Xiangjie Temple, Buddhist temple in Shijingshan District, China
Xiangjie Temple is the largest temple complex in Badachu Park, covering nearly 20 mu on a south-facing slope. Its five courtyards rise along a central axis from the Mountain Gate Hall, whose white marble arch bears Qianlong's inscription "Chijian Xiangjie Temple", to the two-storey Sutra Library. The Drum Tower courtyard holds the Dragon Pine, a 500-year-old pine whose branches spread over the Mahayana Gate.
Founded possibly in the Tang or Yuan dynasty, the temple was first called Pingpo Dajue Temple. It was rebuilt in 1425 under the Ming, when it became Dayuantong Temple, and again in 1678 and 1748 under the Qing emperors Kangxi and Qianlong, who gave it the name Shenggan Temple and then the current Xiangjie Temple.
The temple serves as a place of worship where visitors can observe prayer rituals and see devotional practices during the year. The decorated halls and altars show how Buddhist beliefs shape the daily rhythm of the site.
The temple lies along the central axis of Badachu Park, with its five courtyards rising from south to north; the compound faces south. A tea house operates on the grounds. The halls are reached on foot, and the temple is the sixth site of the Eight Great Sites.
The old pine between the Drum and Bell towers, about 15 metres tall and over 500 years old, is called the Dragon Pine because its twisted branches resemble a dragon. In the third courtyard, a large magnolia planted in the Ming dynasty grows on the east side.
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