Daxiangguo Temple, this thousand-year-old temple, located in the center of Kaifeng, was built in the sixth year of Tianbao in the Northern Qi Dynasty (555). As one of the famous Buddhist monasteries in China, Daxiangguo Temple occupies an important position among the ten famous temples of Han Buddhism. This ancient temple has been mentioned in two of China's four great masterpieces, "Water Margin" and "Journey to the West", the most well-known of which is the story of "uprooting the weeping willows".
Historically, Daeshokokuji Temple has been closely associated with the imperial family. During the Northern Song Dynasty, because Kaifeng was the capital and the center of state power, Xiangguo Temple flourished for a time and became the largest Buddhist temple in Bianjing, Kyoto, Northern Song Dynasty. At that time, Song Taizu and Song Taizong both carried out a large-scale expansion of Xiangguo Temple, making it an important place for the emperor to watch, parade, pray and thank, so it is also known as the "Royal Temple". According to historical records, at that time, the entire Daxiangguo Temple covers an area of more than 330,000 square meters, has 64 Zen law institutes, there are many famous monks, and there are countless literati and ink writers who come to admire. During the festive season, thousands of devotees come here to pay their respects.
Although the scale of the current Daxiangguo Temple is far less than the heyday, the basic pattern has not changed much, and the remaining buildings are mostly the buildings of the Qing Dynasty, such as the Daxiong Treasure Palace, the Octagonal Glazed Palace, the Tibetan Scripture Hall and the Bell Tower. These buildings are beautifully unpretentious, solemn and full of history.
Walk into the mountain gate, cross the archway is the palace of the king. As the name suggests, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings is a place dedicated to the Four Heavenly Kings. Three doors are opened in the palace of the heavenly king, the eaves of the roof are rising, covered with yellow and green glazed tiles, it looks exquisite and simple, solemn and grand. The Daxiong Treasure Hall is next door to the Tianwang Palace, which is the main hall of the Daxiangguo Temple, which was built for the Shunzhi year of the Qing Dynasty. The main hall is about 13 meters high, 5 rooms deep, the momentum is majestic, the structure is rigorous, dignified and solemn, it is known as "the first hall of the Central Plains". There are 58 lions carved on the white stone railing around the main hall, which is finely carved and vivid. In the main hall, there are Shakyamuni, Amitabha Buddha and Medicine Buddha III Buddha, and behind it is a large sculpture island Guanyin based on the story of the good fortune boy in the Huayan Sutra, which vividly shows the scene of Guanyin Pudu sentient beings in the South China Sea.
In Daxiangguo Temple, the famous Buddha with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes can be described as the treasure of the temple. Legend has it that this Buddha is the third daughter of the Jade Emperor, in order to save her father and gouge out one of her own eyes, chopped off one of her own hands, this move touched the Buddha, the Buddha gave her a thousand hands and a thousand eyes, and thus became a Buddha. The Buddha of Thousand Hands and Thousand Eyes is located in the octagonal glazed hall of the Great Xiangguo Temple, the Buddha statue was born in the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, carved with a ginkgo tree, the whole body is shining with golden light, and it is full of the mysterious beauty of elegant aura. In more than 200 years ago, the Buddha statue is still well preserved, even when Feng Yuxiang was chasing monks in the abandoned temple in Kaifeng, the Buddha with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes did not encounter accidents.
In addition to the grand temple architecture and exquisite carvings, Daxiangguo Temple also has a very famous scenery - Xiangguo Frost Bell. It is said that every year when the frost falls, the famous ancient bell will be rung at Daxiangguo Temple, and the melodious bell makes people feel the passage of time and the precipitation of history. This thousand-year-old temple is not only a Buddhist holy place, but also a cultural and historical treasure. Here, people can feel the culture and beliefs of ancient China, as well as the weight and vicissitudes of history.