Dazhao Temple (Hohhot)
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| Dazhao | |
|---|---|
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Sect | Gelug |
| Location | |
| Location | Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China |
| Country | China |
 Interactive map of Dazhao | |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Altan Khan |
| Established | 1579 or 1580 |
| Dazhao Temple | |||||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||||
| Chinese | 大召寺 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Great Juu (Mongolian Temple) Temple | ||||||||
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| Hongci Temple | |||||||||
| Chinese | 弘慈寺 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Temple of Great Compassion | ||||||||
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| Wuliang Temple | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 無量寺 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 无量寺 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | Temple of Immeasurability Immeasurable Temple | ||||||||
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| Silver Buddha Temple | |||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 銀佛寺 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 银佛寺 | ||||||||
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| Tibetan name | |||||||||
| Tibetan | དཔག་མེད་གླིང་།། | ||||||||
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| Mongolian name | |||||||||
| Mongolian script | ᠴᠠᠭᠯᠠᠰᠢ ᠦᠭᠡᠢ ᠰᠦᠮᠡ | ||||||||
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| Manchu name | |||||||||
| Manchu script | ᠵᡝᠴᡝᠨ ᠠᡴᡡ ᠰᡟ | ||||||||
| Romanization | ječen akū sy | ||||||||
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Dazhao Temple, also known as the Hongci or Wuliang Temple and as the Ih Juu (Mongolian: ᠶᠡᠬᠡ
ᠵᠤᠤ Yeke Juu, SASM/GNC Ih Jûû, "Great Temple"), is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Gelugpa order in the city of Hohhot in Inner Mongolia in North China. It is the oldest and largest temple in the city and is located West of Danan Street in the Yuquan District.
In 1557, when the Tümed Mongol leader Altan Khan began its construction, it was the first building of Hohhot; the rest of the city subsequently growing around it. The temple is said to have been completed in 1579[1][2] during the Ming dynasty.[3]
The Dazhao Temple owes its fame to its astounding 10 ft (3.0 m) silver Sakyamuni Buddha statue. The 3rd Dalai Lama, Sonam Gyatso, visited the temple in 1586 and consecrated the silver Buddha statue.[4] As a consequence, Hohhot became a religious center for people from all over Mongolia who came to receive its blessings.[5]
The temple also has a shrine that was dedicated to the Kangxi Emperor in the late 17th century and murals in the hallway that commemorate his visit. Dazhao Temple also exhibits an impressive collection of musical instruments and dragon sculptures relating to Mongol legends.
The monastery is a venue for Buddhist festivals held throughout the year.
The plane layout of Dazhao is in the form of Han Temple, covering an area of over 30,000 square meters, of which the building area is more than 8,000 square meters. The main buildings include Shanmen, Tianwang Hall, Bodhi Temple, Jiujian Building, Jingtang Hall and Buddhist Temple. Etc., where the hall and the Buddhist temple are linked together, collectively referred to as the "Dadian", the main hall is the only lama temple with the combination of Chinese and Tibetan styles in the entire temple. There is a double-decked three-story front hall, a guard hall and a Buddhist temple. There is a 2.55-meter-high silver Buddha statue in the middle of the Buddhist temple. Therefore, the Wuliang Temple is also known as the "Silver Buddha Temple". The front of the Silver Buddha is Tongtian column. There is a dragon plate on it. The left and right sides of the Silver Buddha are Tsongkhapa and the bronze statues of the Dalai Lama III and IV; in addition, under the eaves of the Dazhao Gate, there is the name of "The First Spring of the Jiubian". "The First Spring of the Jiubian" refers to the Yuquan Well before the Dazhao. It is said that the Kangxi Emperor was trying to calm the chaos of the Mongolian Oirat Ministry. The triumphant return came over the Dazhao, the horseshoes stepped on the ground, and there was a spring. Inscription on the inscription: Spring water "It is light and clear, its taste is sweet and beautiful."
Decoration
There are Shanmen, Chudian, Jingtang, Jiujian building and Buddhist Temples in the buildings of Dazhao. Among them, the Hall and the Temple are closely linked together. They are commonly known as the Great Hall. There are statues and murals in the Buddha Hall. The silver Buddha image has undergone four hundred years of change, and it is still intact. The building of the Dazhao Temple is exquisite. The main hall is a common Tibetan-style lama temple system. The rest is built according to the style of traditional Chinese temples. The hall is dedicated to a silver-cast Buddha statue of Sakyamuni, so it is also called "Silver Buddha Temple". There are also many cultural relics in the collection, which is a precious material for studying Mongolian history and religious culture.
When the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing dynasty greeted Lai V to Beijing, he rested in the Grand Call. After the Kangxi Emperor cast the "Emperor of the Emperor Long" gold medal for the Silver Buddha of the Great Hall, the Grand Call was honored as the "Emperor Temple."
During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty (1662-1721), the scale of the temple was expanded, and the hall was changed to yellow glazed tiles. There is a 2.55-meter-high silver cast Sakyamuni statue in the Buddhist temple. There is a pair of golden woodcarving dragons in front of Sakyamuni, which lie on the wooden pillars. On the square of the white marble in front of the temple, there is a pair of hollow iron lions cast in the 7th year of the reign of the Qing Dynasty (AD 1627).
There are three tall statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas standing in the hall. There are huge paintings on the walls of the temple depicting Kangxi's private visit to Mingyue Building. Behind are the statues of Dalai IV, Tumote Mongolian Yundan Gyatso and Dalai V, two Buddha statues in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, two Buddha statues in woodcarving, two dragons in wood carvings, and 108 Ganzhuer Scripture. Copper casting gold plated instruments, medicines, etc. Under the front door of the hall, there is a pair of hollow iron lions that were minted in the 7th year of the reign (AD 1627), and they are proud of their artistic level. In the courtyard there is an iron incense burner cast in the Qing Dynasty, engraved with the name of a Mongolian craftsman.