Dacheng Chan Temple

Dacheng Chan Temple

Located in the middle section of Yutang Street, Dacheng Chan Temple is the largest nunnery on Mount Putuo in terms of land area. Its blue-tiled buildings and yellow walls make it particularly eye-catching. The “Water-Moon Guanyin Statue” enshrined in its main hall, Yuantong Treasure Hall, can be considered one of the finest among all depictions of the Goddess of Mercy. The Water-Moon Guanyin is one of the Thirty-Three Forms of Guanyin, renowned for her ornate attire and graceful posture, and is also referred to as the “Mona Lisa of the East” or the “Venus of the East.”

Originally a thatched hut, in the fourth year of the Republic of China (1915), monk Qingxiang of Huiji Temple, in collaboration with overseas Chinese donors, raised funds to transform the nunnery into a branch of Huiji Temple.

Dacheng Chan Temple has two sections, with a total floor area of 2,836.74 square meters and 74 rooms. The Yuantong Hall houses the statue of the Goddess of Mercy, flanked by statues of Manjushri and Samantabhadra. At the back is the Reclining Buddha Hall, where the reclining Buddha represents the nirvana of Sakyamuni Buddha. The Buddha’s body is 7.6 meters long, lying on its side with its right hand resting on its ear, exuding a serene and peaceful expression. The hall also enshrines a white jade reclining Buddha from Myanmar at its center.

The upstairs of the Reclining Buddha Hall is the Thousand Buddha Tower, which features thousand Buddha statues all intricately carved from high-quality camphor wood. A couplet in the Thousand Buddha Tower reads with particular charm: “Thousands of words spoken all circle around transcending life and death; Buddhist scriptures and teachings are nothing but turning insight into awakening and dispelling confusion.” It offers a straightforward take on the matters of life, death, and the maze of Buddhist doctrine.

Location

Old highway to Shangfoding Mountain, Putuo District (near Dacheng Nunnery)