Tianhu Hall

Tianhu Hall

Tianhu Hall is located in Nanhu Village, Qiling Township. Originally named Anzhai, it is surrounded by mountains and boasts a tranquil landscape, with a large pond in front of the village. Legend has it that an immortal once traveled here and happened to arrive during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Gazing at the reflection of the moon on the hall’s pond, with water as clear as a mirror and refreshing autumn breezes, the immortal was captivated by the beautiful scenery and exclaimed, “Truly, this is a heavenly lake and immortal scene!” Since then, local residents began calling Anzhai Tianhu (Heavenly Lake).

Tianhu Hall was first built in the tenth year of the Ningji reign during the Southern Song Dynasty (1217 AD). It has undergone multiple renovations over the dynasties. The main structure is a two-courtyard palace-style temple, facing east and covering an area of 960 square meters. It consists of an upper hall and a lower hall, with a spacious and bright central courtyard. The lower hall enshrines a seated statue of the Maitreya Buddha. The left corridor houses memorial tablets for three former abbots—Chongyuan, Youyu, and Wenkai—while the right corridor features statues of the God of Fortune, the Guardian of the Monastery, and the Civil and Martial Top Scholars. The main hall is divided into the central hall, rear hall, left hall, and right hall. The central hall has four large round wooden pillars, two large octagonal stone pillars, and two intricately carved stone pillars featuring openwork reliefs of dragons raising their claws. The central hall enshrines statues of the Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin) and the Three Buddhas. The left hall is dedicated to the worship of the Medicine King (Baosheng Dadi). The right hall houses statues of the Great Master Guangji, the Attendant Deity, and the Immersed Water Buddha, among others.

A unique feature of Tianhu Hall is the coexistence of Buddhism and Taoism under one roof, reflecting the customs of the local people. Legend has it that in the fourth year of the Chongzhen reign during the Ming Dynasty (1631 AD), the renowned scholar Huang Daozhou visited the site, entered the hall to pay homage, and spontaneously inscribed the large plaque “Moon Arrives with the Breeze.” It is still hanging prominently in the hall today.

In front of Tianhu Hall lies a square with an area of 924 square meters, which is very spacious. There is also a large release pond covering 450 square meters, with a pavilion on each side where visitors can rest. The mountain gate is located on the right side of the square, facing south. It stands 8 meters high and is 14.5 meters wide, exuding solemnity and grandeur.