Liaoyang Guanyin Temple

Liaoyang Guanyin Temple

Liaoyang Guanyin Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Guanyin Temple

Guanyin Temple is situated at No. 207 Zhonghua Street in Liaoyang City, atop a 30-meter-high earthen mound that rises abruptly from the ground. It covers an area of 6,700 square meters, with a built-up area of 2,300 square meters. The temple was built on the site of the Eastern Tan King’s palace from the third year of the Tianxian era (928 AD) during the Liao Dynasty. In the thirteenth year of the Hongzhi reign of the Ming Dynasty (1499 AD), it was converted into an imperial warehouse, commonly known as the Gold and Silver Treasury. In the thirty-third year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1694 AD), the construction of Guanyin Temple began. It underwent multiple renovations during the Yongzheng, Qianlong, Xianfeng (1853 AD), Tongzhi (1863 AD), and Guangxu (1889 AD) reigns.

In the late Qing Dynasty and early Republican period, it was repurposed as a commercial guildhall for merchants from Shandong. In 1915, Monk Ji Sheng purchased it back for 600 yuan and restored it as a Buddhist temple. It was subsequently expanded, and by 1966, it comprised 28 structures including the main hall, meditation hall, Goddess Hall, Immortal Fox Hall, Universal Salvation Hall, guest hall, Guan Yu Hall, Kṣitigarbha Hall, bell and drum towers, among others. In 1984, it was reinstated as a site for Buddhist activities. The archway gate, Heavenly King Hall, and Avalokitesvara Hall were successively renovated, arranged along a central axis from bottom to top and from north to south.

The stone archway was built in May 1992. It stands 8.4 meters high and 11.5 meters long. The northern-facing plaque above the gate reads “Guanyin Chan Temple,” inscribed by Zhao Puchu, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the Buddhist Association of China. The southern-facing plaque reads “Ancient Temple of the Northeast.” The vertical couplet reads: “The lotus throne monopolizes the scenery of West Lake in March; the willow in the vase brings a sprig of spring from the South Sea,” composed by Wang Zhirui in the late Qing Dynasty. The Dharma King Hall was built in 1994, measuring 12 meters in length, 9.6 meters in width, and 6 meters in height, with a built-up area of 115.2 square meters. To the east of the Dharma King Hall stands the drum tower, and to the west, the bell tower.

The Avalokitesvara Treasure Hall was built in May 1998 and completed in November of the same year. It is 23 meters long, 15 meters wide, and 12.2 meters high, with a built-up area of 345 square meters. It has five bays facing north, with two vertical couplets hanging from carved pillars. To the east of the northern side of the hall is the guest room, and to the west is the dining hall. In the courtyard, there is one precious cauldron and four stone steles. On the eastern slope of the temple grounds, built against the mountain, are the Three Heavens Hall, Kṣitigarbha Hall, [unspecified hall], monks’ quarters, and lay practitioners’ residence.

Guanyin Temple serves as the headquarters of the Liaoyang Buddhist Association and is the center of Buddhist activities in the city, as well as a renowned cultural heritage attraction. On November 14, 1983, the People’s Government of Liaoyang City designated it as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit.

Guanyin Temple is the headquarters of the Liaoyang Buddhist Association and the center of Buddhist activities in the city, as well as a popular destination for cultural heritage tourism. On November 14, 1983, the People's Government of Liaoyang City designated it as a municipal-level key cultural relics protection unit.