| Wuzu Temple | |
|---|---|
五祖寺 | |
 A hall at Wuzu Temple. | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Sect | Chan Buddhism |
| Leadership | Shi Weidao (释惟道)[1] |
| Location | |
| Location | Wuzu Town,Huangmei County,Hubei |
| Country | China |
  Shown within Hubei | |
| Geographic coordinates | 30°11′28″N115°56′52″E / 30.191008°N 115.947831°E /30.191008; 115.947831 |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Chinese architecture |
| Founder | Daman Hongren |
| Date established | 654 |
| Completed | Qing dynasty (reconstruction) |
Wuzu Temple (Chinese:五祖寺;pinyin:Wǔzǔ Sì;lit. 'Temple of the 5th Patriarch') is aBuddhist temple located on the Eastern Mountain, in Wuzu Town ofHuangmei County,Hubei, China.[2][3][4]
Wuzu Temple was first built in 654 with the name of Dongshan Temple (东山寺; 'Eastern Mountain Temple'). During theTang dynasty (618–907), AbbotDaman Hongren, an eminent monk ofChan Buddhism, promulgated Buddhist doctrines for decades. His disciples includesHuineng,Shenxiu, andFaru.[4][5][6]
In 848,Emperor Xuanzong named it "Dazhong Dongshan Temple" (大中东山寺; 'Great Central Eastern Mountain Temple').[5]
In theSong dynasty (960–1279), Shijie (师戒), Fayan (法演), Biaozi (表自) and Zongba (宗拔) successively served as abbot of the temple. While Fayan settled at the temple, it had reached unprecedented heyday, his disciplesYuanwu Keqin, Fojian Huiqin and Foyan Qingyuan were hailed as "Three luminaries" or "Three Buddhas".[5]
During the Jingde period (1004–1007),Emperor Zhenzong inscribed and honored the name of "Zhen Hui Chan Temple" (真慧禅寺).[5]
After the fall of the Song dynasty, Wuzu Temple was completely destroyed by fire during the Mongolian invasion of the 13th century.[5]
In 1282, at the dawn of theYuan dynasty (1271–1368), master Liaoxing (了行) restored and redecorated the temple.[5]
In 1313, themummy ofDaman Hongren was brought back and enshrined in the temple.[5]
In 1322, master Fashi (法式) supervised the construction of the temple.Mahavira Hall andBuddhist Texts Library were added to the temple.[5]
In 1331,Emperor Wenzong inscribed and honored the name of "Dongshan Wuzu Temple" (东山五祖寺; 'Eastern Mountain Temple of the 5th Patriarch'), commonly abbreviated as "Wuzu Temple" (五祖寺; 'Temple of the 5th Patriarch'), the name has been used to date.[5]
In 1927, more than 2,000 soldiers of Huangmei County set a fire to demolish two thirds of its buildings.[7]
During the ten-yearCultural Revolution theRed Guards had attacked the temple,Four Heavenly Kings Hall, Bell tower and Drum tower were badly damaged in the movement.[7]
Wuzu Temple has been designated as aNational Key Buddhist Temple in Han Chinese Area by theState Council of China in 1983.[5]
In May 2006, was listed among the sixth group of "Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Hubei" by the State Council of China.[8][5]
The grand complex is built along the up and down of mountains and divided into three countyards. Along the central axis are theShanmen,Four Heavenly Kings Hall,Mahavira Hall, Pilu Hall, Body Hall andBuddhist Texts Library.
Behind theFour Heavenly Kings Hall is theMahavira Hall enshrining the statues ofSakyamuni,Amitabha andBhaisajyaguru. The statues ofEighteen Arhats stand on both sides of the hall. It was originally built in 1986 and was renovated in 1986. Covering a building area of 865.7 square metres (9,318 sq ft), it is the largest Mahavira Hall in South Central China. Under the eaves is a plaque with the Chinese characters "Mahavira Hall" written by former Venerable Master of theBuddhist Association of ChinaZhao Puchu.[9]
The Body Hall preserves themummy ofDaman Hongren; it still maintains the architectural style of theQing dynasty (1644–1911).[9]