Guangde Temple

Welcome to Guangde Temple, a famous Buddhist temple located approximately 13 kilometers west of Xiangyang City in Hubei Province, China. This temple, also known as Yunju Temple, is adjacent to the ancient city of Longzhong and is renowned for its rich history in Buddhism. Guangde Temple was first built during the Tang Dynasty in the Zhen Guan period and was originally named "Yunju Chan Temple". During the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Xianzong bestowed the temple with a plaque inscribed with the name "Guangde Chan Lin", which led to the temple being renamed "Guangde Temple" until today. The temple complex originally consisted of several buildings, including the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Garan Hall, the Weituo Hall, the Avalokitesvara Hall, the Scripture Library, and the Abbot's Room. Unfortunately, many of these buildings were severely damaged during the Cultural Revolution's "Four Olds" campaign, leaving only the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Scripture Library, the Abbot's Room, and the Duobao Pagoda remaining. The Duobao Pagoda, also known as the Many Treasures Pagoda, was built during the Ming Dynasty in the seventh year of the Hongzhi period. It has a brick and stone structure that imitates wood and consists of two parts: the base and the tower. The base is seven meters high, while the tower is about ten meters high. There are four hexagonal brick towers surrounding the main tower, and a total of 48 stone-carved Buddha statues are embedded in the tower, hence the name "Duobao Pagoda". The tower has eight sides, each with a niche containing a stone-carved lotus platform Buddha statue, and each wall has four stone-carved corbel doors. Above the main entrance of the base is a horizontal plaque inscribed with the words "Duobao Pagoda" and three Chinese characters for "Buddha" below it. The tower has a ten-meter-high Lama tower on top, surrounded by five small towers, with a Sumeru pedestal at the bottom and a lotus platform on top. Beside the ancient pagoda, there is a 35-meter-tall ginkgo tree that can be hugged by four people. Emperor Jiajing bestowed the title of "Grand General" upon the tree, and Emperor Qianlong added the title of "General of Induction" with his own handwriting. There is also an inscription on a stone tablet beside the tree that records its history. Visitors to Guangde Temple can enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and learn about the rich history of Buddhism in Hubei Province. Don't miss the opportunity to see the Duobao Pagoda and the ancient ginkgo tree during your visit.

Location: Hubei

Source: Wikimedia