The Daxiangguo Temple in Kaifeng

One must visit the architecture here when visiting Kaifeng, Henan! The Daxiangguo Temple in Kaifeng was first built in the sixth year of Tianbao in the Northern Qi Dynasty, originally named Jianguo Temple, and renamed Daxiangguo Temple by Tang Ruizong. Daxiangguo Temple is one of the ten famous Buddhist temples in China, and is known as one of the 'Four Famous Temples in Central Plains' along with the White Horse Temple, Shaolin Temple, and Fengxue Temple. Daxiangguo Temple was the first royal temple in Chinese history, and became a gathering place for Buddhist cultural exchanges from various countries during the Tang and Song Dynasties. After generations of construction, damage, and reconstruction, it has formed the symmetrical layout of traditional Chinese architecture that we see today. Its main buildings include the main gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Eight Treasures Glass Hall, the Mountain Gate, the Bell and Drum Towers, the Great Buddha Hall, the Sutra Tower, the Arhat Hall, etc. Each building has its own characteristics, with carved beams and painted pillars, and the Arhats and Bodhisattvas enshrined are lifelike. In the Arhat Hall, there is a four-faced, thousand-handed, thousand-eyed Guanyin wooden statue, which is 6.6 meters high. It was carved from a white fruit tree by a great artist during the Qianlong period. Each face has 6 large hands, more than 200 small hands, and a wise eye in the palm of each hand, totaling more than 1,000, hence the name Thousand-Handed Thousand-Eyed Buddha. We quietly walk around here, light some incense, and see that the flowers in the temple are even more vibrant than those outside, and we feel a sense of peace in our hearts. Seeing many aunts coming here to worship Buddha and offer incense, very devout, I am also moved. Attraction: Daxiangguo Temple 4A Scenic Spot Historical Building Religious Place Location: No. 36, West Section of Ziyou Road, Gulou District, Kaifeng City Time: Summer opening hours: 08:00-18:00 Winter opening hours: 08:00-17:30 Tickets: Adult ticket 40/person, half price for students with student ID