Xifeng Xiangyang Temple

Xifeng Xiangyang Temple

Xifeng Xiangyang Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Located in Be’ao on Xiangyang Street, Xifeng Town, Xifeng County, Xiangyang Temple is a Buddhist monastery. Originally named Dizang Temple, it was later renamed Xiangyang Temple, and locals refer to it as the Eastern Nunnery. Situated in a mountain hollow and surrounded by forests, the temple sits high and faces south, offering a broad view that stretches far and wide, refreshing the mind and lifting the spirit. When spring arrives and flowers bloom, the shaded woods echo with birdsong, and the gentle breeze carries intoxicating fragrances. The renowned White Sap Spring offers sweet, refreshing water with a wonderfully clear aroma. Though this temple may not have the legendary beauty of famous mountains or famed temples, it does possess a serene and elegant atmosphere.

Xiangyang Temple was first built in the second year of the Xuantong reign of the Qing Dynasty (1910), when a monk from Liaoyang, with the dharma name "Benliang," purchased one mu, eight fen, and six li of land himself and applied for an additional fifty mu of wasteland. He supervised the construction of a square, eight-foot Dizang Temple. On April 7, 1918, during the seventh year of the Republic of China, the Dizang Temple was demolished and rebuilt into a main hall with three rooms, and renamed "Zisun Hall" (funded through donations). In 1921, during the tenth year of the Republic of China, three residential rooms were also built (collapsed twice in 1952 and 1988, and subsequently restored). In 1936, during the 25th year of the Republic of China, Longchi, the supervisor of Zisun Hall, built three rooms each on the east and west sides (the east wing collapsed in 1952, the west wing in 1963, both were demolished). There was also a Fox Immortal Hall (demolished in 1967). Zisun Hall originally housed many Buddha statues. During the Republican era and the puppet Manchukuo period, temple fairs were very popular. On the eighth, 18th, and 28th days of the fourth lunar month each year, people flocked to Zisun Hall for the fairs. Even for everyday events such as weddings, funerals, births, and other major life occasions, people would often come to the temple to pay their respects.

Zisun Hall originally belonged to Jixiang Nunnery at Dadongguan, Fengtian. It had many Buddha statues, such as the Goddess of Children, the Goddess of Sight, Guanyin Bodhisattva, and others.

The founding supervisor, Benliang, passed away in 1931, during the 20th year of the Republic of China. Longchi, a native of Haicheng, Liaoning, was born in 1893, during the 19th year of the Guangxu reign. He became a monk at Zisun Hall in Liaoyang, and in 1915, during the third year of the Republic of China, he went to Zisun Hall in Xifeng County to become a disciple of Benliang. On August 5, 1920, during the ninth year of the Republic of China, he was ordained at Wanshou Temple in Xiaoxiguan, Fengtian. In 1931, he became the second-generation supervisor of Zisun Hall and passed away in 1945. (The third-generation supervisor was "Ju’e," who passed away in 1955; the fourth-generation supervisor was "Changguan," who passed away in 1966.)

In 1967, Zisun Hall was renovated by the housing department and residents moved in. In 1983, after religious policies were reinstated, the residents moved out. The president of the Shenyang Buddhist Association, with the dharma name "Shibo," and Changqing, the fifth-generation supervisor of Xifeng Zisun Hall, agreed to rename Zisun Hall to Xiangyang Temple, as the temple is located on Xiangyang Street in Xifeng Town.

In the spring of 1992, Anhai, the sixth-generation supervisor of Xiangyang Temple, demolished the original main hall and expanded it (into the Mahavira Hall), completing the project in October 1994 at a cost of 300,000 yuan (funded through donations from various places and with help from people in all walks of life). On April 18 of the lunar calendar in 1996, Anhai oversaw the construction of another hall for the temple, at a cost of 600,000 yuan.

The temple now houses five white marble Buddha statues, along with a 240-kilogram bronze bell and a 66.5-kilogram brass bell, both cast in 1994 at a temple on Tiantai Mountain in Zhejiang Province.

The majestic Xiangyang Temple features innovative architectural craftsmanship, a unique style, glazed flying eaves, and dazzling colors. Its tall, sturdy columns are particularly eye-catching, while the crimson temple gates hint at an ancient charm.

Xifeng Town: Geographic Location:

It borders Liaoyuan City, Jilin Province, to the east; Siping City, Jilin Province, to the north; Kaiyuan City, Liaoning Province, to the west; and Qingyuan County, Liaoning Province, to the south.

Natural Conditions:

The average annual accumulated temperature is 2,893.3°C, with 2,600 hours of annual sunshine, an average annual temperature of 5°C, a maximum temperature of 36.5°C, a minimum temperature of 24°C, annual precipitation of 700 mm, and an average of 105 rainy days. The frost period lasts from September 21 to May 11, with a frost-free period of 130 days.

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