the Mani Hall are the second, the whole murals are intertwined with green and red, supplemented by tar powder and gilded, more than 400 Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Arhats, etc., with delicate brushstrokes and lifelike faces, which are amazing.
In the Cishi Pavilion of Longxing Temple, there are three Maitreya Bodhisattvas carved from single wood in the Song Dynasty. Legend has it that during the construction, the craftsmen couldn't find suitable wood, and it happened that a huge single tree went down the river, which made this Buddha's fate. Looking at it now, this Maitreya Bodhisattva has a majestic figure, with his feet on the green lotus, solemn and energetic.
The last one is the Pilu Buddha in the Pilu Hall at the end of the central axis of the temple, which is called a national treasure. It was made by Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty to celebrate his mother's birthday, all cast in bronze. The most peculiar thing is that there is a small sitting Buddha on the lotus leaves of the three-tiered rosettes. The expressions seem to be the same, but they are not the same. These large and small Buddha statues add up to a total of 1072, which also implies the birthday of Emperor Wanli's mother.
Of course, the wonderful features of Longxing Temple are far more than these. It has the exquisite architecture of Tang and Song Dynasties, and also contains the magnificence of Ming and Qing Dynasties. Only when you are really here, can you feel the surprises it brings, which is far greater than the fame, even if it has suffered huge damage, it can't stop its brilliance. If you have a chance, come to Zhengding Longxing Temple to see it for yourself.
Some pictures come from the Internet
