Huayan Temple

Originally named Huayan Nunnery, Huayan Temple was built during the Northern Song Dynasty, on a mound of ancient cultural relics from the Zhou Dynasty. The main building of the temple is the Three Saints Hall, with a red glazed tile roof and white horse-head walls, majestic in appearance, housing the statues of the Three Saints of Huayan (Samantabhadra, Amitabha Buddha, and Manjushri), as well as Ksitigarbha and Guanyin Bodhisattva. There is also a Maitreya Hall, housing the statue of Maitreya Buddha. Master Yuanlin, the abbot of Douluo Temple on Lion Mountain, wrote the name of the temple, Huayan Temple, and made it into a plaque, which hangs above the temple gate. The temple is surrounded by lush bamboo, ancient trees, and a sacred environment. The main hall, courtyard, morning room, and dining hall are hidden in the greenery, making it even more sacred, quiet, and solemn. In front of the temple, there is an ancient ginkgo tree, about ten feet high, with a trunk that four or five people can hardly encircle. It has lush branches and leaves, twisted roots, and a dense canopy, with overlapping fruits. At the root of the tree on the south side, there is a hole formed by burning incense all year round. Inside the hole, a root that looks like a reclining Buddha grows out, and outside the hole, there is also a root that looks like a turtle head. On the east side of the hole, there are also two roots that look like gray dragons, forming a unique scene of 'ancient hole reclining Buddha, one turtle guarding the door, two dragons protecting the Dharma'. The image is lifelike and natural, without any artificial creation, so it is well-known and attracts many pilgrims. There is also a cat's ear thorn tree that is over 200 years old, which is also very rare. On the first and fifteenth day of each lunar month, people come to burn incense and fulfill their vows, and the incense is quite strong.