China's Dairy Capital, the Green City Beyond the Great Wall (Part 5): Xilitu Zhao

Hohhot was once called 'Zhaocheng'. One explanation for this name is that Hohhot was initially very small, and a large Zhao (temple) occupied almost half of the city, hence the name 'Zhaocheng'. Another explanation is that there were many Zhao temples in Hohhot, hence the saying 'seven big Zhaos, eight small Zhaos, and seventy-two continuous Zhaos'. Today, in the old city's Yuquan District of Hohhot, the large Zhao, Xilitu Zhao, Wutasi, and other temples form a unique temple landscape. Xilitu Zhao (the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units) is only a street away from the large Zhao. It was built during the Ming Dynasty's Wanli era (1573—1620) by the leader of the Tumed Mongolian tribe to welcome the arrival of the third Dalai Lama. After continuous expansion and renovation, it became one of Hohhot's 'seven big Zhaos' and also a Lamaist monastery with a living Buddha as its abbot. Xilitu Zhao faces south from the north, and the buildings along the central axis include the archway, mountain gate, Guodian (passage hall), Sutra hall, and the main hall. The mountain gate of Xilitu Zhao has a plaque reading 'Ling Guang Si Che', which dates back to the 16th year of the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. The Bodhi Guodian has a plaque inscribed with 'Yinshan Ancient Temple' from the Yongzheng era of the Qing Dynasty. The main hall has a plaque reading 'Neng Ren Xian Hua', also from the 16th year of the Daoguang era; the second floor has a plaque 'Yan Shou Si'. The decoration of the temple is very elaborate, but it is not ancient and may be a modern reconstruction. The Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty erected a stele commemorating the pacification of Galdan in front of the main hall. On both sides of the central axis, there are also bell towers, drum towers, pavilions, warehouses, and dormitories. Compared to the bustling large Zhao, Xilitu Zhao is much quieter and seems a bit empty and lonely. The white marble double-eared Lama pagoda at the southeast corner of the temple complex is particularly striking. It is a white marble Lama pagoda with an inverted-bowl shape, about 15 meters high, built during the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. It is said that because the seventh and eighth living Buddhas of Xilitu Zhao died young, a white pagoda was built here to pray for the longevity of the living Buddhas, which is also known as the 'Longevity Buddha Pagoda'. What is more surprising is that although there are three axes, the most important content is not in the central road but in the ancient Buddha hall on the west road. The ancient Buddha hall is a relic from the Wanli era of the Ming Dynasty and is the earliest existing building in Xilitu Zhao. The front part is the Sutra hall, and the back part is the Buddha hall, a pattern often seen in Tibetan Buddhism monasteries in Hohhot and Baotou. Since photography is prohibited inside the Buddha hall, one can only briefly describe the interior. Upon entering the hall, one can see golden Buddhas arranged on three sides; the pillars are carved with lifelike dragons. The east and west walls of the hall are covered with exquisite murals. It is evident that the themes of the two walls are similar, mostly depicting the tracks of Arhats, and the southern side has large images of heavenly kings and landscapes that are also well painted. The murals use a combination of iron-line drawing and shading, which should be the precious and relatively complete Ming Dynasty temple murals existing in Inner Mongolia. Xilitu Zhao is a very important Tibetan Buddhism monastery in Hohhot, with a complete layout, exquisite murals, and a beautiful white pagoda, all worth a visit... Xilitu Zhao