The Sweet Dew Ordination Altar of Kaiyuan Temple

The Sweet Dew Ordination Altar of Kaiyuan Temple

The Sweet Dew Ordination Altar of Kaiyuan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

The Sweet Dew Ordination Altar is located behind the Mahavira Hall. It is said that during the Tang Dynasty, sweet dew often descended in this area, and after Monk Xingzhao opened it up, it became the Sweet Dew Well. In the third year of the Tianxi era of the Northern Song Dynasty (1019 AD), an ordination altar was first built over the well, hence the name Sweet Dew Ordination Altar. The existing structure is a four-tiered, eight-sided pyramidal roof building reconstructed in the fifth year of the Kangxi era (1666 AD). At the center of the altar’s roof is a caisson ceiling constructed with ruyi-style brackets that interlock and taper upwards, resembling a spider’s web — a structure of remarkable complexity and craftsmanship. Around the altar, 24 wooden carved flying apsaras are positioned between the columns, brackets, and other architectural elements. These figures, adorned with flowing ribbons and holding musical instruments, appear to be playing music as they gracefully soar. Like the kalavinkas in the Mahavira Hall, they are not only treasures of architectural art but also invaluable visual resources for studying the ancient southern music known as Nanyin in southern Fujian. It is said that among Buddhist temples nationwide, only Beijing's Ordination Terrace Temple, Hangzhou's Zhaoqing Temple, and Quanzhou's Kaiyuan Temple still retain the original architectural design of an ordination altar.

Location

Inside Kaiyuan Temple, West Street, Quanzhou City