Ancient Sutra-Worshipping Platform

Ancient Sutra-Worshipping Platform

The Ancient Sutra-Worshipping Platform is situated at the foot of Tiantai Peak, approximately two li from Guanyin Peak. The road to Tiantai circles around the temple. First established in the Tang Dynasty, it originally consisted of a narrow complex of three-courtyard, residential-style halls. After multiple renovations through the ages, it now spans 898 square meters. The entire building is quaint and refined, with a cohesive style, and is considered a jewel of the Buddhist world. It is a key temple in Anhui Province. Legend has it that the monk Jin Dizang once recited the Avatamsaka Sutra here, and his pair of indented footprints remain on the rock. Monks built this temple in his memory, naming it "Dayuan Hermitage" (as Jin Dizang is revered in Buddhism as the Bodhisattva of the Great Vow). Because "Sutra-Worshipping" is more straightforward and memorable, it came to be known as the "Ancient Sutra-Worshipping Platform." Major attractions at the Ancient Sutra-Worshipping Platform include "Immortal Beats the Drum," " roc Listens to the Scriptures," "Golden Turtle Faces the North Star," "Dizang’s Real Big Footprint," and "Candle Peak." Right after a brief rain shower, you can also enjoy the sea of clouds—ethereal and surreal, with the sounds of Buddhist chants in the air, creating a heavenly atmosphere.

The hermitage was first built during the Qing Dynasty and was renovated during the Tongzhi era by the abbot Fuyuan. It was rebuilt again during the Guangxu era by the abbot Changguang. In 1923, the abbot Longhua carried out further repairs. From 1928 to 1935, the abbot Longming presided over the temple. From 1943 to 1953, the abbot Rende was in charge. In the 1960s and 1970s, the abbots Zifeng and Kuande successively served. Since its establishment, the temple has maintained pure monastic discipline and had harmonious interactions between monks and laypeople. Generally, pilgrims visiting Jiuhua Mountain would come to this temple to pay homage to the relics left by Jin Dizang’s scripture-worshipping. The incense offerings have always been abundant, but during the Cultural Revolution, the temple suffered severe damage—the Buddha statues were destroyed, and the monks had to leave. In 1982, the Jiuhua Mountain Management Office restored the temple and turned it into a reception center for the Jiuhua Mountain Buddhist Association, though due to age, many beams and pillars had rotted.

After the “Reform and Opening-Up,” monks returned to the temple, development resumed, religious activities were reinstated, and the temple took on a completely renewed appearance. Over the past decade or so, nearly 10 million yuan has been raised through donations to rebuild the Mahavira Hall, monks' quarters, scripture depository, Dizang Hall, mountain gate tower, large vegetarian restaurant, and pilgrim reception facilities, bringing the total floor space to over 2,000 square meters. This expansion has gradually increased the temple’s scale, providing an excellent venue for Buddhist activities for devotees from home and abroad. It has also helped promote Buddhist teachings and spread the spirit of Dizang. Starting in 1993, Abbot Shengming led fellow monks in re-planning and reconstructing the site. The halls are majestic and splendid, retaining their traditional forms, with solemn and dignified Buddha statues, bringing new life to the ancient temple.

The Mahavira Hall was rebuilt in 1994 under the initiative of Abbot Shengming, covering a construction area of 650 square meters. The hall faces southwest and is built in a palatial style with double-eaved, upturned corners, a frame structure, and a solemn, robust design. It is constructed with brick and wood. Inside the front of the hall are three large Buddha statues, with Manjushri and Samantabhadra on the sides, and Guanyin of the South Sea Island at the back, flanked by the Eighteen Arhats. On the west side of the hall is the newly built Lingguan Hall, with a construction area of 100 square meters. This is the entrance to the temple via the ancient stone steps from the west. Behind the main hall, on the north side, is the reconstructed Dizang Hall, which is also in a palatial style, two stories high, with a construction area of 300 square meters. The first floor houses a white marble statue of Dizang, along with statues of Min Gong and Daoming, and on both sides are the “Ten Kings Worshiping Dizang.” The second floor contains the Patriarchs’ Hall and the Scripture Depository.

Descending from the Dizang Hall to the left is a two-courtyard white Huizhou-style building, three stories high with four bays, featuring a ridge height of 13 meters, length of 13 meters, and width of 8 meters, covering a construction area of 1,000 square meters. The first floor includes the Maitreya Hall, with the central Maitreya Tower, a guest hall to the west, and a dining hall and kitchen to the east. The plaque was handwritten by the late eminent monk Rende. Passing through the Maitreya Hall, the lintel bears the words “Amitabha Buddha” handwritten by Abbot Shengming. The second floor is the Jade Buddha Hall, with a meditation hall to the west and a Medicine Buddha Hall to the east. The third floor is the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall. Southeast of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall, there is a guest hall and restaurant built in a residential style, spanning two and three stories, with a construction area of 400 square meters. There are also other structures such as the Patriarchs’ Hall, dining hall, vegetarian restaurant, and guesthouse.

Ascending just over ten stone steps from beside the Mahavira Hall leads to the relic site where Jin Dizang worshipped the sutras. There is an open-sided tile-roofed room about two zhang high and one zhang wide, housing a seated statue of Jin Dizang. On the right wall is embedded a stone stele inscribed with the words “Ancient Sutra-Worshipping Platform.” Behind the platform stands a 20-meter-high craggy rock that resembles an “eagle clinging to a cliff,” which monks call the “roc listening to the scriptures stone.” It is said to be the spot where Jin Dizang worshipped the sutras. On the ground, there is a protruding rectangular rock with an indented footprint. The Sutra-Worshipping Platform sits majestically between the steep cliffs of the Tiantai Peak valley, forming a “moon surrounded by stars” composition with the Mahavira Hall at its core. To the south of the hall, a cable car soars across the valley, and the Sutra-Worshipping Platform serves as the terminus of the cableway from Mianyuan to Tiantai.