Temple of Maitreya

Temple of Maitreya

The Temple of Maitreya is a cultural tourism attraction.

Within the county town of Mengcheng stands an ancient temple named the Temple of Maitreya. "The Morning Bell of Maitreya Temple" is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Mengcheng.

Commonly referred to as the Great Temple, the Temple of Maitreya is located on the east side at the southern end of Old Town Street, northwest of the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda. According to the old County Annals: “The Temple of Maitreya is located in the southeastern part of the county. It was built in the Year of Bingxu during the Yuan Dynasty's Zhizheng era (Note: should be the Year of Bingxu, i.e., 1346 AD), originally named Ciyuan. In the 15th year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1382 AD), it was renovated and renamed the Temple of Maitreya, with the Monk Council Office established here.” Buddhism was introduced to our county during the Five Dynasties period, developed in the Song Dynasty, and flourished most during the Yuan and Ming Dynasties. The construction and renovation of temples mostly occurred during this period.

The Temple of Maitreya covers several acres and is one of the largest temple complexes in the county. The main structures within the temple can be divided into five halls and four courtyards. The five halls: the front mountain gate (main entrance corridor) with three rooms, the main hall (including the front hall and main hall rooms) with ten rooms, the rear hall building with six rooms on two floors, the east side hall of the rear hall with three rooms, and the west side hall of the rear hall with three rooms. The four courtyards: the large square courtyard in front of the main hall, the middle rear courtyard behind the main hall and in front of the rear hall, as well as the east wing courtyard to the left of the rear hall and the west wing courtyard to the right. The entire temple has eight mountain gates and connecting passageways, with the five halls and four courtyards all interconnected. The front mountain gate, closest to the street, has one central main gate, plus one left mountain gate and one right mountain gate on either side. The front hall and the main hall (the two halls are connected as one) each have front and back gates, allowing passage from the front courtyard of the main hall to the small courtyard of the rear hall, known as the main hall passageway. On the left and right sides of the main hall are additional gates that serve as side entrances to the east and west side halls at the rear of the temple. The east and west walls of the rear hall courtyard also each have a gate, which are the temple gates leading to the east and west side halls.

Inside the front mountain gate hall, on either side of the main entrance, stand two clay statues facing each other—these are the temple’s guardian deities known as the "Two Kings" (Heng and Ha), one holding a sword and the other a spear. Along the inner side near the left and right walls are altars with statues of the "Four Heavenly Kings," also called the "Four Demon Kings"—namely, Mo Li Qing, Mo Li Hong, Mo Li Hai, and Mo Li Shou. One holds a precious fan, another cradles a pipa, another grips a giant umbrella, and another holds a long snake. The objects these four deities hold symbolize the four characters “wind, rain, harmony, and prosperity,” which are also considered auspicious signs.

At the center of the temple are the front hall and the main hall (the two are adjoined). The front hall acts like a porch to the main hall, lacking walls, with only several tall pillars serving as the front wall. On the east and west sides hang two iron bells, each taller than a person. Toward the rear, adjacent to the center of the main hall, are six tall doors. The main hall, also called the Mahavira Hall, houses three golden Buddha statues seated in the center. The central lotus throne features Sakyamuni (i.e., the Tathagata Buddha of the West), the eastern statue is the Cundi Buddha, and the western one is the Amitabha Buddha. On both sides of the main hall sit the Eighteen Arhats in varied poses, also referred to in Buddhist terms as the “Six Realms, Six Desires, and Six Conditions.” Behind the Sakyamuni Buddha in the main hall, directly opposite the back door, is a statue of Guanyin facing backward, beneath which is the “Green-Faced Beast,” also called the “Four-Unlikes.” On either side stand a golden boy and a jade girl. On the walls just inside the back door of the main hall, near the rear of the Eighteen Arhats, there are also statues of one deity and one Buddha on each side—the eastern one is the Laughing Buddha (Maitreya), and the western one is the Immortal Liu Hai.

In total, there are twenty-six arhat statues in the hall. In front of the three great Buddhas and the Guanyin pedestal are altars, upon which incense burners, candle holders, wooden fish, and musical chimes are placed. A large bronze cauldron for burning incense is also located in the center of the front hall.

Exiting through the back door of the main hall leads into the rear courtyard, which connects directly to the rear hall. The rear hall is a two-story building containing a wooden-carved statue of Guanyin. From the rear courtyard, one can walk east through the east side gate into the east wing courtyard and reach the east side hall, where the God of Wealth is enshrined. Alternatively, from the rear courtyard, one can go west through the west side gate into the west wing courtyard and arrive at the west side hall, which is dedicated to Lu Ban, also known as Gongshu Zi, a renowned master craftsman in Chinese history and the revered patriarch of eight trades: carpentry, masonry, stonework, carving, painting, lacquerwork, bamboo work, and paper art. The rear courtyard of the Temple of Maitreya and the two wing courtyards also contain several monk dormitories. Exiting the temple gate and walking west toward the street leading to the Pagoda Front Street, one will find the Goddess of Mercy Pavilion (a small overpass structure). Walking east from the temple gate, one will soon arrive at the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda.

Every year on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, the Temple of Maitreya hosts a grand incense-burning festival, known in Buddhism as the “Bathing the Buddha Festival.” Prior to the temple fair, monks clean the dust off the Buddha statues. This is the liveliest incense-burning temple fair in the county town, lasting three days. A stage is set up in the front courtyard facing the main hall for opera performances. Thousands of people come and go—some to burn incense, some to fulfill vows, some to tie a “baby charm,” some to erect flagpoles, and many more who come to enjoy the fair, listen to opera, and watch the festivities. The streets on either side of Pagoda Front Street outside the temple gate are lined with various stalls—selling incense, candles, paper, and firecrackers; food and drinks; as well as storytelling and picture shows. The area is bustling with activity.

In the past, the gate of the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda was usually closed and only opened for three days during major temple fairs, allowing people to climb up and enjoy views of the ancient city. After the fair, the pagoda gate was closed again.

Legend has it that the sculpted idols within the Temple of Maitreya were personally designed and crafted by He Dachang, a nationally renowned master sculptor of the Qing Dynasty. All the buddhas and deities within the hall, whether standing, fighting, sitting, or lying down, are vividly lifelike with diverse postures. Their expressions vary from kind to stern, ugly to handsome, all exquisitely crafted. Especially notable are the Eighteen Arhats on both sides of the main hall, whose expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness are strikingly realistic and full of life—true masterpieces of art. People praise the craftsmanship of the buddhas and deities in the Temple of Maitreya in Mengcheng as being comparable to those in Hangzhou’s Lingyin Temple and Suzhou’s West Garden Temple.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Temple of Maitreya served as the center of Buddhist activities in the county, with the Monk Council Office established here. Starting from the late Qing Dynasty, it gradually declined. After the establishment of the Republic of China, the temple had become dilapidated, with some parts even collapsed. The quality of the monks also deteriorated—most were “Five-Meat Monks” who did not practice Buddhism, and some even indulged in drinking, eating meat, gambling, and opium use. Those who had formally taken monastic vows were rare. Local residents often used a colloquial saying: “The monks of the Great Temple (Temple of Maitreya)—don’t understand the scriptures.” Since the Republic of China, temples were demolished to build schools, and more than half of the temples in the county were converted into private schools, classrooms, or formal schools. In the 32nd year of the Republic of China (1943), Mengcheng Private Zhonghua Vocational Middle School was established in the Temple of Maitreya. In the early years after liberation, it was used as a teacher training class, changed to Mengcheng Junior Normal School in 1952, and later transformed into Chengguan Third Primary School.