Zibo Huayan Temple

Zibo Huayan Temple

Zibo Huayan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Huayan Temple is located on a high platform to the northwest of Gaolou Village, Tianzhuang Town. It was built before the Sui Dynasty. The original temple complex was grand in scale, consisting of three courtyards. In front of the temple stood an ancient pagoda named “Suiwen Pagoda,” which was said to tower above the clouds, making it a popular destination for visitors from near and far. In the early years of the Wanli era during the Ming Dynasty, Duan Wenqing of Xincheng County, believing that the pagoda housed golden Buddha statues and treasures, forcibly ordered its demolition.

The temple complex stretches 120 meters from north to south and 50 meters from east to west, covering an area of 6,000 square meters. The original main gate faced south, with the three large Chinese characters “Huayan Temple” inscribed in Yan-style calligraphy. Upon entering, the first structure encountered is the Hall of the Four Heavenly Kings. Behind this hall lies the central courtyard. To the north of the central courtyard is the Mahavira Hall, which stands on a 1.2-meter-high brick and stone platform measuring 45 meters per side. The roof of the hall is covered with green glazed tiles. The hall is 26 meters long, 10 meters deep, and 17 meters high.

Inside the hall stand eight large wooden pillars. Behind a massive screen inside the hall, there is a door leading to the rear courtyard. Looking north from the rear courtyard, one can see the Hall of the Hundred Children. Both the central and rear courtyards have side rooms on the east and west sides. In the central courtyard, there once stood an ancient locust tree, from which hung a large bell engraved with dragon motifs and inscriptions, weighing over 400 kilograms. Both the bell and the tree have long since disappeared. In 1984, the site was designated as a municipal-level key cultural relic protection unit.