JIETAISI TEMPLE

History

Jietai Temple finds its true origin in 622, built as a monastery under the Tang under the name Hui Ju Si. Rebuilt under the Liao, it was rebuilt by Qianlong of the Ming. It was expanded on several occasions under the Qing, and most buildings date from that time. The temple opens to the east.

Visit

First of all, we visit the Celestial Guardians Hall, which houses the four celestial kings, and then the Salle des Heroes (Da Xiong Bao Dian) where there once were ten finely carved wooden chairs from the Ming, where the monks who presided over the ordination ceremony sat in hierarchical order. There are two stacks near this room, one date of the Jin, the other from the Liao.

Then comes the pavilion to the Thousand Buddhas (Qian Fo Ge) which, unfortunately destroyed, was replaced by the Cour des Remorines where the emperor liked to take charge in summer.

And finally the ordination terrace itself, large white marble terrace decorated with very beautiful sculpted bas-reliefs and hundreds of effigies of gods installed in niches. Here the monks in the vicinity came to hear the elders and the superior of the monastery declined his sermon at the great annual ordination ceremony of the bonzes. A little south of the terrace, we notice in a courtyard two very nice pagodas, including a date of the Liao (1091) and the other of Ming (1448), which contain the remains of the Monk Fajun (founder of the monastery under the Liao) and Puxian (Buddhist disciple). Ha) in the middle of other stats. Next, in the King of Light room (Ming Wang Dian) stands a grand statue of the Arhat Upali (one of Sakyamuni's disciples), surrounded by balustres and hexagonal and octagonal columns (dating from the Liao and Yuan), which each bear on their faces soutras and images of Buddha engraved in stone. The promenade in the temple is magnificent because of the beauty of the site and the splendid centuries-old pine trees that make it the jewel. Five are distinguished in particular by the curious form they have adopted, and they bear quite evocative names: Pine kissing pagoda (Bao Ta Song); pine to the slept dragon (Wo Long Song); pine to Nine Dragons (long song song); Resting pin (Zi Zai Song); Sensitive pin (Huo Dong Song), because when one touches one, all its branches start to shudder.