Tianzhuangtai Chongxing Temple

Tianzhuangtai Chongxing Temple

Tianzhuangtai Chongxing Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

In the heart of the vast Liaohe River Delta lies Tianzhuangtai Town, a historic and cultural town renowned as a place where “nine temples coexist in one town and five religions live in harmony.” Within Yao Wang Village, Liyang Community, Tianzhuangtai Town, stands Chongxing Temple (commonly known as “Yao Wang Temple”), a Buddhist temple with an uncertain founding date but renovated during the Longqing and Wanli eras of the Ming Dynasty. It has a history of at least 450 years and is the earliest Buddhist temple in Panjin. A local saying goes, “Yao Wang Temple came before Tianzhuangtai,” and over the centuries, despite changes, it has maintained enduring incense offerings and widespread fame.

Chongxing Temple was destroyed in 1953 and repurposed as Yao Wang Primary School. In 2004, Master Ci Liang from Jilin presided over the reconstruction of Chongxing Temple, completing the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Hall of the Medicine Buddha, and the mountain gate. In 2006, under the direction of Master Ming Sheng from Panjin Lianhua Temple, the temple was expanded with the construction of perimeter walls, two archways, and 14 side halls within the year. In 2007, the Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and 14 additional side halls were completed. In 2008, the foundation of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall was laid, and in 2012, on the ninth day of the fifth lunar month, the hall’s completion ceremony and the consecration ritual for the Ten Thousand Buddhas were held. Over several years, Chongxing Temple developed into a grand ancient architectural complex centered around the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, including the mountain gate, Hall of Heavenly Kings, Hall of the Medicine Buddha, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, east and west side halls, and archways. Covering a total area of 26,126 square meters, it is the largest temple in Panjin.

The Chongxing Temple scenic area features a well-planned layout and distinctive landscape. Its classic and majestic architecture, towering and solemn Buddha statues, exquisitely beautiful paintings, and uniquely rich culture attract numerous visitors.

Entering through the mountain gate, the Bell Tower stands to the east, the Drum Tower to the west, the Hall of Heavenly Kings faces you, followed by the Hall of the Medicine Buddha and the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, with side halls on the east and west sides.

The upper level of the Bell Tower houses a large bell, while the lower level enshrines the Earth Store Bodhisattva and his two disciples. The upper level of the Drum Tower has a large drum, and the lower level is dedicated to the Mountain God, Earth God, and other deities. The southeast side hall enshrines Guanyin Bodhisattva. The northwest side hall enshrines Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and his two disciples.

The Hall of Heavenly Kings primarily enshrines Maitreya Buddha, with Skanda (Wei Tuo) Bodhisattva behind him, and the Four Heavenly Kings on either side, symbolizing favorable weather, peace, and prosperity.

The Hall of the Medicine Buddha primarily enshrines the Eastern Medicine Buddha of Lapis Lazuli Radiance, with the Medicine King Bodhisattva and Medicine Superior Bodhisattva behind, and the Ten Great Medical Sages on the east and west sides: Bian Que, Hua Tuo, Zhang Zhongjing, Huangfu Mi, Ge Hong, Sun Simiao, Qian Yi, Zhu Zhenxiang, Li Shizhen, and Ye Tianshi.

The reason Chongxing Temple is so cherished by the local people of Tianzhuangtai and surrounding villages lies in its main hall enshrining the “Medicine King” Sun Simiao and the Ten Great Medical Sages. The Tang Dynasty physician Sun Simiao, known as the “Divine Physician of China,” was an extraordinary figure who cultivated both virtue and health, and was revered for both his moral character and medical skill. He authored the two monumental medical texts, “Qian Jin Fang” and “Qian Jin Yi Fang,” and has long been worshipped as the “Medicine King,” hence the temple’s common name, “Yao Wang Temple.” In those times of scarce medical resources, people would visit the Medicine King Temple to seek healing and pray for health and safety.

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, with an investment of over 10 million yuan, features a triple-eaved hip-and-gable roof structure, standing 26 meters tall—equivalent to a nine-story building—and can be seen from up to 2 kilometers away on Panjin’s Xianghai Avenue. Inside, five Dhyani Buddhas are enshrined, each statue reaching 7.5 meters in height, majestic and imposing. The reclining Shakyamuni Buddha, intricately carved from camphor wood, measures 11.8 meters in length, making it one of the largest wooden reclining Buddha statues in Northeast China. The hall also houses countless golden Buddha statues, all crafted with gold leafing techniques, radiating brilliance and reflecting the nobility of the Buddhas. At the center of the hall ceiling hangs a massive palace lantern, already nominated for the Shanghai Guinness World Records, with a diameter of 4 meters and a height of 4.5 meters, complemented by 18 finely crafted smaller lanterns, adding to the hall’s grandeur. The exquisite murals on the walls depict moving Buddhist stories, creating a profound religious atmosphere. Under the radiant light of the Ten Thousand Buddhas, Chongxing Temple embodies a vision of the Pure Land.

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall also preserves the weathered original stele of Chongxing Temple. This stone stele was erected in the 44th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1779), with only the body remaining—1.4 meters high and 0.84 meters wide. It bears 353 characters of inscribed text, written by “Li, of Wanping origin, a Jinshi degree holder and Imperial Censor of Shuntian Prefecture.” Among the text is the passage: “The temple’s founding date cannot be verified. During the Longqing and Wanli eras of the Ming Dynasty, Liu Pudao and his son renovated it. An old stele existed, but its inscriptions were half-erased and illegible, so this text replaced it.” From this, it is deduced that Chongxing Temple was built no later than the Longqing era of the Ming Dynasty, around the 1560s—over 450 years ago. This stele also attests to the historical roots of Tianzhuangtai, making it a highly valuable historical artifact.

Every year on the 28th day of the fourth lunar month is the Yao Wang Temple Fair. In ancient times, it was the liveliest event, with paper effigies of Sun Simiao erected at the official dockyard well in advance. On the actual day, these were carried into the Yao Wang Temple at an auspicious time and then “ascended to heaven.” Everyone prayed to the Medicine King for healing and protection from disaster. Today’s temple fair remains lively, though the highlight has increasingly become the release of living creatures.

During the temple fair, Chongxing Temple bustles with immense crowds both inside and out, attracting tens of thousands of visitors. Inside the temple, incense smoke curls upward, bells and drums chime harmoniously, and devout worshippers bow, pray silently, and wish for longevity and blessings. Outside, traffic flows ceaselessly, voices fill the air, and tourists crowd shoulder to shoulder. Such grand events have, since ancient times, become a defining feature of Tianzhuangtai’s religious culture.

Today, the Yao Wang Temple Fair has become a key attraction in Panjin’s tourism calendar, joining events like the “Red Beach Viewing Festival” and the “River Crab Festival” as a branded cultural tourism program in the city.

As the oldest and largest Buddhist temple in Panjin, Chongxing Temple is actively striving to become the foremost temple in the region. Guided by the principles of promoting Buddhism and advocating harmony, it is committed to establishing a model religious site, aiming to build Chongxing Temple into a first-class northern and nationally recognized temple, praying for and contributing to the economic, social development, and well-being of Panjin’s residents.

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