Shuangguitang Temple

Location of Shuangguitang Temple

Liangping County in Northeast Chongqing is 226 kilometers from the central part of the municipality. In Shuanggui Village, Jindi Township, 13 kilometers southwest of the county seat, stands Shuangguitang, the famous Buddhist temple in the jungle.

Architecture of Shuangguitang Temple

Shuangguitang, also known as Wanzhushan, Fuguosi Temple, and Jindaisi Temple, was first built in 1653 in the Qing Dynasty. After repeated repairs and expansions in the last 300 years, the temple consists of seven parts, or rather, the temple halls are built on seven different levels of heights.

The first level is the temple gate and the Memorial Hall of Lord Guan;

The second level is the Hall of Maitreya, or the Smiling Buddha;

The third level is the Precious Hall of the Grate Hero (the main hall of the temple where the statue of sakyamuni is seated);

The fourth level is the Hall of Manjusri, the Buddha of Wisdom;

The fifth level is the Hall of Poshan, the leading monk of the temple;

The sixth level is the Hall of Mercy;

The seventh level is the Hall of Buddhist Relics, where Buddhist scriptures are kept in 328 rooms in both wings of the hall.

The whole temple is a rectangle compound with houses around a square courtyard, with gardens, bamboo groves, ponds, a well and other things arranged in a rational manner. The temple was listed as one of the national key temples that enjoy special protection and preservaion.

Cultural Relics of Shuangguitang Temple

The temple is well furnished with facilities for Buddhist rites and is rich in precious cultural relics in graceful and beautiful surroundings. In addition to the statues of Sakyamuni and other major Buddhist figures, 500 statues of arahants were built in 1998.

The precious historical cultural relics of Shuangguitang Temple include a handwritten shell Buddhist Script in Sanskirt brought in from India 900 years ago, Zang Jing, a Buddhist script granted by Emperor Yongzheng of the Qing Dynasty, handwriting and paintings by monk Poshan and monk Zhuchan, the tenth leading monk of the temple, a marble statue of Buddha from Myanmar, calligraphic works by monk Baoguang of Korea, and writing, paintings and tablets inscribed by modern and contemporary scholars and noted figures. Zhao Puchu, a great scholar and the late leader of the China Buddhist Association, handwrites the name of the temple at the gate. Each year major Buddhist rites are held here four times for Sakyamuni and three times for Guanyin the Goddess, attended by thousands of Buddhists and laymen from Chongqing and neighboring provinces.