Here I am again —— Qutan Temple in Ledu
"Picking chrysanthemums under the east fence, you can see Nanshan leisurely." Although this Nanshan is not that Nanshan, the countryside along the way is red, tile, white, pink and green, and there is almost no noise of horses and chariots, which is also refreshing.
From east to west, we found the famous Ledu Qutan Temple, which is deeply hidden in Ma Quan Goukou. It faces the Gotama River, backed by Luohan Mountain, with Songhuading in the north and Monument Mountain in the south. From the perspective of geomantic omen, it is a place where mountains are surrounded by water and wind gathers gas.
Far from the Central Plains, it is prosperous, with large-scale wars and few natural disasters. Qutan Temple has become the most intact Ming Dynasty architectural complex in the northwest of China, with typical China architectural style, and is unique among many Tibetan Buddhist temples.
According to historical records, the plaque of Qutan Temple was given by Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Emperor. The word "Gotama" comes from the Sanskrit word "Gautama" and is the surname of Sakyamuni. In the name of Buddha, I'm afraid there is more than one in the world.
There has always been a saying in Ledu that "if you go to Qutan Temple, don't go to the Forbidden City again".
Qutan Temple was built in the 25th year of Hongwu in Ming Dynasty (A.D. 1392), and the Guo Long Hall in the temple was completed in the 2nd year of Xuande (A.D. 1427), which lasted for 35 years. Yongle Emperor Judy, Hongxi Emperor Zhu Gaochi, Xuande Emperor Zhu Zhanji, etc. Made seven predictions in succession. During Yongle period, four people, including eunuch Ji Meng, were ordered to repair the temple and mobilized court craftsmen and teachers to build it. In other words, Qutan Temple and the Forbidden City are "brother products" built by the same master, the same era and the same group of craftsmen. In appearance, Qutan Temple is a simplified version of the miniature Forbidden City.
Qutan Temple, like the Forbidden City, is surrounded by mountains and waters and follows the shape. Sitting facing south, the north is high and the south is low, the central axis is symmetrical, and the east and west halls are divided left and right, which is extremely neat.
The temple imitates the shape of the three main halls of the Forbidden City and is divided into three courtyards from south to north: front, middle and back. From front to back, along the central axis, there are Mountain Gate, King Kong Hall, Gotama Hall, Baoguang Hall and Guolong Hall. The building volume of each hall is expanded in turn, and the backyard is the magnificent Guolong Hall on the top of the double-eaved palace.
From King Kong Hall to Guo Long Hall, there are cloisters on both sides. There are two pairs of bell and drum towers on the cloisters, and a large number of exquisite murals are painted on the walls of the cloisters. Murals are smooth, colorful, detailed and magnificent. There are many people and the architectural landscape is exquisite. The secular figures and costumes in murals are mostly in the Han style of Ming Dynasty.
It is forbidden to shoot murals in the gallery, so I took pictures of the stones under my feet. It can be seen that the stones are all selected. Is it the tile or the stone that wraps the stone into an arc? If it is a tile, the size and specifications are not uniform. If it is a stone, how can it bend?
After more than 600 years of trampling, there is no trace of wear and tear on the stone under your feet.
I photographed the wooden window on one side of the cloister. Diamond windows are ventilated, transparent and sun-proof. Outside the window is the courtyard of Guo Long Hall, which is safely placed in the sun without any interference.
On the other side of the cloister, the wooden window is square. Looking through the window, the wooden color of the building outside is integrated with the window, and the arrangement and carving are more exquisite and gorgeous. What kind of craftsmen are building them?
Windows, pillars, and citrons are all mottled, which have been blown, brushed and carved for a long time.
I shoot the instruction card. Without these explanations, how can I interpret the history of this temple for more than 600 years? This is not my first time to Qutan Temple. I went there more than 20 years ago and was little known at that time. I only saw a cold and shabby lacquer temple. At that time, I knew nothing about architecture and the Ming Dynasty. At that time, there were only a few tickets, no reception, no explanation and no free internet access. The first time I went, it was purely for fun, and I didn't even have a curiosity.
I photographed the snow-capped mountains in the distance. Without the interference of dust man, is it possible to cultivate a crystal clear ice heart?
Qutan Temple has four white pagodas, each on its own side. All the walls outside the White Pagoda are peeling off, exposing the brick layer. Needless to say, there are extremely rich cultural relics hidden inside.
With the development of economy and the prosperity of life, a large number of buildings are being built in many places, especially temples, which are golden walls. If they don't shine, they can't shine. Few people are as simple and clumsy as Qutan Temple.
This kind of red wall is found in both the Forbidden City and the Confucian Temple. Are there any other monasteries, whether Tibetan or Han? I think hard, but I can't remember. I only remember that the walls of Buddhist temples in the Han Dynasty were mostly yellow, while those in Tibet were mostly white.
Cornice, it's flying! The craftsmanship of carpentry is amazing.
In the temple, lilacs bloom just right. It is said that if you find five lilac petals, you can get everything you want.
Knock three heads, offer a lamp, invite a book, the holy land of the heart, here I come again.
(202 1.5.2)