Qiyan Temple|What you think is what you wish, what you seek is what you get
Qiyan Temple, an ancient temple located on the south side of the west peak of Zhuizi Mountain in Longzihu District, Bengbu, Anhui, is often referred to as Baishi Temple.
The temple's architectural layout is orderly, with three halls in the front and back, four rooms in the east and west corridors, and a Sutra Pavilion in the courtyard. The statues of Guanyin Bodhisattva, Songzi Guanyin, Buddha, and the Eighteen Arhats in the hall are lifelike, solemn, and compassionate.
The temple has had a tumultuous history, repeatedly destroyed by wars. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered the reconstruction of the Great Buddha Hall, monk's hall, Sutra Pavilion, and pagoda courtyard, and listed it as a subordinate temple of Longxing Temple in Fengyang. At that time, the temple fair was bustling. However, by the end of the Qing Dynasty, Qiyan Temple had become a Taoist temple, managed by an abbot surnamed Wang.
Around 2014, Qiyan Temple was rebuilt as a Buddhist temple and opened to the public. Every year on the 19th day of the second lunar month, folk opera troupes and flower drum lantern troupes from surrounding counties gather here to perform. Many devotees come to worship, burn incense, watch lanterns, enjoy entertainment, and appreciate the mountain scenery. The temple fair can last for more than twenty days or even over a month at its peak.
Today, Qiyan Temple is large in scale but not yet fully completed. Two multi-story pagodas are still under construction on the back mountain. The buildings in the temple are built step by step along the mountain, with wide spacing, offering a broad and clear view. The architecture is grand and magnificent.
The Buddha statues in the main hall are exquisitely carved, detailed, and the colors are pleasing. The statues in the Medicine Buddha Hall and Ksitigarbha Hall are even more masterfully crafted.
Address: Qiyan Temple, Longzihu District, Bengbu City, Anhui Province (North of Donghai Avenue)
Tickets: Free
Parking: Free