Tusita Heaven Scenic Area

Tusita Heaven Scenic Area

The Tusita Heaven Scenic Area is located in the Kuaiji Mountain Range of Shaoxing, Zhejiang. The entire scenic area spans a planned area of 1,300 acres, with a central axis stretching 2,500 meters and a total construction area of nearly 100,000 square meters. It consists of two major architectural complexes: Tusita Heaven Palace (Heavenly Pure Land) and Kuaiji Mountain Longhua Temple (Earthly Pure Land).

Tusita Heaven Palace is located atop Baolin Peak, the highest peak in the northwest of Kuaiji Mountain (at an elevation of 321 meters), facing Longhua Temple across the “sea” (Fragrant Sea). Behind Tusita Heaven Palace and built against the mountain is an outdoor statue of Vaishravana, the Heavenly King of the North. Inside the statue is the Damo Cave, which houses statues of Bodhidharma and the Venerable Fu discussing the Dharma. Tusita Heaven Palace is 99 meters wide, 160 meters long, and 81 meters high (with the lotus top reaching an elevation of 399 meters), and has a construction area of 60,000 square meters, making it a landmark building in Shaoxing and even the Zhejiang region.

“Tusita Heaven” is the fourth layer of the desire realm in Buddhist cosmology, meaning the Heaven of Joy or the Heaven of Contentment. It is considered the most auspicious pure land within the desire realm, and many eminent monks throughout history have aspired to be reborn in this Buddha realm, such as Xuanzang of the Tang Dynasty and Master Taixu. The inner courtyard of Tusita Heaven Palace is where the future Buddha, Maitreya Bodhisattva, preaches to the celestial beings. According to Buddhist scriptures, over 2,500 years ago, Shakyamuni Buddha descended from Tusita Heaven on a six-tusked white elephant to this Saha world to save sentient beings. Maitreya Bodhisattva will also descend to the human realm when the conditions are ripe, to guide the disciples of Shakyamuni’s teachings and transform this impure world into the Maitreya Pure Land. The architecture of Tusita Heaven Palace is arranged from top to bottom as follows: the Purple Gold Lotus, the Observation Platform, the Hall of Good Dharma, and the Sevenfold Precious Walls.

The top of the palace features a forged copper-gilded lotus with 48 petals, a diameter of 56.7 meters, and a height of 16 meters, recognized as the “largest in the world.” Inside the lotus is the palace’s grand lecture hall that can accommodate one thousand people.

Address: Dalinlin Tian Gong Scenic Area, Lingxia Village, Hutang Subdistrict, Keqiao District, Shaoxing

Type: Temple

Opening Hours:

Tusita Heaven Palace Business Hours: 08:30–16:30. Note: Tusita Heaven Palace closes early, so please plan your visit accordingly.