Liaoyuan Mituo Temple

Liaoyuan Mituo Temple

Liaoyuan Mituo Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

One of the temples open to the public in Jilin Province, it is located on the northern side of Longshou Mountain in the city center of Liaoyuan, with the Liaochang Highway and the Sishen Expressway passing nearby. Originally built in the early 1930s by founding abbot Master Shichangban, the temple complex consists of 37 halls and residences, covering an area of over 7,000 square meters, complete with a Mahavira Hall and auxiliary halls. It suffered damage in the early years of the Cultural Revolution, but was later restored by the third-generation successor, Venerable Longcan, and subsequently rebuilt by the fourth-generation successor, Master Nengji. The main Mahavira Hall features a traditional Chinese all-timber mortise-and-tenon structure in Qing Dynasty style, with upturned eaves, interlocking brackets, painted carvings, jade railings, mythical creatures such as celestial beasts and skyward-facing monkeys, all exquisitely detailed. The hall is coated in jujube red, adorned with Paris green and gold leaf, and inlaid with sacred mantras. It stands on a bluestone base and is roofed with glazed tiles. The scripture depository houses a volume of ancestral scriptures from the Ming Dynasty, along with various editions of the Buddhist Canon that shine brilliantly. Other halls include the Ancestral Masters Hall, Ksitigarbha Hall, Heavenly King Hall, and Guanyin Pavilion, which are frequented by worshippers. The surrounding walls follow the natural contours of the mountain, lending an ancient charm, while the temple buildings themselves, harmoniously integrated into the landscape, appear even more extraordinary. As the evening breeze gently blows, the distant sound of temple bells rings out, and under the setting sun, the temple appears even more majestic and solemn.