Fuzhou Xichan Temple: A place with a rich history!

📍Xichan Temple is located on the southwest side of Gongye Road, Hongshan Town, Gulou District, Fuzhou City, near Fuzhou University. Xichan Temple was built in the Tang Dynasty and was originally called Changqing Temple. Because it is located in the western suburbs, it is commonly known as "Xichan Temple." 🌟Xichan Temple faces south, and the main buildings in the temple are distributed in the northwest. Entering from the east gate, you can see the Release Pond, the Second Gate Pavilion, the Third Gate Hall, and more. The buildings on the central axis include the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, the Dharma Hall, the Sutra Library, and more. On the east and west sides, there are also the Dining Hall, the Buddha Recitation Hall, the Zen Hall, and more. ❤The Mahavira Hall houses statues of Sakyamuni Buddha, Medicine Buddha, and Amitabha Buddha. The Hall of Five Hundred Arhats houses 500 vivid Arhat statues with high artistic value. ❤The Huayan Three Saints Hall houses bronze statues of the Huayan Three Saints. The Guanyin Pavilion houses a statue of the Thousand-Handed and Thousand-Eyed Guanyin, which is said to weigh 29 tons and is the only one in China. ❤The Gratitude Pagoda is the tallest stone pagoda in China, with a total of 15 floors. There are 76 stone Arhat statues in the sitting niches around the pagoda. ❤The temple has cultural relics such as an ancient well from the Tang Dynasty, the tomb pagoda of Master Huileng, a lychee tree from the Song Dynasty, and a drum stone from the Yuan Dynasty. ✅Xichan Temple is one of the five major Zen temples in Fuzhou and has a great influence in Southeast Asia. It is a window for cultural exchanges between Fuzhou and Southeast Asia and is a place that integrates history, culture, and religion. It is worth a visit!