Huixiang Pavilion

Huixiang Pavilion

Huixiang Pavilion is a cultural tourism attraction.

Huixiang Pavilion, a key temple in Anhui Province. Originally built during the Ming Dynasty, it was initially named Huayan Nunnery, later renamed “Huayan Chan Temple,” and did not become known as Huixiang Pavilion until the early Qing Dynasty. Located on Huayan Ridge at the southern end of Dongyan, Huayan Ridge is a necessary path when ascending the stone steps from Jiuhua Street to Tiantai. The name “Huixiang” refers to the ritual where Buddhist pilgrims returning from worshiping at Tiantai would come here to burn incense and worship, marking the final ceremony symbolizing the completion of their pilgrimage to Jiuhua Mountain.

The eminent Ming Dynasty monk Zhixu practiced here for many years, delving deeply into the teachings of the Avatamsaka Sutra and producing numerous writings. The phrase “When people come in harmony, we discuss the Dao with joy; when guests leave, in leisure I chant scriptures” depicts Master Zhixu’s tranquil and serene monastic life. During the Qing Dynasty, the temple flourished with incense offerings but was destroyed by fire during the Xianfeng era, after which it never regained its former glory. Later, it was revived by the presiding monk Changfa. After opening to the public, the presiding monk Yingguan constructed two side halls, but restoration plans were later halted due to unforeseen circumstances. In 1933, the presiding monk was Zongxing. In 1942, it was presided over by Monk Zonghui. In 1949, the presiding monk was Zhidu. In 1979, the main hall was demolished, leaving only a few monks’ quarters. Between 1988 and 1990, presiding monk Yingguan built two new side halls on the western side of Huayan Ridge, facing south, consisting of front and rear halls in a palatial style, with a total construction area of 414 square meters. In 1996, presiding monk Huiguang expanded the dining hall to two stories, covering an area of 269 square meters. Between 1998 and 1999, a new Mahavira Hall was built on the site of the original main hall, facing south, with two stories in a palatial style, featuring double eaves and upturned corners, entirely made of wood. It is 21 meters long, 19 meters wide, 18 meters high, with a construction area of 560 square meters. Inside are enshrined statues including the Three Saints of Huayan, Vairocana Buddha, Manjushri, Samantabhadra, and the Twenty-Four Heavenly Guardians.

In 1996, presiding monk Huiguang initiated renovations, successively constructing a guest hall, monks’ quarters, the main hall, and a Guanyin wall, totaling 2,000 square meters. In front of the mountain gate hall, three large Fujian blue granite relief carvings of the Guanyin Wall are displayed: the central piece is the “Thousand-Armed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin,” 4 meters high and 8 meters wide, in a fan-shaped structure inscribed with the “Great Compassion Mantra”; the eastern piece is the “Guanyin Crossing the Sea,” inscribed with the “Heart Sutra”; the northern piece is the “Bamboo Grove Guanyin,” with “Hundred Blessings and Hundred Longevities” engraved in seal script on the front and the “Nine Dragons Wall” carved on the back. The stone quality is premium, and the cultural significance is rich.

In 2004, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda was built on Furong Peak and consecrated on November 20, 2006. The pagoda has seven stories, is 33 meters tall, and covers a construction area of 1,400 square meters. The underground level of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda houses the statues of the “Three Saints of the Western Paradise.” The ground floor enshrines the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva; the second floor, the compassionate Guanyin Bodhisattva; the third floor, the Manjushri Bodhisattva; the fourth floor, the Samantabhadra Bodhisattva; the fifth floor, the Medicine Buddha for eliminating disasters and extending life; the sixth floor, the Dipankara Buddha; and the seventh floor holds a century-old bronze bell, dedicated to the Great Compassion Mantra and the Heart Sutra. Each floor of the pagoda also houses four jade Buddha statues from Myanmar. In front of the main hall, a mountain gate hall was built. The side hall to the west of the main hall was demolished, and in its place, a Ksitigarbha Hall was constructed.

The ancient temple originally had two halls, both of which had long been in ruins. Master Huiguang planned to build the Commemorative Hall of Master Ouyi (Zhixu) on the east side of the main hall, a seven-story Huayan Pagoda on the ridge to the south of the main hall, and a mountain gate hall in front of the main hall. The side hall to the west of the main hall will be demolished, and a Ksitigarbha Hall will be built in its place. Huixiang Pavilion is “perched high on the mountain peak, offering a panoramic view of Tiantai’s ridges and the monasteries of Jiuhua.” To its southwest stands a 13-meter-tall welcoming pine with a trunk girth of 2 meters; in the southeast valley lies Huayan Well, with a diameter of about 1 meter, its sweet spring water remaining clear and inexhaustible even during prolonged droughts. Moreover, the main hall features nine couplets inscribed on pillars, all rich in literary flair and thought-provoking. Today, Huixiang Pavilion has become a prime destination for cultural tourism on Jiuhua Mountain. From the front of the temple, you can overlook the peaks of Tiantai and the bamboo sea of Minyuan to the east, and gaze down upon Jiuhua Street to the west. Adjacent to Huixiang Pavilion is a shop filled with a wide variety of food and souvenirs.

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