Yanjin Dajue Temple

Yanjin Dajue Temple

Yanjin Dajue Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Dajue Temple, located on North Street in Yanjin County, was first built during the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty (724–755). During the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, a monastic office was established, and in the sixth year of the Xuantong era (1426), monk Dingyuan renovated the temple. The main gate has three bays, and the second gate also has three bays. The main hall is the Mahavira Hall, which has three rooms and enshrines the Buddha Sakyamuni. On the right side in front of the Mahavira Hall, there is a stone inscription of the "Eternal Lamp Record" personally written by Zhao Mengfu (courtesy name Ziyang) from the Yuan Dynasty. To the left and right of the main hall are the Sangharama Hall and the Kṣitigarbha Hall, respectively, and behind the main hall is the Water-Land Hall (renamed the Great Earth Pavilion during the Wanli era), each with three rooms. Currently, only the main hall remains.

Temple Introduction

At the entrance of Dajue Temple stands an ancient hexagonal seven-story pagoda, known as the Wanshou Pagoda. According to the Yanjin County Annals, the Wanshou Pagoda was first built during the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, destroyed in the 28th year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1549), and then...

Two years later, Magistrate Li Yuanchun encouraged local gentry and citizens to renovate it. They managed to build two stories but had to stop due to insufficient funding. In the third year of the Longqing era (1569), Magistrate Chen Yi raised donations to continue the renovation, but it was still not completed. By the 11th year of the Wanli era (1583), Magistrate Hao Yili once again contributed materials to continue the construction, but had to halt it again as he left for a family funeral. It was not until the 13th year of the Wanli era (1585) that Magistrate Zhang Guangyu donated his salary to commission artisans to complete the top and cast a bronze treasure bottle (pagoda finial) weighing over a thousand jin, which was placed at the top of the pagoda. Only then was the project finally completed. The reconstruction of the pagoda, from groundbreaking to completion, spanned three generations of emperors, fifteen magistrates, and took thirty-six years. It is now a provincial-level cultural relic protected site. The Wanshou Pagoda is 28.4 meters high, with a base circumference of 23.1 meters. From the bottom up, each level is slightly smaller in height and diameter, but there is no obvious conical feel. The architectural style of the pagoda has a strong traditional Chinese aesthetic. The top of each level features blue brick-carved flying eaves, beneath which the six walls each have a domed arched door. The flying eaves extend about two feet out from the wall, intricately carved and ingeniously designed. The patterns carved on the flying eaves are divided into three layers, each about thirty centimeters thick (6–8 layers of bricks). The lower layer consists of carved brick brackets, the middle layer mimics wooden rafters and flying eaves with polished bricks, and the upper layer features carved lotus petals. The layers are distinct, sturdy, and aesthetically pleasing, representing excellent ancient corbelled carving craftsmanship. The materials used for the pagoda, apart from the one-meter-high stone foundation at the base, are all blue bricks. The structure of the pagoda is divided into three layers: inner, middle, and outer. The inner layer is a conical hollow cylinder; the outer layer is round inside and hexagonal outside; the middle layer consists of semi-solid, semi-hollow spiral staircases and passageways for climbing the pagoda. At the highest level, the center holds a large wooden pillar, which transitions at the top into a copper finial and a connected pagoda top finial. Each level's inner wall is inlaid with inscriptions, most of which are poems and reflections written by Ming Dynasty scholars who visited the pagoda.

The intricately carved flying eaves extend about two feet beyond the six surrounding walls, each of which features a round-arched gateway. The flying eaves are exquisitely sculpted with ingenious designs. The patterns on the eaves are divided into three layers, each approximately thirty centimeters thick (comprising 6–8 layers of bricks). The lower layer consists of brick-carved brackets; the middle layer mimics rafter ends and flying eaves crafted from polished bricks; the upper layer features brick-carved lotus petals. The distinct layers are both sturdy and aesthetically pleasing, representing the finest craftsmanship of ancient corbelled brickwork. Aside from the stone slabs used to build the one-meter-high base, the entire tower is constructed from blue bricks. The structure is divided into three layers: inner, middle, and outer. The inner layer is a conical hollow cylinder; the outer layer is hexagonal in shape but circular inside; the middle layer consists of a semi-solid, semi-hollow spiral staircase and passageway leading up the tower. At the topmost level, a large wooden pillar is placed at the center, transitioning at the very top into a copper finial integrated with a gourd-shaped spire. Each level of the inner wall is inlaid with inscribed stelae, most of which contain poems and reflections written by Ming Dynasty scholars during their visits to the tower.

Speaking of the pagoda top finial, there is also a legend about a southern barbarian stealing the treasure. It is said that the copper treasure bottle at the top of the pagoda, nourished by years of wind, rain, and sunlight, and infused with the essence of the sun and moon, gradually became spiritually charged. Whenever a heavy rain was about to come...

Before it arrived, the pagoda finial would automatically split in half, and a child would jump out, run around the finial a few times, then dive back in when the rain came, causing the finial to close and return to its original state. Over time, this story became widely circulated and vividly told. One southern barbarian came to steal the treasure, but despite several attempts, he failed due to the pagoda’s height and the weight of the bottle. So, the barbarian then enlisted the help of a foreign sorcerer to cast spells around the pagoda. It was said that if one hundred pancakes were thrown at the child atop the pagoda before the rain, the treasure finial would fall off automatically. Once, before a heavy rain, the barbarian and the sorcerer bought many pancakes and prepared to throw them at the top. When they had thrown ninety-nine, their scheme was exposed, and they were driven away. But ever since, the child never appeared again, leaving only the pagoda finial, which still sits firmly at the top, overlooking the ever-changing landscape of Yanjin.