Qian Nuo Buddhist Temple

Qian Nuo Buddhist Temple

Qian Nuo Buddhist Temple is a cultural relic protection unit of Yunnan Province.

Qian Nuo Buddhist Temple is located in Qian Nuo Village, Jinggu County. It is an ancient structure from the Qing Dynasty, built in 1778.

The entire temple complex consists of a mountain gate, main hall, scripture pavilion, monks' quarters, and dormitories for worshippers.

The mountain gate is entirely modeled after the style of Han Chinese Buddhism from inland China, standing 18 meters tall and 7 meters wide. The front features three gates: a central main gate flanked by two side gates. The overall structure is that of a paifang (decorative archway), with the upper section made of wood and the lower section consisting of a stone foundation, supported at the base by a Sumeru pedestal.

The top features triple eaves covered with grayish-blue tiles, with upturned eave corners. The central panel of the archway is inscribed with three Chinese characters, “清佛寺” (Qing Fo Si, meaning “Qing Buddhist Temple”), written in neat and precise calligraphy, with the inscription “乾隆戊戌季春谷旦” (Qianlong Reign, Year of Wu Xu, Early Spring). Below the double eaves are bas-reliefs of dragons and cloud patterns. In the past, there was also a screen wall and a pair of stone lions outside the mountain gate, but they were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and no longer exist. Not far away stands a bodhi tree about 30 meters tall with a trunk several people could hug, lush and green. The inner side of the mountain gate’s archway is also inscribed with three Chinese characters, “福贵门” (Fu Gui Men, meaning “Gate of Fortune and Nobility”). From the structure, carvings, and inscriptions of the mountain gate, one can see a strong influence of Han Chinese culture.

The main hall is about 25 meters tall, 22.5 meters long, and five bays wide and deep. It is a triple-eave, railing-style structure. The entire hall is mainly supported by several pairs of parallel large columns, with a roof covered in grayish-blue tiles and upturned eave corners. Below the eaves are bracket sets (dougong), and the inner railing windows are one meter high, with relatively short rafters. The roof slope is gentle, at about 30 degrees, which is markedly different from the steeper slopes seen in temples in Xishuangbanna, but quite similar to the multi-eave residential buildings in western Yunnan cities such as Baoshan, Yongping, and Xiaguan. The lower parts of the hall’s four walls are built on stone bases carved with images of various animals and plants, such as hunters driving dogs on a hunt, drawing bows to shoot birds, and feeding rabbits vegetables.

At the western end of the main hall is a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, flanked by statues of his two disciples—Pajiao Shawajia on the right and Ma’awubaguoguo on the left (said to be the Buddha of the water). There is also a statue of Maitreya Buddha in the upper right rear of Sakyamuni, which is not found in temples in Xishuangbanna, Dehong, or Menglian. The hall walls are painted with several gold-powder designs, and many ceremonial banners hang on both sides of the hall, depicting various stories such as 《Zhao Shu Tun》, 《Weng Pa Han》, 《Zang San Ya》, and 《Thousand-Petal Lotus》. These are common features in the decor of Buddhist halls in Xishuangbanna and Dehong.

Particularly distinctive are the two symmetrical dragon-carved pillar posts erected outside the main hall’s front entrance. Two giant dragons pass through the center of the pillars, with their heads emerging from the tops and gazing at each other, each front paw holding an exquisitely carved round colored ball.

On the right side in front of the hall is the precept platform, next to which are dormitories for elderly devotees who come to the temple to practice Buddhism. The rear side houses the monks’ quarters and kitchen.