Foguang Temple

Foguang Temple was rebuilt in the tenth year of Emperor Xuanzong’s reign in Tang Dynasty (856). In terms of construction time, it is second only to the main hall of Nanchan Temple in Wutai County, which was built in the third year of Tang Jianzhong (AD 782). The existing wooden structure in the country Second place in the building. The Tang Dynasty buildings, Tang Dynasty sculptures, Tang Dynasty murals, and Tang Dynasty inscriptions in Foguang Temple are of high historical and artistic value, and are called "Four Wonders". The halls of Foguang Temple are tall and stacked on top of each other, and the layout is sparse, with clear priorities. The east hall stands on a high platform, and there are 35 painted sculptures of the Tang Dynasty on the Buddhist altar in the hall. Sakyamuni Buddha sits in the center of the Buddhist altar, Amitabha Buddha is on the right, Maitreya Buddha is on the left, and the two Bodhisattvas are Samantabhadra and Manjusri. This is different from ordinary temples. In general temples, Manjushri is on the left and Samantabhadra is on the right. However, in all the temples in Foguang Temple and Mount Wutai, Manjusri is on the right and Samantabhadra is on the left. The Bodhisattva Servant and the Bodhisattva in the hall are both daughters, and there is a little red dot in the middle of the crooked eyebrows, which looks quite charming. In front of the inner wall surrounding the Buddhist altar, there are 500 Arhats, shaped for the Ming Dynasty, which are "sketches" of the same size. It is worth noting that there is a Tang Dynasty mural on the back of the Buddha seat. This painting is 80 cm long and 30 cm high. It depicts the story of the heavenly king subduing demons and ghosts. In the middle stands a woman wearing a flower crown and looking panic. Although this painting is more than a thousand years old, its color is still fresh. There is also a mural painted in the fourth year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty (1122), which is also quite distinctive. There are seven round lights on the painting, and there are 10 Buddha statues in each round light, and the names of the Buddhas are also written in the boxes under the round lights. The title on the left: "Liu Taizhi, a Buddhist disciple of Foguangzhuang... Xuanhe four years in early March..." These murals, together with the Buddha statues, some black traces under the beams and the building of the East Hall, are known as the "Fourth" of Foguang Temple. absolutely".