The Beauty of Architecture: Unveiling the Unique Charm of Longxing Zen Temple.

Longxing Zen Temple is a historic Buddhist temple located at the north gate of Chengguan, Pengzhou City, Sichuan Province. It was first built in the third year of Xiankang in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (337 AD) and was originally named "Dakong Temple". In the second year of Yongding in the Liang Dynasty (558 AD), Master Zhigong expanded the temple. In the second year of Tianshou in the Wu Zetian period (619 AD), the temple was renamed "Dayun Temple". In the sixth year of Kaiyuan in the Tang Xuanzong period (718 AD), the temple was officially named "Longxing Temple". Longxing Temple has experienced many ups and downs throughout history. In the fifth year of Huichang in the Tang Wuzong period (845 AD), the temple was abandoned, but in the following year after Wuzong's death, Xuanzong succeeded to the throne, and in the second year of Dazhong (848 AD), Master Yuzhi rebuilt Longxing Temple. By the 1940s, Longxing Temple covered more than 80 acres, with four main halls including the Heavenly King Hall, the Three Great Masters Hall, the Great Buddha Hall, and the Sutra Tower, and many side halls. The temple was surrounded by red walls, with towering artificial hills and ancient trees behind it. The layout was regular and reasonable, the style was simple, the corridors were connected, and it was exquisitely elegant. Longxing Temple is not only a religious holy land, but also a famous revolutionary memorial site. In the late period of the domestic liberation war in 1949, senior generals from Sichuan and Kang provinces held a meeting in the Sutra Tower of Longxing Temple, declared a peaceful uprising and telegraphed the whole country, avoiding large-scale wars and casualties. During this period, the monks of Longxing Temple provided important logistical support. The temple houses precious cultural relics such as the jade Buddha presented by the King of Myanmar at the end of the Qing Dynasty, the relics and "Baiye Sutra" presented by the King of India, and the Tripitaka presented by Japan. The most precious of these is the Relic Pagoda, which is located in the front of the temple and is one of the 19 existing real relic pagodas in China. The Relic Pagoda of Longxing Temple was first built in the second year of Yixi in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (406 AD). It was originally a wooden structure pagoda built by the Indian monk Tanmojueyi. It was rebuilt into a secret eaves brick structure pagoda during the Five Dynasties by Master Yuzhi. The pagoda is square, with 17 secret eaves and a height of 35 meters. All 68 corners are hung with horseshoe bells. It is one of the oldest pagodas in China. In addition, the architectural complex of Longxing Temple integrates the architectural styles of the Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties. It is one of the oldest, largest, and best-preserved temples in Hunan Province. The buildings in the temple are nail-free and rivet-free, reflecting the architectural structure of the Tang Dynasty, and also leaving traces of the Song and Ming Dynasties. Longxing Temple is not only a pilgrimage site for Buddhist believers, but also an important place for studying ancient Chinese architecture and Buddhist culture.