Huating Huayan Temple

Huating Huayan Temple

Huating Huayan Temple is a cultural tourism attraction.

Huayan Temple is located 5.5 kilometers north of Hongyang Town, atop the 200-meter-high peak of Hongshan Mountain, north of Shuihou Village. During the Qianlong era to the Republican period, it was known as "Mysterious Exploration at Hong Temple" and was one of the ancient “Eight Scenic Spots” of Puning.

The temple is enclosed by a surrounding wall, with the three large characters “Huayan Temple” inscribed on the temple gate. Above the entrance courtyard are the five large characters “Puning Huiflower Cliff,” and the gate lintel also bears the three characters “Huayan Temple.” Above the courtyard is the main hall, where the statues of the Three Saints of Buddhism are enshrined in the center: Sakyamuni Buddha of the Saha World in the middle, Bhaisajyaguru Buddha of the Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli World on the left, and Amitabha Buddha of the Western Paradise on the right. In front of Sakyamuni is the ever-smiling, big-bellied Maitreya Buddha. On both sides are the solemnly featured deities Skanda and Guan Yu, the Guardian God of the Monastery (i.e., Guan Gong; according to legend, the founder of the Tiantai sect of Buddhism, Zhiyi, claimed to have seen Guan Yu at Yuquan Temple. Based on this legend, later Buddhists enshrined Guan Yu as one of the Guardian Gods. Maitreya is usually placed in the front hall, but since this temple has no front hall, it is placed in front of Sakyamuni). The side halls enshrine Bodhidharma and the Patriarch Dadian (Bodhidharma being the first patriarch of Zen Buddhism, and Dadian his ninth-generation disciple), along with the Eighteen Arhats. The statue of the Cundi Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, originally meant for the rear hall, is temporarily placed in a side shrine, along with an imagined sculpted figure of Princess Taohua from the Song Dynasty, depicted with a silver spear and white horse, also placed beside the Cundi Avalokiteshvara niche.

Outside the temple is an ancient well, supported by long rectangular stone slabs forming a square shaft. Beside it is a small pool, where spring water gushes from the well and overflows through the gaps in the stone slabs into the pool for drinking. The well is very old, yet the spring flows ceaselessly. It is said that this spring connects to the “Spiritual Confluence Sweet Spring” in Yutang Village, several miles away. Moreover, the well is situated atop a mountain peak more than 200 meters high, which is truly a marvel. Additionally, at the mountaintop, there are the remaining foundations of an ancient pagoda, as well as inscriptions documenting the visit of Fang Yao, the Qing Dynasty’s Guangdong Navy Commander. These carvings are engraved on a large rock at the summit. The entire Hongshan Mountain area is dominated by the lofty Huiflower Cliff, and the ancient trees surrounding the temple create a serene and profound atmosphere. The integration of the temple scenery with the natural landscape makes it a truly splendid tourist destination.

Hongyang Town: Hongyang Town is located in the northeastern part of Puning City, covering an area of 66.3 square kilometers, including 35,000 mu of arable land and 32,000 mu of mountainous land. It governs 32 village committees and 2 community neighborhood committees, with a total population of 144,000. It is a famous fruit-growing and overseas Chinese hometown, with over 50,000 overseas Chinese and compatriots from Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan. The current built-up area of the town is approximately 8 square kilometers, with a population of about 35,000. Hongyang enjoys convenient transportation, with Provincial Highway 1930, Zhanmian Line, and Baima Line passing through the town. The town is about 2... Hongyang Town detailed information++