James Baquet

    jamesbaquet@gmail.com

    CHONGSHAN (Esteeming Virtue) Temple is squeezed into the alleyways east of the river and not far from the railway station in Taiyuan, capital city of Shanxi Province. It is just north of the city’s well-preserved Confucian Temple, and the pleasant streets around hold plenty of surprises. My visit was during the huge Ghost Festival ceremonies, so the narrow lane in front of the gate was crowded with vendors and beggars.

    Chongshan was founded in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), had its layout completed in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and burned nearly to the ground in 1864. Most of the construction is new (some of it very new), but it is claimed that the main hall is from the Ming Dynasty.

    That hall is named Great Mercy for the statue of Guanyin (Avalokiteshvara), Bodhisattva of Compassion, that stands at its center. On either side are two other colossal statues, of the Bodhisattvas Puxian (Samantabhadra) and Wenshu (Manjushri). This is the only place I have ever seen these figures portrayed with “1,000 arms,” a feature usually reserved for Guanyin.

    The statues are one of the three treasures of Chongshan Temple. The others, also found in the main hall, are a pair of ancient murals, and a collection of sutras. Unfortunately, the murals were covered by memorial banners when I entered during a lunch break.

    One more interesting feature was the small performance stage, located near the back gate and opposite the newly built hall dedicated to the Dragon King. Both are features more commonly found in Taoist temples.