Baishi Temple

Baishi Temple

Baishi Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Baishi Temple (listed in the sixth batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units). It is located southwest of Guangma Village, about 20 kilometers northwest of Xinjiang County. The temple is built on a mid-level terrace in a gully eroded by rainwater. Its exact founding date is unknown, but it was renovated in the 14th year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (726 AD); further renovations were carried out during the Dading and Mingchang reigns (1161–1190 AD) of Emperor Shizong Wanyan Yong and Emperor Zhangzong Wanyan Yong of the Jin Dynasty; additional repairs were made during the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The main surviving buildings include the Facao Pavilion, east and west side halls, the Sakyamuni Hall, the rear main hall, and the west wing rooms.

The Facao Pavilion, also known as the Three-Tiered Facao Pavilion, was built during the Jin Dynasty and repaired during the Yuan Dynasty. The pavilion is built against a earthen cliff, with a three-bay width, three stories in height, and a hip-and-gable roof. It features a balcony railing and is exquisitely structured and magnificently designed. The lower level of the pavilion houses sculptures of the Goddess of Mercy and her attendants, while the upper level enshrines the "Three Saints of the West"—Amitabha Buddha, Guanyin, and Mahasthamaprapta—all of which are Yuan Dynasty polychrome sculptures. The east side hall is dedicated to the King of Hell and the King Yama, while the west side hall is dedicated to the Medicine Buddha, with sculptures dating back to the 6th year of the Zhengde era of the Ming Dynasty (1511 AD). The Sakyamuni Hall was built during the Mingchang era of the Jin Dynasty. It is square-shaped with three bays and a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. Inside the hall, the central polychrome sculpture is of Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked by his disciples Ananda and Kasyapa, as well as attendant bodhisattvas Manjushri and Samantabhadra. There are also six arhat sculptures on the sides. The rear main hall was rebuilt in the 15th year of the Zhizheng era of the Yuan Dynasty (1355 AD). It has a five-bay width and two-bay depth, with a flush-gable roof. The polychrome sculptures inside are also from the Yuan Dynasty. In the courtyard, there is a nine-tiered Buddhist statue pagoda from the Tang Dynasty, stone steles, and more. There is also an old locust tree, said to be from the Tang Dynasty, so large that one person cannot embrace it. It remains lush and green, bearing witness to the temple’s long and storied history.

Further Reading:

· Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units