Quanfu Temple in Zhouzhuang, Kunshan City, Jiangsu Province, has a history of more than 900 years. There is a three-foot-high Tathagata in Daxiong Hall, which is bigger than other temples in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Quanfu Temple is also called Quanfu Lecture Temple. In Song and Yuan Dynasties (1086), Emperor Zhou built a temple and built Quanfu Temple on the northern lakeside. After several generations of continuous expansion, the Vatican Palace has become a famous temple in the south of the Yangtze River, with overlapping temples, pavilions, fragrant water and flourishing fire. This temple was once transformed into a grain depot. With the development of tourism in Zhouzhuang Town, it was rebuilt in 1995. It took less than a year to build a temple garden under the pretext of water.
Quanfu lecture hall is located on the central axis of the whole garden. The main buildings are: the mountain gate, Guizhi Pavilion, Daxiong Hall and the Tibetan Classics Building. The whole temple is rigorous in structure, magnificent in momentum, exquisite in water features and exquisite in craftsmanship. It has both the profoundness of Buddhist culture and the beauty of architectural art, and the picturesque garden scenery makes visitors linger.
Quanfu lecture hall has five entrances. The main building is Daxiong Hall, which is magnificent. Entering the temple, the Tathagata, who is more than 30 feet tall, sits cross-legged and can lie on his palm. The Buddha's body is twice that of the major temples in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. According to the Records of Zhouzhuang Town in Qing Dynasty, the Buddha statue of Yunyan Temple, the Haiyong Peak in Huqiu, Suzhou, was recorded in the fifth year of Shunzhi in Qing Dynasty (108). General Yang Rong Chengzu was stationed in Baimian Lake and welcomed into the temple. The giant Buddha stands on the left and right as Manjusri and Pu Xian Buddha statues, and the eighteen arhats on both sides have their own characteristics and are lifelike. Li, a calligrapher in the Qing Dynasty, visited Quanfu lecture temple, where lakes and mountains are beautiful and the mountain gate is engraved with huge plaques, shining brightly.
As soon as I entered the mountain gate, I stood on the shore of South Lake. In front of the gate, the lake is beautiful, and the water port pier is flat and blue. Entering the mountain gate, the five-hole stone arch bridge spans the lotus pond, and the stone railings on the bridge support each other and stop on the bridge, which makes people intoxicated with the poetic meaning of "thousands of layers of green covers and ten thousand layers of makeup red". You can reach the Gui Zhi Pavilion by crossing the arch bridge. The third entrance is the Ursa Major Hall, surrounded by cornices and porches. The house is 18 meters high, and four big characters "Buddha shines" shine on the roof. The brick carvings of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are unique in composition, exquisite and elegant. Stepping into the temple, countless giant buddhas overlap with solemn and precious little buddhas, coming from all directions, just like a Buddhist country.
Quanfu Temple mentioned in Eight Scenes of Zhouzhuang is a well-known ancient temple. Now, Quanfu Temple, which is the same age as the ancient town, has been renovated, and the "Buddha Country in Water" has regained its glory. Let Zhouzhuang, the pearl of water town, be more brilliant.
The first year of Song Yuanyou (AD 1086). Zhou Digonglang, a Renren in Liren, built Quanfu Temple on the lakeside of Baixian Lake in the northwest of the town, which has been continuously expanded from generation to generation. Vatican palaces overlap, pavilions are majestic, surrounded by clear water, and incense is flourishing. It has become a famous temple in the south of the Yangtze River, which focuses on classics and respects Buddha and kindness. The whole temple has five entrances. The main building is the Hall of Heroes, which is magnificent and crowded with people. The Tathagata, who is as high as 30 feet, sits cross-legged, and one person can lie on the palm of a Buddha's hand. The Buddha's body is twice that of the major temples in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. According to the records of Zhouzhuang Town in Qing Dynasty, the Tathagata Buddha is the Buddha statue of Yunyan Temple, the Jade Peak in Huqiu, Suzhou. In the fifth year of Shunzhi in Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1648), Cheng Zubing, the general of Yang Rong, was stationed at Baixian Lake to welcome guests in the temple. Manjusri and Pu Xian Buddha statues stand around the Giant Buddha, and the eighteen arhats on both sides have different expressions and are lifelike. Li, a calligrapher in the early Qing Dynasty, visited Quanfu lecture temple, which was built in the lake and mountains, and a huge plaque of "Buddha country in water" hung above the mountain gate, shining brightly.
Quanfu lecture temple has enjoyed the peak incense for hundreds of years. However, in the 1950s, it was forced to become a grain depot and the ancient temple was destroyed. All the Buddha statues and treasures hidden in the temple are now gone. It is a great pity for Zhouzhuang Town.
In the spring breeze of reform and opening up, Zhouzhuang began to develop tourism. Based on the historical figures and cultural landscape of Zhouzhuang Nanhu Lake, Nanhu Garden was built. 1March, 995 18, the main project of Quanfu lecture hall broke ground. The huge picture of Nanhu Garden unfolds on the land of the ancient water town.
The whole area of Quanfu lecture hall is one tenth of that of Nanhu Garden. In order to reflect the charm of the ancient water town, Quanfu lecture temple was built into a typical temple garden. After 300 days and nights of intense construction, the whole building has a regular layout, rigorous structure, magnificent halls and yellow walls and tiles. Carving beams and painting buildings, spectacular, green and dripping, the curved outline of clear water, the reflection of arch bridge, unlimited scenery, has become a real underwater Buddhist country.
The main buildings on the central axis of the newly-built Quanfu lecture hall are the mountain gate, Guizhi Pavilion, Daxiong Hall and the Tibetan Scripture Building. The first entrance into the mountain stands high on the shore of the South Lake, with the lake in front, and the Yongbu Wharf is lying flat and blue. Visitors can land along the steps by boat. You can also enter the temple along the lakeshore by Quanfu Arch Bridge. Renshanmen, the five-hole stone arch bridge spans the lotus pond, and the stone fences on the bridge support each other and stop on the bridge, which makes people intoxicated with the poetic meaning of "thousands of layers of green covers and ten thousand layers of makeup red".
After crossing the arch bridge, you can reach the Gui Zhi Pavilion. The eaves are heavy and imposing, and you can climb the stairs here. Commanding, the South Lake is choppy, and the pavilions in the park have a panoramic view. The bell tower and drum tower stand on both sides, facing each other, making the temple more magnificent.
The third entrance is the main building of the whole temple, Daxiong Hall, surrounded by porch and cornices. The building height is18m. The four characters "Buddha's light is bright" shine on the roof, and the brick carvings of plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are unique in composition, exquisite and elegant, walking in the hall-countless giant buddhas and small buddhas overlap from all directions, such as near the Buddha country. Manjusri and Pu Xian on both sides rode on lions and elephants respectively, showing great courage. On the back of the hall is Guanyin floating on the sea, standing on the back of the turtle. The eighteen arhats on both sides of the main hall have different expressions and shapes. The whole hall shines with divine light and auspicious clouds, and the Buddha statue is beautiful, with a strong sense of Buddhist culture and art.
The winding flower gallery surrounds the platform, and the three-layer treasure stands in the center of the platform, and the stove is fragrant. There are fine moire patterns on the stone railing of the lotus seat in Ming Dynasty, which means good luck. The sparkling pool water under the stage is connected with the flowing water under the winding flower gallery, and the brocade scales in the water play and the canoe ripples, making people feel like entering a fairyland.
Behind the Hall of Ursa Major is a three-story Buddhist scripture building with high cornices and resplendent splendor. The hall is spacious and beautifully decorated, which will gather the fine products of ancient civilization and promote the glory of China's history. On both sides of Lou Jing are Dazhaitang and Fangzhang, which echo each other from a distance, making the whole building patchwork and magnificent.
After the revival, Quanfu Lecture Temple is full of water, exquisite workmanship, beautiful shadows, pavilions, profound Buddhist culture, exquisite architectural art and picturesque garden scenery, which is integrated with Zhouzhuang, a unique water town, and is a good place for people to linger and express their feelings.