Baotong Temple is a famous scenic spot for religious tourism in Wuhan.
Baotong Temple is located at the southern foot of Hongshan Mountain and is one of the four major Buddhist jungles in Wuhan. During the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty, the temple was expanded and was also known as Amituo Temple. Later, the Buddha's feet of Master Ci Ren were moved from Dahong Mountain in Suizhou and enshrined in the temple, so the imperial court was petitioned to name it Chongning Wanshou Temple. During the Chenghua period of the Ming Dynasty, it was changed into Baotong Temple. The temple was destroyed several times and rebuilt and renovated several times.
The Buddhist buildings here face south and are built at the southern foot of Hongshan Mountain. They are stacked from bottom to top along the central axis, reflecting the designer's foresight. Enter the mountain gate, cross the Holy Monk Bridge, there are life-release ponds on both sides, the Bell and Drum Tower, go up to the Maitreya Hall, climb the Prajna Gate to the Mahavira Hall, pass through the living room and Zen hall, enter the Jade Buddha Hall and the Sutra Storehouse, and on the east side are the Zhaitang and the Incense Pavilion. On the west side of the liao are the Jialan Hall and the Abbot's Room; after climbing the mountain, you can see the Ten Thousand Buddhas Tower and the Dharma Realm Palace, and on the east side are the Huayan Pavilion and the Huayan Stone Cave. The building has brackets and cornices, colorful paintings and carvings. It is solemn, simple and majestic. It is nestled among green pines and green bamboos and covers an area of ??about 100,000 square meters. The environment here is quiet, the air is fresh, and it is surrounded by towering ancient trees. Yue Fei, the hero of the Southern Song Dynasty who resisted the Jin Dynasty, once climbed mountains and planted pine trees here. It was also a place where literati of all ages stopped to linger. As a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit, it was designated by the State Council as a key Buddhist temple in the country as early as 1982.
The existing Zen temple was built in the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty (1879). It is the largest temple in Wuchang in terms of its large scale and exquisite decoration. The temple building is built according to the mountain, with the mountain gate at the front, towering screen walls on both sides, and tiled ridges. There are four eye-catching characters of Baotong Temple on the lintel. There is a pair of stone lions in front of the door, carved in the Ming Dynasty. They are tall, vivid and majestic. After entering the door, from bottom to top are the Free Life Pond, the Holy Monk Bridge, the Heavenly King's Hall, the Mahavira Hall, the Patriarch's Hall, and the Sutra Collection Building. At this point, it is divided into the middle, with the Zen Hall on the right, the Abbot's Room on the left, and the Tiefo Temple, Huayan Cave, and Huayan Cave. Yanting, Dharma Realm Palace, and Baoneng Pagoda are behind the temple.
The buildings in the temple are all brick and wood structures, with roof tops, brackets and cornices, and painted and carved beams. The architecture of Dharma Realm Palace is unique. There is a pavilion on the roof, which is shaped to symbolize the direction of the Five Buddhas. There are many ancient trees in the mountains behind the temple. According to legend, when Yue Fei, the national hero of the Southern Song Dynasty, was stationed here, he planted pine trees. They were named Yuesong. They were cut down in the late Ming Dynasty. During the Tongzhi period of the Qing Dynasty, many pine trees were planted on the same site. After it grows up, it is still called Yuesong. There are eight trees left, which can be said to be towering ancient trees. The entire building is well laid out, structurally rigorous and well-proportioned. Baotong Temple was listed as a municipal cultural relic protection unit in 1959. At present, the buildings in the temple have been gradually restored, the courtyard walls have been repainted, and it is now open to tourists. At the same time, there is also a vegetarian restaurant in the temple, which is delicious and famous far and wide.
Baotong Zen Temple was built in the Liu Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasty (420-479 AD). It has a history of more than 1,580 years and is the oldest existing ancient temple in our city. It was first named Dongshan Temple, and later changed its name to Amitabha Temple, Chongning Wanshou Temple, and in the 21st year of Chenghua in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1485), it was named Baotong Temple. It was destroyed by war several times and rebuilt several times. The current scale was rebuilt during the Guangxu period (1875-1909 AD). It has been damaged several times since then. In recent years, large-scale restoration and repairs have been carried out on the entire temple hall and Buddha statues, restoring them to their original appearance. There are many holy sites here, which are quite influential at home and abroad. There are eight scenic spots in Hongshan in the temple, namely Dongyan, Yunqi, Huaizun, Cuiping, Qixia, Lion Peak, Immortal Stone and Shouquan. There are many precious cultural relics in the temple, such as the ancient bell from the Song Dynasty, which is the oldest large-scale smelting instrument among the existing Buddhist cultural relics in our province. There is also a pair of stone lions. The male lion plays with hydrangea and the female lion plays with her young. The shape is lifelike, unique and fashionable. It is unique in Jiangnan. It is worth mentioning the Dharma Realm Palace, which is a unique Buddhist Tantric Japanese-style building. There is a flying boulder in the palace, which adds a bit of charm to the building; the five hundred Arhats on the island are painted in colorful sculptures, with vivid and interesting expressions.
Mountain Gate
When you come to Baotong Temple, you can see that the mountain gate has been decorated. On the forehead of the door are four gilt characters of "Baotong Zen Temple", which are powerful and powerful. It was written by Mr. Zhao Puchu, chairman of the Buddhist Association of China and famous calligrapher. Entering the mountain gate, you can see the freeing pond, the Holy Monk Bridge, several acres of green trees in the courtyard and the ancient trees that cover tens of feet of shade. Baotong Temple is not only a famous temple with a long history, but there are also many charming scenic spots in the vicinity of the temple. There are several famous springs such as Ruquan (also known as Bailongquan), which is famous for its clear water and often gushing milk peaks. There is also the Yuefei Pine, which is said to have been planted by Yue Fei, the famous patriotic general of the Southern Song Dynasty. ) carved and named the Eight Scenes of Hongshan and other ancient carved cliffs, as well as the large iron bell cast in the Southern Song Dynasty, the large stone lion sculptured in the Ming Dynasty, the Hongshan Pagoda built in the early Yuan Dynasty, etc.
Scenic spots
Passing through the Maitreya Hall, the Yuexiong Palace, around the Ancestral Hall, passing by the Huayan Cave, up to the Huayan Pavilion, and up to the Hongshan Pagoda. Some of the scenic spots along the way have long been obliterated or are difficult to recognize. But the majestic palaces, secluded corridors, towering ancient trees, lush mountains and rugged rocks can give people great pleasure.
The most noteworthy thing is the Hongshan Pagoda. The pagoda stands on the top of Hongshan Mountain. It was originally named Baotong Pagoda and Lingji Pagoda. It was later renamed Hongshan Pagoda. It was built around 1280 to commemorate the founder of the mountain, Master Ci Ren. The tower is 45.6 meters high, with a masonry structure divided into seven levels and eight directions. The design is exquisite and is the best in Jingchu. The top of the tower is made of 6.5 tons of copper, which shows that the builders had long-term intentions and longed for eternity. Enter through the arch at the base, spiral up the stairs, and get a panoramic view of the Chutian scenery from the top.
Strange trees
Especially near the Hongshan Pagoda, there are some trees with strange growth: some are completely rooted in the whole rock without any gaps, and some have their roots completely covered with rocks. The boulder is spread out, and the branched tree trunks are like legs straddling the back of the boulder. It is simply a magical creation of God.