Manchenglongde Temple

yjw2000

5.0/5

Outstanding

Longde Temple is located in Mancheng County, Baoding City, Hebei Province, on the bank of Caohe River, adjacent to scenic spots such as Shizigou, Longmen Lake, and Longtan Canyon. It has beautiful scenery and quiet environment, surrounded by mountains and fragrant grass. The temple is majestic and solemn, close to the mountain village but not noisy, living in the world but not contaminated, it is a good place for practice and learning. Longde Temple was originally named Tiandi Temple. It was founded in the Ming Dynasty (destroyed during the Cultural Revolution) and has a history of more than 300 years. The temple flourished during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. It was once very popular and was a famous Buddhist holy place in the county. With the changes of history, the world has changed dramatically. It declined in the late Republic of China. By the 1950s, only the ruins of the temple were left, along with a few tall ancient trees and Buddha statues. It gradually became a farmland for local mountain people. The ancestors created the temple in the past, and now the great virtue has restored it. After the implementation of the religious policy, with the strong support of leaders at all levels of the government and the support of all donors and Dharma protectors, today's Longde Temple was rebuilt by local villagers and many great virtues and good people. The planning and preparation was initiated in 2011, and the bodhisattvas of all directions were determined. In less than two years, the main building was basically completed, and the Buddha statue was consecrated in October 2012. After completion, Longde Temple is a pure land on earth, and it is also a comprehensive temple that integrates Buddhist activities, charity care, meditation experience, cultural exchange, and health care. In the process of designing and rebuilding, the temple combines the styles of ancient Chinese architecture and modern architecture. Although all of them are reinforced concrete structures, they do not lose the traditional architectural characteristics of Chinese Buddhist temples. The flying eaves and corners, the yellow walls and exposed tiles show the unique simplicity and solemnity, which reproduces the honest and simple cultural connotation of the Chinese nation. The buildings of the palace, the Buddhist dormitories, the Five Views Hall and other buildings are interconnected in a scattered manner, with twists and turns, virtual and real coexistence, small and exquisite, rich and varied visual space levels, and a big picture in a small one. According to the pattern of gradually rising mountain terrain, the layout is compact, interdependent, harmonious and natural. The surrounding environment is elegant and the trees are lush. The flowers, plants and trees in the courtyard are arranged in an orderly manner, and the fragrance is fragrant all year round. Walking in it, you can not only feel the profoundness of Buddhist culture, but also appreciate the beauty of architectural art. Being in it, you will be reluctant to leave. Looking at Longde Temple from a distance, the mountains are hazy and the clouds are misty, giving people a sense of the deep fairyland of the ancient temple in the mountains, so that the combination of its architectural form and the contrast of space have achieved an artistic effect of orderly and harmonious unity of man and nature. In particular, the 9.9-meter-high white marble three-sided Guanyin statue in the courtyard is tall and solemn, which further highlights the majestic majesty of the main hall. On October 2, 2012, a grand ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the temple and to consecrate the Buddha statue, praying for world peace, prosperity, and good weather. Thus, Longde Temple was officially opened to the public, welcoming believers from all directions to come and pay homage.