Zhao Yuan Yanfu Temple

Zhao Yuan Yanfu Temple

Zhao Yuan Yanfu Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Twin Pagodas and Screen Wall of Yanfu Temple are located on the western side of Damiao Village, Minyi Township, Zhaoyuan County, Heilongjiang Province. To the south, just a stone’s throw away, flows the surging Nen River heading east; to the west lies the vast and picturesque Xinxin Lake. Nestled between this river and lake is an abruptly rising terrace, beneath the shade of ancient elm trees stretching over a thousand meters, where the majestic Twin Pagodas and Screen Wall of Yanfu Temple stand tall.

Yanfu Temple was first built in the early Qing Dynasty, expanded in the 23rd year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1684), and originally named “Dubuduguijalagulukeqi,” which translates to “Guangfu Temple” in Chinese, later adapted as “Yanfu Temple,” and commonly known as the “Golden Temple.” It consists of three architectural complexes. The main complex is centrally located, with the main gate screen wall being the southernmost structure, followed by the twin pagodas. Then come the mountain gate hall, bell and drum towers, side halls on the left and right, the main hall (scripture hall), east and west scripture towers, and finally the rear hall.

Legend has it that at its peak, the temple housed over 300 lamas. Every year on the 15th day of the sixth lunar month, a grand religious assembly was held, featuring elaborate ceremonies. Events included the Cham dance (commonly referred to as the “devil dance”), the worship of Obo, horse racing, wrestling, archery, playing with slingshots, and distributing meat porridge to spectators—making for a lively and spectacular event. Sadly, after the liberation, local residents destroyed the Buddha statues and repurposed the site as a grain storage facility. Later, a great fire razed all the halls to the ground. The twin pagodas and screen wall in front of the mountain gate, both built from blue bricks and thus fire-resistant, survived and remain standing to this day.

The Twin Pagodas of Yanfu Temple are of the stupa style, constructed from blue bricks. The two pagodas are 32 meters apart, stand 15 meters tall each, and consist of three parts: the base, the body, and the finial. They are arranged east-west and face south.

The base is divided into a pedestal and a plinth. The bottom part is the pedestal, which is an eight-meter square with a height of over three meters, forming a solid square foundation. The entire pedestal is simple, dignified, thick, sturdy, smooth, and clean. Above the pedestal lies the plinth, which is a square Sumeru-style platform supported by square corner pillars at each corner. The four sides of the plinth are engraved with colorful patterns including lions, treasure basins, and jewels, while the edges are carved with lotus petals and other decorative motifs.

The middle section of the twin pagodas is the body. The base of the pagoda body is a stepped platform about two meters high. The platform of the eastern pagoda is round with three levels, while that of the western pagoda is square with four levels. The platform is inscribed with Sanskrit characters—the famous Buddhist “Om Mani Padme Hum” six-syllable mantra. Some experts interpret it as meaning “auspiciousness, happiness, and longevity,” while others understand it as “may you be like a deity upon a lotus.” Either way, it conveys a beautiful blessing.

Above the platform is the white stupa-shaped body of the pagoda, about four meters tall, adorned with eight unicorns, each holding a colored tassel in its mouth. On the southern side of each pagoda body is a niche. The niche door of the eastern pagoda is surrounded by carvings of two dragons in flight, while that of the western pagoda is encircled by floral designs. It is said that each niche houses a small, exquisitely crafted copper-gilded model of the respective pagoda, over a foot tall. However, these were stolen by a lama who climbed the pagoda shortly after the liberation.

The upper part of the pagodas is the finial, over five meters tall. The finial shaft is white, cone-shaped, tapering from bottom to top, with thirteen stacked rings. Each ring features the same five Sanskrit characters carved on both the northern and southern sides. The bottom of the finial shaft converges and connects to the base. At the top of the shaft is a golden spire composed of a jewel, the sun, a crescent moon, and a lotus petal umbrella (also called a canopy). It is intricately carved with delicate patterns. When the river wind blows, it emits a pleasant humming sound, creating a magical and enchanting atmosphere. Later, the canopy went missing at some point but was restored during renovations in 1978. Two wooden pillars with openwork vine patterns run vertically along the sides of the finial shaft, serving as decorative elements.

The screen wall of the mountain gate is about 27 meters from the twin pagodas. It is 16 meters long, five meters high, and roughly one meter wide, entirely constructed from finely jointed blue bricks. The lower part of the screen wall features a molded Sumeru pedestal, atop which sits the wall body. The central section of the screen wall has a recessed panel with carved and painted vine patterns at each corner. The center displays a circular design: the southern side shows “Sea Horses Facing Clouds,” while the northern side depicts “Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl.” The eaves section directly extends six-sided brackets to support the projecting eave, with rafters and flying rafters above, and the roof is of the flush-gable style covered with cylindrical tiles. At the ends of the flat east-west ridges sit dragon-shaped chiwen ornaments—one on each end. Legend says they are the second son of the dragon, fond of gazing into the distance, hence placed on the roof ridge to look afar and toward the future.

The exquisite architecture of the Twin Pagodas and Screen Wall of Yanfu Temple showcases the artistic style of Chinese religious buildings. It shares many similarities with the stupas of Tibet, the white marble pagoda of Yanshou Temple in Hohhot, the enamel pagodas of the Outer Eight Temples in Chengde, and the White Dagoba in Beijing’s Beihai Park.