Quanzhou Jieguanting (Official Reception Pavilion)

Quanzhou Jieguanting

Quanzhou Jieguanting is a cultural relic protection unit of Quanzhou City.

Quanzhou Jieguanting, commonly known as Guanyin Dashi Ting, is located on Huangjia Street outside Linzhang Gate in Quanzhou. The pavilion is ancient and renowned, enjoying the reputation of being the “— of Southern Fujian,” and has long been a place of flourishing incense worship.

According to the county annals, in the fourth year of the Qingyuan era of the Song Dynasty (1198), there were three bridges—Gantang, Tangyin, and Guishan—outside Linzhang Gate. At the end of these three bridges stood an ancient Jieguanting, which enshrined the Bodhisattva Guanyin, also called Guanyin Dashi Ting.

In the summer of the Xin Chou year during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli reign, a flood surged into the pavilion. When the waters receded, the statue of the Bodhisattva had vanished. The locals said the Bodhisattva had ridden the waves back to Mount Putuo in the South Sea. In the same year, a massive sandalwood log drifted down the river and stopped at the pavilion, refusing to be washed away. It was brought inside the pavilion, filling it with a wondrous fragrance and emitting bright rays of light at night. The locals, astonished, hired master craftsmen to carve three images of the Bodhisattva based on the depiction by Yan Liben of the Tang Dynasty: one standing and two seated. These images were solemn and exquisite, both in form and spirit. The “three bodies” refer to the Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, and Nirmanakaya—the forms the Bodhisattva takes to respond to the needs of sentient beings.

The Guanyin Pavilion complex features a unique architectural design, consisting of five pavilions arranged in a cross pattern—front, back, left, right, and center—covering a total area of 5,880 square meters with a built-up area of 746 square meters. The central pavilion is called the Street-Crossing Pavilion, with worship pavilions on the left and right. The front pavilion enshrines the Eighteen Arhats, while the rear pavilion houses the Guanyin Bodhisattva along with Shancai and Longnü. On the left is enshrined Matsu, the Holy Mother of Heaven, and on the right is Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva. The five pavilions form a “ten” character structure, featuring raised-beam construction with flush gable roofs, upturned eaves, and bracket sets, all exuding an antique charm.

In recent years, with the support of devotees, the Guanyin Pavilion has undergone renovations and expansions costing millions. The original Guanyin Pavilion was elevated by over a meter and rebuilt according to its original design, retaining its solemn elegance and timeless appearance. The reconstructed main hall and central hall are majestic and splendid, adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, shining in gold and radiant colors. The central hall enshrines the Child-Giving Guanyin, while the main hall houses the Three Great Buddhas: Sakyamuni, Bhaisajyaguru, and Amitabha. Ancillary structures include surrounding walls, a grand mountain gate, stone-paved courtyards, and additional facilities such as living quarters. Today’s Guanyin Pavilion is a grand temple complex with imposing halls, lush banyan trees, and verdant surroundings—truly a magnificent monastery.

The Guanyin Pavilion houses many cultural relics: a stone stele embedded in the western wall titled “Record of the Image of Guanyin Dashi,” inscribed in the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi by Jie Yuan Li Guangjin in the 30th year of the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty (1602). The characters are clear and legible. The current stele was re-erected in the 12th year of the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty (1873). The front wall features four bamboo paintings carved on bluestone from the Daoguang era. There is also a horizontal wooden lintel from the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty, engraved with a design of two phoenixes facing a peony. Four stone pillars from the Song Dynasty bear inscribed couplets. The stone pillars in the rear pavilion feature running script couplets by the famous Ming calligrapher Zhang Ruitu. Additionally, several ancient stone tablets with yin-yang inscriptions are highly valuable relics. The couplets and plaques in the newly built halls and mountain gate were composed and inscribed by notable figures from Quanzhou such as Chen Sidong, Wang Aichen, and Wu Jieqiu, adding refined charm and showcasing the harmonious blend of Confucianism and Buddhism.

Feng shui masters regard the Guanyin Pavilion as the convergence point of the Qingyuan and Zimao mountain ranges, situated at the “Goddess Weaving at Her Loom” geomantic spot. The main and central halls represent the loom; the Gantang, Tangyin, and Guishan bridges, aligned with the thoroughfare, pass through the pavilion like the warp threads; the ancient well outside the pavilion is the washing well; the Guanyin Pavilion sits at the center of this cosmic loom, operating the shuttle; the coming and going of people and carts resemble the shuttle’s movement; the murmuring river sounds like the weaving machine at work.

The Guanyin Pavilion is surrounded by mountains and faces the sea, cradling the city of Quanzhou and embracing the Sun River. The three peaks of Qingyuan Mountain stand tall behind, forming a natural barrier; the surging tides of Quanzhou Bay pay homage in front; the jagged Guishan Mountain guards to the left; and the towering Zimao Mountain encircles to the right. Layers of green peaks create picturesque scenery, with the “Moonlight over the Sun River” being one of the ancient Eight Scenic Spots of Quanzhou. Historical sites such as the “Stone Bamboo Shoot” and the “Mountain and River Altar” include one provincial-level cultural relic and one ancient ritual site dedicated to the worship of mountain, river, wind, thunder, and rain deities.

With the elegance of Qingyuan and Zimao, the spiritual essence of rivers and seas, the auspicious presence of turtles and carps, and the vital energy gathered at this propitious site, Jieguanting is a uniquely blessed land. It is not only a sacred place for Buddhist worship but also a scenic destination for travelers.