James Baquet

    jamesbaquet@gmail.com

    IT had been a long day already, with visits to five temples finished and two to go.

    Xiantong (something like Obvious Skill) Temple is one of China’s oldest, dating to the 1st century, but today’s buildings are mainly Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911). It is also supposed to be the largest on the mountain. I passed hall after hall of the some 400 (seven on the main axis) in my trudge toward one of the temple’s foremost attractions, its Bronze Hall.

    But what sights along the way. As it was getting toward evening, there were chanting services in some of the halls. I paused to listen, and would try to get back before the doors were closed for a closer look.

    One of the other showpieces of the place is its so-called Beamless Hall, a building made of brick with barrel vaulting. I’ve seen a few before, but this had to be the largest of them all, standing 20 meters high, with a 16 by 28 meter footprint. It’s dedicated to the Amitabha Buddha, an enormous statue of whom stands inside.

    Also inside was a collection of new figures — perhaps the 500 Arhats — waiting to be placed. They looked quite amusing lined up in various alcoves throughout the building.

    The spectacular Bronze Hall is one of only three in all of China. Built in the Ming Dynasty, its interior is lined with thousands of bronze figures of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom. The pagodas that stand before it are bronze as well.