Foguang Temple (Mangshi) Explained

Foguang Temple
Native Name:佛光寺
Native Name Lang:zh
Map Type:China Yunnan
Coordinates:24.442°N 98.5893°W
Religious Affiliation:Theravada Buddhism
Deity:Gautama Buddha
Festivals:-->
Location:Mangshi, Yunnan
Country:China
Architecture Style:Chinese architecture - Kyaung
Founded By:Fang Qinglu
Established:1873
Year Completed:1983 (reconstruction)
Date Destroyed:-->

Foguang Temple is a Theravadin Buddhist temple located in Mangshi, Yunnan, China.

Name

The name of the temple in Dai language is "Zhuang He Xing", meaning "a Buddhist temple holds the first Buddhist texts".

History

The temple was originally built in 1873, during the region of Tongzhi Emperor (1862 - 1874) of the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911). It used to be the palace of Fang Qinglu, who was the 20th Tusi. Towards the completion of the project, someone reported to the Qing government that the building had violated regulations, and Fang Qinglu had to change it into a Buddhist temple.

The temple was slightly damaged during the Second Sino-Japanese War. In the Cultural Revolution, most of its buildings were completely destroyed by the Red Guards, only the Main Hall and South Hall survived. After the 3rd Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, the policy of some religious freedom was implemented. Foguang Temple was renovated and restored in 1983.[1]

Architecture

The Main Hall is the most important hall in the temple, it has a double-eave gable and hip roofs. The statue of Gautama Buddha is enshrined in the hall.

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Book: History of Dai Culture. Dao Chenghua . Cai Rongnan. Yunnan Ethnic Publishing House . Yunnan . 2014. 978-7-5367-6052-3. 343.