Bijian Temple

Bijian Temple

Bijian Temple is a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Unit.

Bijian Temple (Sixth Batch of National Key Cultural Relics Protection Units)

Era: Ming to Qing

Address: 2 km northeast of Taihuai Town, Mount Wutai

The largest monastery in Mount Wutai open to all Buddhist schools. The temple was originally built during the Northern Wei Dynasty. The eminent monk Dharma Master Fachun once preached here. It was rebuilt during the Chenghua era of the Ming Dynasty (1465–1487), and was known by various names such as Pujisi, Huguo Temple, and Beishan Temple. It underwent multiple renovations during the Qing Dynasty, and was renamed Bijian Temple during the Qianlong era. In the second year of the Xuantong era (1910), two senior monks, Chengcan and Hengxiu, practiced here and built a thatched hut to provide food and lodging for wandering monks from all over, which also earned it the name "Guangji Thatched Hut."

The temple faces south and covers an area of 15,000 square meters, with 108 halls and rooms, divided into front and rear courtyards. The front courtyard includes the Hall of Heavenly Kings, with bell and drum towers on either side, followed by the Vairocana Hall (also called the Hall of Thunderous Sound), the Ordination Platform Hall, as well as side halls and wing rooms. The central statue in the Hall of Heavenly Kings is the Maitreya Buddha, with the guardian deity Skanda behind it, and the Four Heavenly Kings on both sides. The Vairocana Hall houses the Vairocana Buddha at its center, with the Twelve Great Enlightened Beings on either side. The Ordination Platform Hall is the main hall of the front courtyard, measuring five bays in width and three in depth, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof. At the center of the hall is a bluestone ordination platform, measuring 5.1 meters long, 5 meters wide, and 1.2 meters high. It is the only ordination platform in Mount Wutai, used for the ordination of monks. The base of the platform is an early-period relic. The platform enshrines a Sakyamuni Buddha statue, in front of which is placed a jade Buddha statue seated in the lotus position, about 1.5 meters tall. It was brought from Myanmar to be enshrined here in 1929 by lay devotee Xu Yuru from Jiangxi. The carving is exquisitely detailed, and the posture is solemn. On either side of the hall are exquisite Arhat statues made with detached silk, each with unique expressions.

The rear courtyard is on higher ground and features a decorated archway, a scripture depository, and scripture halls and incense rooms on both sides. The scripture depository has two stories, five bays in width, and a double-eave hip-and-gable roof. The ground floor houses a statue of Guanyin.

Guangming Temple Village: Guangming Temple Village is located to the north of Taihuai Town, with a current population of around 200 and approximately 120 laborers. The average income per capita is around 1,000 yuan. Because the village is relatively far from the central area of Taihuai Town, few people used to visit. However, after Mount Wutai was successfully inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, tourist numbers increased, and many visitors began staying in our village. The village has subsequently built over a dozen two-story buildings and opened guesthouses and restaurants. But overall, the results have been unsatisfactory, especially when compared to other villages, where development is more advanced.

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