Jietai Temple ( Chinese : 戒 台 寺 ; pinyin : Jiè Tāi Sì ) is a Buddhist temple in Mentougou District in western Beijing , China. It was constructed during the Tang dynasty , with major modifications made during the Ming and Qing dynasties .
17-708: Like the older Tanzhe Temple nearby along China National Highway 108 , Jietai Temple is now a tourist attraction of Beijing . The temple is located on the mountainside of the Ma'an mountain approximately 25 kilometers from downtown Beijing. It was first built in the Kaihuang period of the Sui dynasty (581–600) and was originally called the Huiju Temple (Wisdom Accumulation Temple). The ordination altar in Jietai Temple
34-477: A clay statue of Sakyamuni which is sitting on a 3-metre (9.8 ft) high lotus throne . In front of the Buddha statue, ten red sandalwood chairs and ten dragon-carved desks are put for the 10 precept masters who will witness the precepts ceremony, namely three masters to witness the ceremony and seven to prove it. Jietai Temple is also renowned for its old and grotesque pine trees . They were mostly planted in
51-556: A high level in Chinese architecture . Under the eaves is a plaque with the words "Fuhai Zhulun" ( 福海珠轮 ; Fuhai means the western paradise and Zhulun means a big ship.) written by Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795) in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). On each end of the main ridge is a giant glazed Chiwen with colorful glaze and vivid style. It was made in the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Chiwen is
68-581: A legendary animal with a dragon head and fish tail . In the ancient time, people placed Chiwen at both ends of houses' main ridges to prevent water leakage, avoid fire and protect their family. It was said that when Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722) once came to Tanzhe Temple, he saw the Chiwen was going to leave, he ordered to build a long gilded chain and plug a sword to lock and prevent it from escaping. The Yigan Pavilion ( 猗玕亭 ), also known as Liubei Pavilion ( 流杯亭 ' Pavilion of Bestowing Wine). Its ground, which
85-702: Is a Buddhist temple situated in the Western Hills , a mountainous area in western Beijing . The temple is located near China National Highway 108 in Tanzhesi Town , Mentougou District , Beijing. At one time, it was one of the most important temples in China. Built in the Jin Dynasty (266–420) , it has an age of around 1,700 years. Tanzhe Temple is one of the oldest temples in Beijing. The area of
102-479: Is hung in the interior side of the architrave. A large square ordination altar which is 3.25-metre (10.7 ft) high and made of bluestone is placed in the middle of the hall. The three layers of the ordination altar are all shaped in Sumeru thrones with carved patterns of clouds and grass. It is surrounded by niches enshrining colored clay sculptures of "deities of precepts" ( 戒神 ). On the ordination altar enshrines
119-718: Is known as one of the three largest ordination altars in China together with the other two in Kaiyuan Temple in Quanzhou , Fujian and Zhaoqing Temple in Hangzhou , Zhejiang . As it has largest construction scale, so it is also called the "First Altar in the World" ( 天下第一坛 ). Jietai Temple was first built in 622, in the 5th year of Wude period in the Tang dynasty (618–907) with the name of "Huiju Temple" ( 慧聚寺 ). In 1069, in
136-452: Is made of white marble , is inscribed with twists and turns of the sinks winding and constituting a pattern of a dragon and a tiger . Springs spout out from the mouth of stone dragon waterway in the northeast corner of the pavilion and flow in the winding sinks. Visitors can sit in the pavilion and emulate ancient people's custom of "Qushui Liushang" (a group people drink water from a winding canal with one wine cup floating on it) and enjoy
153-512: Is said to have entered nunnery here in the 13th century. The indentations can be found on the stone on which she always knelt and prayed within the hall. Supposedly she was also buried within the temple compound. To the right of the main courtyard lies a separate yard containing stone monuments built in different styles over a period of several centuries and housing the remains of eminent monks. The Mahavira Hall has double-eave hip roofs ( 重檐庑殿顶 ) covered with yellow glazed titles , which symbolize
170-729: The Tang dynasty (618–907) and Song dynasty (960–1279), and have formed a varied grotesque appearance in the thousand years since. During the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1911), the "Ten Grotesque Pine Trees" ( 十大奇松 ) were known to the world, which attracted many literati to come and compose poems to eulogize them. Some well-known old pine trees are Leisure Pine Tree ( 自在松 ), Lying Dragon Pine Tree ( 臥龍松 ), Nine Dragon Pine Tree ( 九龍松 ), Pagoda Embracing Pine Tree ( 抱塔松 ), Active Pine Tree ( 活動松 ) and so on. Tanzhe Temple The Tanzhe Temple ( Chinese : 潭 柘 寺 ; pinyin : Tán Zhè Sì ; lit. 'Temple of Pool and Zhe Tree ')
187-479: The 5th year of Xianyong period in the Liao dynasty (907–1125), master Fajun ( 法均 ) founded the ordination altar in the temple. Monks from different areas gathered here to observe the precepts, hence the name "Jietan Temple" ( 戒坛寺 ; Jietan means the ordination altar). Jietan Hall is the most important hall in Jietai Temple. It was first built in 1069, in the 5th year of Xianyong period in the Liao dynasty (907–1125) and
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#1732783130474204-722: The central axis are the Archway, the shanmen , Deveraja Hall, Mahavira Hall and Vairochana Pavilion. The temple's central hall is its Mahavira Hall . 24 m (79 ft) in length, 33 m (108 ft) wide. Buddhist monks regularly perform religious ceremony here. The temple is divided between the Hall of Abstinence, the Ordination Altar and the Hall of Guanyin . The latter has received fame because of its association with Princess Miaoyan, daughter of Kublai Khan . The princess
221-569: The entire temple is 100 mu (6.8 hectares), and its arrangement of halls is akin to that found in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Tanzhe Temple was first established in the 1st year of Yongjia period (307) in Western Jin dynasty (265-317) with the name of Jiafu Temple ( 嘉福寺 ) and was later renamed Xiuyun Temple ( 岫云寺 ) by Kangxi Emperor (1662-1772) in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). But since there
238-644: The temple. Most of the existing buildings in the temple are from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and there are pagodas from various historical periods such as the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The over 900 rooms and 638 halls still maintain in the style of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing dynasty (1644-1911). The two "Emperor trees" by the Hall of Three Sages were planted during the Liao Dynasty (907-1125) about 1,000 years ago. The spacious and imposing buildings are arranged in three main northsouth axes. Along
255-446: The wine and poems composing. Tanzhe Temple has a large scale of tomb pagodas built near it. Now near 70 pagodas built in different dynasties are entirely preserved. They are of various types, such as stone column pagodas ( 石经幢式塔 ), monolayer square pagodas ( 方形单层浮屠式塔 ), dense-eave brick pagodas ( 密檐式砖塔 ) and overturned-bowl shaped pagodas with Tibetan style ( 覆钵形藏式石塔 ). Tanzhesi Too Many Requests If you report this error to
272-685: Was a dragon pool behind the temple and mulberry trees in the mountain, so people always call it "Tanzhe Temple". For the reason that it was first built earlier than Beijing city, so there is a saying that "there comes first the Tanzhe Temple, then the Beijing city" ( 先有潭柘寺，后有北京城 ). Tanzhe Temple entered the most glorious period in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), four emperors, namely Kangxi Emperor (1662-1722), Yongzheng Emperor (1723-1735), Qianlong Emperor (1736-1795) and Jiaqing Emperor (1796-1820) all came to Tanzhe Temple to worship Buddha, which elevated its position and attracted more people to
289-539: Was renovated in the Jin dynasty (1115–1234), Yuan dynasty (1279–1368), Ming dynasty (1368–1644) and Qing dynasty (1644–1911). It still preserves the architectural style of the Liao dynasty. Inside the hall, a plaque with " 树精进幢 " ( 树精进幢 means after observing precepts in the temple, monks can write their own books) written by Qianlong Emperor is hung on the architrave . Another plaque with " 清戒 " written by Kangxi Emperor
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