Arhat Temple

A Brief Introduction to Arhat Temple

Arhat Temple lies on the Minzu Road in Yuzhong District of Chongqing. It was listed as the key Buddhist temple in the Han nationality area in 1983. Chongqing Buddhist Association was set up here in the temple. Chongqing Arhat Temple was built in the Arhat Cave. There is a Buddha rock with a length of more than 20 meters and over 400 Buddhist statues of Song Dynasty.

History of Arhat Temple

Chongqing Arhat Temple was built in the Zhi-Ping years of North Song Dynasty (1064-1067). Its primitive name was Zhiping Temple.

In Qian-Long the 17th year of Qing Dynasty (1752), the front hall inside the temple was collapsed and it was renovated into a Longshen (Dragon Deity) Shrine. It was also called Arhat Temple or Gufo (ancient Buddha) Rock.

In Guang-Xu the 11th year of Qing Dynasty (1885), a monk named Longfa rebuilt the temple. He built an Arhat Hall and made 500 clay sculptures of Arhat. Its name was officially changed into Arhat Temple.

In 1942 during the Anti-fascist War, the Arhat Temple was blown up by the warplanes of the enemy. Fortunately, it was later repaired.

During the Cultural Revolution, these clay sculptures were destroyed totally.

In 1984, the government allocated the special funds to re-make these sculptures. The primitive buildings in the temple have mostly gone.

In May 1st 1986, after two years' reconstruction, the Arhat Temple was reopened and another grand ceremony for the temple in the history of one thousand years was held.

Scenic Spots in Arhat Temple

Entering the gate of Chongqing Arhat Temple, you can see ancient Buddha rock on both sides with a length of more than 20 meters. A statue of Avalokitesvara is engraved on the right rock surface. There are altogether over 400 statues of Buddha inscribed on precipices in Song Dynasty.

Main Hall of Arhat Temple

Many art treasures are collected in the Main Hall of Chongqing Arhat Temple. There are the statues of 16 Mahakasyapa-the 16 best students of Sakyamuni. There are also the bronze statues of the "Three Saints of the West" in Ming Dynasty, the jade statue of Sakyamuni of Burma as well as the copy of the Indian mural about the story of Sakyamuni becoming a monk.

Sutra Mansion of Arhat Temple

Tibetan Tripitaka, and sutras in Tibetan and Sanskrit are colleted inside the Sutra Mansion of Chongqing Arhat Temple. A great deal of ancient books and calligraphies and paintings can also be found in it. There are altogether 524 statues of Buddha inside the Arhat Hall and all of them are clay sculptures. These clay sculptures are moulded exquisitely with vivid looks. Many devout people come here to test that whether their lucks are good or bad.