Xinbin Dizang Temple

Xinbin Dizang Temple

Xinbin Dizang Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Dizang Temple is located in the old town of Yongling Town, Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County, Liaoning Province. The old town was originally called Hetu Ala City, the first capital established by Nurhaci, the founding emperor of the Later Jin Dynasty. In the 43rd year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1615), Nurhaci ordered the construction of the Aisin Gioro family temples, Dizang Temple and Xianyou Palace, on the high terraces to the east of Hetu Ala City. These were referred to as the Imperial Temples during the Qing Dynasty. According to the "Veritable Records of the High Emperor Taizu of Qing," in the year of Wuyin during the Wanli era (1615), "On the first day of the fourth month in summer, construction began on Buddhist temples and various temples of the Jade Emperor on the terrace to the east of the city—seven major temples in total—which took three years to complete." The "city" mentioned here refers to Hetu Ala City, and the "seven major temples" refer to the Temple of Guan Yu (now Pujue Temple), the Confucian Temple (Temple of Confucius), Tangzi, the City God Temple, the Temple of Loyalty, Xianyou Palace, and Dizang Temple. The commonly known Imperial Temple today refers to the collective term for the architectural complexes of Dizang Temple and Xianyou Palace. To maintain the dignity of Buddhism and Lamaism, Nurhaci issued decrees protecting the temples, with penalties for those who violated them. In the sixth year of the Tianming era (1621), he issued a decree stating: "No one is allowed to destroy temples or shrines, nor to tie cattle or horses, or defecate within temple grounds. Those found violating these instructions, whether by destroying temples or tying animals, will be arrested and punished." In the tenth year of Tianming (1625), he also dealt with an incident involving the destruction of a Buddhist stupa.

For nearly 300 years, Xinbin Dizang Temple enjoyed a flourishing history, becoming a renowned Buddhist site in eastern Liaoning. Pilgrims and worshippers came in an endless stream, with incense burning year-round, smoke curling in the air, and the sounds of bells, drums, and wooden fish never ceasing. However, as the Qing imperial family and government declined, so did the temple’s vibrancy. In August of the 29th year of the Guangxu era (1903), the war between Japan and Russia broke out on the soil of Northeast China. The following year, Yongling Palace and the seven major temples of Hetu Ala City, among others, were tragically devastated by the flames of the Russo-Japanese War. Dizang Temple was destroyed in the conflict, with valuable utensils and artifacts looted by Russian soldiers, and even the golden and silver hearts of the Buddha statues stolen. By the third year of the Xuantong era (1911), only the plaques of Dizang Temple remained—the inscription “Miaozheng Sanmo” (Wonderful Proof of Samadhi) written by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty for the main hall, and “Biluo Baobao” (Treasure Protected in the Azure Void) for Xianyou Palace. It is recorded that “Prefect Zhang Mingqi preserved these ancient relics, handing over these eight characters to ?? Yugong Office for safekeeping,” though their current whereabouts are unknown. Since then, the once-prosperous scene of Dizang Temple has become a thing of the past, never to return. The palaces collapsed, the temple fell into disrepair, leaving only broken bricks and tiles behind.

In 1993, the People's Government of Xinbin Manchu Autonomous County applied to restore the ancient architectural complex of the Imperial Temple to develop tourism. On September 20 of the same year, approval was granted by the Liaoning Provincial Cultural Relics Management Committee, and archaeological excavation and cleaning work were completed that year. In April 1997, with approval from the Liaoning Provincial People's Government, Dizang Temple was reconstructed to its original appearance. In April 1998, the reconstruction project was fully completed. The rebuilt Dizang Temple largely retains its original form. The central hall originally had six front and rear corridor pillars, now changed to eight. The statue of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva is still enshrined in the rear hall, flanked on the left by Daoming and on the right by Min Gong. The Ten Kings of Hell were moved from the east and west side halls into the rear hall—on the left are the Kings of the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th Halls, and on the right are those of the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th Halls. To the front left is the Ox-Head, and to the front right is the Horse-Face.

The central hall has now been elevated to the “Mahavira Hall.” At the center of the Mahavira Hall are the Three World Buddhas (in the middle is Sakyamuni Buddha, on the left is Bhaisajyaguru Buddha, and on the right is Amitabha Buddha). Below them are Kasyapa on the left and Ananda on the right. To the left of the Three Jewels Buddha is Manjushri Bodhisattva, and to the right is Samantabhadra Bodhisattva. Nine arhats are enshrined on each of the east and west sides, totaling eighteen arhats.

The east side hall is now the Dharma Item Distribution Center. The west side hall is now the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara Hall, housing the Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva.

The mountain gate currently enshrines six figures—the front center is Maitreya Buddha, behind whom is Skanda Bodhisattva. On the left and right sides are the Four Heavenly Kings. Also known as the “Four Guardian Kings” or commonly referred to as the “Four Great Heavenly Kings,” they are Dhritarashtra (Guardian of the East), Virudhaka (Guardian of the South), Virupaksha (Guardian of the West), and Vaishravana (Guardian of the North).

In September 1997, with approval from the religious affairs department of Liaoning Province, Xinbin Dizang Temple was designated as a religious activity venue.

On May 13, 1998 (the 18th day of the fourth lunar month), a traditional temple fair was held to open the temple to the public.

During the Qing Dynasty, Dizang Temple was primarily a place for worshipping Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva and Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva. As Nurhaci campaigned in all directions to unify the region, he needed to build alliances with the Mongols. Therefore, he strongly advocated and revered Lamaism. Since Lamaism does not prohibit killing, Kṣitigarbha was worshipped to help liberate souls. As the Bodhisattva of Great Vows, people made vows, prayers, and fulfilled them before him. Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, the “Bodhisattva of Great Compassion,” was worshipped in hopes of relieving the suffering of all beings. This explains why, after Nurhaci’s military unification of the Jurchen tribes and into the early Qing Dynasty, the Manchu nobility placed such high importance on Lamaism, promoted it, and built Lamaist temples.

Dizang Temple is a Buddhist temple dedicated to Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. According to Buddhist scriptures, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva was reborn as the prince of the Silla Kingdom, born during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian in the Tang Dynasty. His surname was Kim and his name was Qiao Jue. He became a monk at a young age and traveled to China during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, where he practiced asceticism in a cave on Jiuhua Mountain in Anhui. Legend has it that to build a Buddhist temple, Kṣitigarbha went to the home of Min Gong (whose full name is unknown) to solicit donations. Min Gong asked how much land he needed, and Kṣitigarbha replied that he needed an area as large as his kasaya (monk’s robe). Min Gong readily agreed. Kṣitigarbha immediately took off his kasaya and threw it into the sky. In an instant, the kasaya expanded to cover the entire Jiuhua Mountain. Amazed, Min Gong kept his word and donated Jiuhua Mountain to Kṣitigarbha. Using the funds raised, Kṣitigarbha built a temple on Shenguang Ridge of Jiuhua Mountain, attracting followers and spreading Buddhist teachings. Under Kṣitigarbha’s guidance, Min Gong and his son converted to Buddhism and became his direct disciples. Jiuhua Mountain became one of China’s four sacred Buddhist mountains, alongside Mount Putuo in Zhejiang Province (in the East China Sea off Hangzhou Bay), Mount Wutai in Shanxi Province, and Mount Emei in Sichuan Province.

When Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva passed away at the age of 99 while sitting in a casket, three years later, when the casket was opened for burial, his body remained uncorrupted, his complexion lifelike, and his joints still moved with a sound like jingling golden locks. According to Buddhist belief, this signified the rebirth of a bodhisattva. Thus, Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva was enshrined in a full-body stupa—the world-famous Kṣitigarbha Sarira Stupa, located on Shenguang Ridge of Jiuhua Mountain, which is a major pilgrimage site for Buddhists. On the 15th and 30th days of the seventh lunar month, the birthdays of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, worshippers flock to the stupa to bow and chant scriptures.

From its initial construction until its reconstruction in the 15th year of the Shunzhi era (1658), the Imperial Temple covered an area of more than 10,500 square meters (excluding monastic quarters and courtyards), making it an important temple in eastern Liaoning. The architectural complex included the main hall, central hall, east and west side halls, horse hall (mountain gate), bell tower, drum tower, incense pavilion, and monastic quarters. The buildings faced south and were arranged along a north-south axis. After unifying China, Qing emperors made eleven eastern tours to worship ancestors and inspect “the Emperor’s hometown” of Hetu Ala City and the royal temple, composing numerous poems. In the 21st year of the Kangxi era, Emperor Kangxi ordered the erection of a stele for Dizang Temple during his eastern tour, though the current location of the stele is unknown. Emperor Qianlong wrote two bronze inscribed plaques for Dizang Temple: “Miaozheng Sanmo” and “Renti Fa Ju” (The Torch of Dharma for Gods and Humans). In the ninth year of the Daoguang era, on September 17, officials Zhang Xianghe and Qiao Luzhou accompanied Emperor Daoguang to Yongling for a grand sacrificial ceremony, then toured Xingjing City. They visited the Temple of Guan Yu, Xianyou Palace, and Dizang Temple to offer incense and composed poetry together.

Scenic Area Address: Laocheng, Yongling Town, Xinbin County, Fushun City, Liaoning Province

Transportation: In Fushun, you can take a bus passing through Yongling Town to reach the site.