Site of the Heidi Temple Ruins

Site of the Heidi Temple Ruins

The Heidi Temple Ruins is a cultural tourism attraction.

Site of the Heidi Temple Ruins

The Heidi Temple, also known as the Xiahui Temple, is located in Bayan Hushuo Town and was built during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty. It is an architectural complex characterized by rigorous layout, grand structures, splendid halls, and serene surroundings. The exterior of the temple is built from stone, featuring white walls with red trim. It combines Han-style pitched roofs, bracket sets, square pavilions, with Tibetan-style flat roofs, trapezoidal windows, and uniquely shaped columns, forming a vivid and harmonious overall image that embodies an artistic style integrating Han and Tibetan elements. The entire roof is covered with gold-plated tiles, which shine brilliantly in the sunlight. At the four corners of the temple top stand copper-plated golden scripture pillars, symbolizing standing firm between heaven and earth. At the center of the front wall’s top is a copper-plated golden “0” and facing each other are statues of sacred deer, symbolizing longevity. The interior of the halls is entirely fitted with red-painted bright columns, each wrapped with various silk streamers, banners, and prayer flags. The ceiling is painted with ancient dragon and phoenix patterns. The painted beams and carved rafters depict stories from Buddhist scriptures. Above the main entrance of the central hall hangs a plaque inscribed with the name “Xiahui Temple” in four languages: Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan. In front of the main hall is the “Great Scripture Hall,” a space dedicated to collective chanting. The walls on both sides of the hall are adorned with silk-woven or painted Buddha images. Adjacent to the walls are placed a sandalwood throne used by Bogda, cushioned with yellow python satin, along with four rows of carpeted chanting seats (known as Zhadeng in Tibetan), where followers gather to chant scriptures.

The rear section of the scripture hall is the Buddha Hall. At its center hangs a brocade-embroidered umbrella-shaped canopy, symbolizing the radiance of Buddha’s light. On the central lotus pedestal sits a 120-tael silver statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. On either side, in accordance with Buddhist hierarchy, are arranged dozens of copper-gilded Buddha statues including the founder of the Gelug sect Tsongkhapa, the Three Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future, the King of Hell, the Heavenly Mother, the Longevity Buddha, Mahakala, the Rakshasa King, Vajradhara, the Thousand-Armed Buddha, the White Tara, and the Medicine Buddha, all rendered with lifelike and natural expressions. On the offering tables in front of the Buddha statues are placed silver and copper bowls and incense burners, with incense smoke lingering all day, Buddha lamps perpetually lit, and vessels filled with dairy offerings and symbolic fruits.

On both sides of the Xiahui Temple’s mountain gate stand tall clay sculptures of the Four Heavenly Kings, each in different poses and remarkably lifelike. Behind the main hall lies the majestic and spectacular Scripture Depository, the sister hall to the front scripture hall, which houses treasures such as the Kangyur and Tengyur collections of Buddhist scriptures, along with several thousand additional volumes of scriptures.

Behind the courtyard stands a tall white stupa (21 meters high). Legend has it that the stupa was built to commemorate the 95th birthday of the First Naiji Tuoyin (1651). Its top is inlaid with Buddhist ritual instruments, including copper models of the sun and moon. The temple and stupa complement each other beautifully, creating a magnificent sight.