Chongfu Temple in Shuozhou

Chongfu Temple in Shuozhou

Chongfu Temple in Shuozhou is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction and a key cultural relic protection unit in China.

Chongfu Temple was founded in the second year of the Linde era of the Tang Dynasty (665 AD). During the Liao Dynasty, it served as the office of Grand Tutor Lin and was also known as Linyayuan. In the Tonghe era of the Liao, it was renamed Linyasi. In the second year of the Tiande era of the Jin Dynasty (1150 AD), the plaque “Chongfu Chanwei” was hung, and the architecture was magnificent. The existing structures include the mountain gate, as well as halls dedicated to Guanyin, Amitabha, Ksitigarbha, and Manjushri, along with a scripture depository and bell and drum towers. The layout is rigorous, with clear primary and secondary structures. The scripture depository is uniquely positioned in front of the halls, which is rare elsewhere. The Amitabha Hall is a relatively large structure from the Jin Dynasty. The Jin-era clay sculptures and murals inside the hall are well preserved. Fuzhou Chongfu Temple is located at the southern foot of Xiangfeng on the northern outskirts of Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, about 8 kilometers from the city center. The temple was founded in the second year of the Taiping Xingguo era of the Northern Song Dynasty (977 AD), originally named “Chongfu Yuan,” and was small in scale before being abandoned.

Overview

Chongfu Temple is located on the north side of East Street in Shuocheng District, Shuozhou City. It is a grand ancient temple complex with numerous halls and pavilions. Facing south, the temple has an ancient and solemn appearance, with stone lions guarding the entrance. Inside, there are five layers of halls, stretching 200 meters from north to south and 117 meters from east to west, covering an area of 23,400 square meters. Chongfu Temple was built in the second year of the Linde era of the Tang Dynasty (665 AD) by Yu Chijingde, a renowned Tang general, native of Shuozhou, and Duke of Eguo, who constructed it under imperial decree. During the Liao Dynasty, the temple was converted into the office of Grand Tutor Lin, then later changed back into a temple and renamed Linyasi. In the Xizong era of the Jin Dynasty, the temple underwent expansion with major construction efforts. In the second year of the Tiande era of the Jin Dynasty (1150 AD), Emperor Wanyan Liang of the Jin Dynasty inscribed the plaque “Chongfu Chan Temple,” the name that has been used ever since.

Chongfu Temple includes a mountain gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Thousand Buddha Pavilion, the Manjushri Hall, the Ksitigarbha Hall, the Three Treasures Hall, the Amitabha Hall, and the Guanyin Pavilion. The temple preserves well-maintained Jin Dynasty architecture, clay sculptures, and murals, making it a historically significant ancient site.

The Amitabha Hall is the main hall of Chongfu Temple and the largest within the complex. Originally built in the third year of the Huangtong era of Emperor Xizong of the Jin Dynasty (1143 AD), it has a history of over 850 years. The Amitabha Hall is tall and spacious, with a green-glazed roof trimmed in color. The front eaves’ lattice windows and partitions are elegant and exquisitely crafted, representing a well-preserved Jin Dynasty work in China. On the Buddhist altar, there are three seated statues of the “Three Saints of the West,” with four attendant bodhisattvas and two vajra guardians flanking the main figure. These sculptures are original Jin Dynasty works, characterized by simple yet refined craftsmanship. The hall’s murals cover an area of over 340 square meters, depicting scenes of Buddhist sermons.

The Guanyin Hall is located behind the Amitabha Hall and is the final hall in Chongfu Temple. It houses three statues: Guanyin Bodhisattva in the center, Manjushri Bodhisattva on the left, and Samantabhadra Bodhisattva on the right, all original Ming Dynasty works.

Chongfu Temple preserves stone sculptures from the Tang, Song, and Liao dynasties, as well as many unearthed relics, all of high artistic value.

It is worth mentioning that Chongfu Temple in Shuocheng District houses a precious pagoda—the Thousand Buddha Pagoda. Currently, the body of the pagoda is in the National Museum of History in Taipei, while the spire remains at Chongfu Temple.

This Northern Wei Dynasty Thousand Buddha Pagoda was once looted by Japan, with its spire hidden by patriotic individuals. After Japan’s defeat in the war, the spire was returned to China and is now housed in the National Museum of History in Taipei, leaving the pagoda separated from its top.

The Northern Wei Cao Tiandu Thousand Buddha Pagoda remains divided between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait. The stone pagoda was originally housed in the Amitabha Hall of Chongfu Temple in Shuocheng District, Shuozhou City, Shanxi Province. It consists of a base, body, and finial, and was created in 466 AD by Cao Tiandu, a minor court official, in memory of his deceased father Yingning and son Xueming, in Pingcheng (modern-day Datong). Regarding this pagoda, Professor Heinrich Gerhard Franz from the Institute of Art History at the University of Graz in Austria once commented: “It is of immeasurable value for our study of early Chinese Buddhism and the history of pagoda construction.” However, its fate has been tumultuous. In September 1937, after Japanese invaders occupied Shuoxian, they discovered the stone pagoda and attempted to take it away. During packing, local residents noticed and risked their lives to hide the spire, but the base and body were taken by the Japanese. Later, the spire was returned to the Chongfu Temple Cultural Relics Management Office and remains in Shuozhou. The base and body were returned to China after the victory of the Anti-Japanese War but were subsequently transported to Taiwan, where they are now housed in the National Museum of History in Taipei as one of its prized treasures. The Northern Wei Cao Tiandu Stone Pagoda has been separated for over 70 years but remains remarkably well preserved. The late historian Shi Shuqing once said: “From the tortuous journey of this stone pagoda, we can glimpse a facet of our nation’s modern history. The body in Taiwan and the top in Shanxi, separated and unable to be reunited, is truly a regrettable matter.” In fact, there are many similar separations, each telling the joys and sorrows of the Chinese nation, evoking deep emotion. —When discussing the *Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains* painting, someone remarked, “I hope the two halves of the painting can one day be joined as one.” We too hope that the Northern Wei Cao Tiandu Stone Pagoda, a national treasure, will one day be restored to its original form, and that the shared cultural heritage, once severed, may once again be united.

Temple Layout

The first courtyard of Chongfu Temple features a five-bay main hall called the Hall of Heavenly Kings, also known as the Vajra Hall. Originally housing statues of the Four Heavenly Kings and two vajra guardians, the statues are no longer present, and the hall now serves as a cultural relics exhibition room, hosting special exhibitions on a non-regular basis.

The second courtyard of Chongfu Temple contains a two-story building spanning five bays in width and three in depth, called the Thousand Buddha Pavilion. Before the Ming Dynasty, it was called the Scripture Depository. After renovation during the Ming Dynasty, a thousand Buddha statues were placed around the pavilion, leading to its new name. Though the thousand Buddhas are no longer extant, the name persists. At the front is a statue of Maitreya Buddha and a wooden model of a stupa behind it. The Buddha statue is cast in bronze, standing about 1 meter tall, and is a Ming Dynasty relic preserved at Chongfu Temple. Behind it is a triple-eaved, double-layered stupa about 4.5 meters high, with exquisite structure and unique design. It is said to have been modeled after the Great Scripture Depository here during the Tang Dynasty, crafted in the Ming Dynasty. Both its ornamental and research value are high. The eastern and western sides feature sculptures. The seven on the east side are sandstone figures about 1 meter tall, excavated from the ruins of an old temple in Nanyulin Township, Shuozhou. The seven on the west are gold-lacquered sandalwood statues, including one Buddha, four bodhisattvas, and two arhats, all relics from Shenying Temple, a famous temple in the western mountains of Shuozhou.

The rock carvings, about 1 meter in height, were unearthed from the ruins of an old temple in Jiuyulin Township, Shuozhou. The seven statues on the west side are gilded sandalwood carvings, consisting of one Buddha, four bodhisattvas, and two arhats, and are relics from Shenying Temple, a renowned temple in the western mountains of Shuozhou.

The third courtyard of Chongfu Temple has two five-bay side halls facing each other. The eastern one is the Manjushri Hall, originally housing Manjushri Bodhisattva and the Eighteen Arhats, while the western one is the Ksitigarbha Hall, originally housing Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Ten Kings of Hell. Now, the statues in both halls are gone, and they serve as cultural relics display rooms. Notably, according to temple tradition, if the eastern hall is the Manjushri Hall, the western should be the Samantabhadra Hall; if the western is the Ksitigarbha Hall, the eastern should be the Guanyin Hall. Here, however, the Manjushri Hall faces the Ksitigarbha Hall.

The fourth courtyard of Chongfu Temple features the main Amitabha Hall at its northern end. Spanning seven bays in width and five in depth, it covers a floor area of about 937 square meters and stands over 21 meters tall, including a platform about 2 meters high, bringing the hall’s net height to over 19 meters. Built in the third year of the Huangtong era of Emperor Xizong of the Jin Dynasty (1143 AD), the Amitabha Hall is one of the three largest Buddhist halls from the Liao and Jin periods still in existence in China (the other two are in Datong and Yixian, Liaoning), and represents the essence of the temple. The hall’s plaque, sculptures, murals, carved windows, and glazed roof ornaments are hailed as the “Five Wonders of the Jin Dynasty,” which we will explore one by one.

The vertical plaque reading “Amitabha Hall” above the front eaves is an original from the 24th year of the Dading era of the Jin Dynasty (1184 AD). With masterful brushwork and bold characters, it has endured for over 800 years.

The main Buddhist altar inside the hall spans five bays and houses nine statues. The “Three Saints of the West” sit in the central positions: Amitabha Buddha in the middle, Guanyin Bodhisattva on the east, and Mahasthamaprapta Bodhisattva on the west. The three main statues are dignified and graceful, with serene expressions and transcendent presence. The four standing statues flanking the main figures are attendant bodhisattvas, while the two vajra guardians in the corners are commonly known as the “Hengha Generals.” The nine statues together form a harmonious and well-balanced composition, with clear hierarchy and varied heights and sizes. Though refurbished during the Ming Dynasty, the statues retain the modeling, physique, facial expressions, and attire of their original Jin Dynasty craftsmanship, making them rare and exquisite Jin Dynasty clay sculptures.

Further Reading:

· Top 50 Ancient Architectural Structures in China

· Third Batch of Key National Cultural Relics Protection Units