Qingpu's renowned Buddhist temple | Tianguang Zen Temple (1694)

| Tianguang Zen Temple (1694). Tianguang Zen Temple is located at the intersection of Dongzhu Feng Road in Liantang Town, Qingpu District. It was founded during the Five Dynasties period (907-960) by Lady Zhang Lian, who 'donated her residence to build the temple, established the foundation for an eternal lamp, and planted the roots for a myriad of years of supreme worship, naming it Tianguang.' It has a history of over a thousand years. 'Tianguang Ancient Temple' is one of the eight scenic spots of Zhang Lian. On May 4, 1999, with the approval of the Qingpu County People's Government, the restoration and reopening of the thousand-year-old Tianguang Ancient Temple 'Tianguang Temple' began. After nearly a decade of effort, the main gate, main hall, Guanyin Hall, life-release pond, bell and drum towers were restored or constructed, reviving the temple's former grandeur and splendor. Tianguang Zen Temple has a four-courtyard layout, with the main buildings such as the Heavenly Kings Hall, Mahavira Hall, Rear Three Halls, and Thousand Buddha Pagoda arranged in sequence along the central axis, and each side flanked by subsidiary halls. On both sides of the mountain gate hall, there are bell and drum towers, both of which are two-story pavilion-style buildings with double eaves. The Heavenly Kings Hall, with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, enshrines Maitreya Buddha in the center, with a statue of Wei Tuo behind, and the Four Heavenly Kings on the east and west sides. The Mahavira Hall, also with a single-eave hip-and-gable roof, features black tiles and yellow walls. Inside, the central shrine is dedicated to Sakyamuni Buddha, with a statue of the Sea-Island Guanyin behind, and the east and west side walls are inlaid with black stone slabs that enshrine bodhisattvas and arhats.