NANPUTUO TEMPLE

Located at the foot of Mount Wulao (Mount des Cinq Vieillards). This temple was established under the Tang (618-907) but the current architecture of the Qing (1644-1911). Facing the sea, hanging on the cliff, this classic temple dedicated to Maitreya (Buddha Buddha) runs the usual series of buildings. In the first room (Tianwang Dian: Room of the King of the Heavens), the statue of Maitreya, facing the entrance to greet the faithful; just behind, Weituo, one of the keepers of Buddhism (it holds a stick between the fingers, pointed down to indicate that the temple is rich enough to host the monks of passage). Then comes the Heroic Treasury Hall (Daxiongbao Dian) containing the three Buddha figures (Past, Present, Future) flanked by the Bell Tower and the Drum Towers. The central building, the Dabei Dian (Dabei Dian), contains a series of four boddhisattvas, on whose feet the faithful gather in the hope of finding the way. At the back of this ensemble, the Buddhist Written Hall (closed to the public) contains a precious collection of jade statuettes (from Burma), rare bones and wood, and many Buddhist writings. The temple of Nanputuo is extremely active. The rooms come with their hands in front of the various Buddhas, holding incense sticks. This temple is the headquarters of the Buddhist Institute of South-Fujian, and hosts many monks in its monastery located east of the temple. Excellent vegetarian restaurant in the temple enclosure.

A path of Buddhist pilgrimage climbs along the peak of the Five Elders (Wulaofeng 五老峰), just behind the temple. On the rocks along the pilgrim path, you can see Buddhist inscriptions. The faithful throw pieces on the rocks, hoping that they get caught in the grooves formed by ideograms. In case of success, this brings luck… 20 minutes climb by the pilgrim route leads to a point where you will have a magnificent panorama on the temple, the town of Xiamen and the island of Gulangyu.