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Guiyuan Buddhist Temple, located in the western region of Hanyang district in Wuhan City, is widely regarded as one of the “Four Buddhist Monasteries of Wuhan”. The other three Buddhist monasteries are the Baotong Buddhist Temple, the Gude Temple and the Zhengjue Temple. Guiyuan Temple occupies an area of about 46900 square meters and owns over 200 halls, rooms as well as temple buildings, attracting both domestic and foreign tourists. The history of Guiyuan Temple can be traced back to 1658, when the temple was originally constructed by Qing Dynasty. As its name applies, Guiyuan Temple is a holy place to help people pursuit purity and tranquility.
Actually, Guiyuan Buddhist Temple is a combination of not only Buddhism elements but also delicate garden design, making tourists feels like walking in a classic ancient garden rather than a simple temple. There are mainly 5 courtyards in Guiyuan Buddhist Temple, the eastern courtyard, the western courtyard, the southern courtyard, the northern courtyard, and the middle courtyard. Tourists usually enter the temple from the eastern courtyard, where the glorious temple name is written on the tablet. Interestingly, the door decorated with apricot color is opened towards the east, which illustrates the significance of forming kind relationships and help human get rid of sufferings.
Entering the northern courtyard, you can see the holy “three western saints” are worshiped inside, the Amitabha, Kwan-yin Bodhisattva, and Dashizhi Bodhisattva. And cultural relics are displayed in the Sutra Collection Pavilion, including stone carvings, paintings, exotic books as well as calligraphies.
The southern courtyard is a collection of 500 Lohans and this Lohan Hall is renowned as the best one in China. The vivid Lohans displayed in the hall looks like real humans, which are made in identical size and weight. Yep, they resemble in size and weight, but the appearances of them are totally different. If you look closely, you may find that each of the Lohan has his own expression. And the expressions of Lohans can be used to foresee future fortunate. There goes an amazing custom in Wuhan – counting Lohan. It is said that you follow the counting method and count the Lohans in the hall, and then you can know you’re lucky or unlucky from the expression of the last Lohan. That is so incredible, right?
The biggest Buddhism statue “Sakyamuni” in Guiyuan Temple is worship in the middle courtyard. There lies a grand lion near Sakyamuni, which is recognized as the pre-existence image of Sakyamuni, leaving great mysteries to tourists.
Life in city is filled with hustle and bustle. If you are seeking a quiet place to get refreshed and pure your hearts, Guiyuan Temple may definitely your perfect winter destination.
Travel tips: Guiyuan Temple may be crowded during the Spring Festival and National Day. And it may cost you about 10 Yuan or 20 Yuan to go around the temple.