Guangji Temple, A Sacred Pilgrimage with Historical Grandeur

Jiuhua Square, Jiuhua Middle Road, Jinghu District, Wuhu City, Anhui Province

This temple hall is the most distinctive building within the temple

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Introduction

Guangji Temple is located on Zhe Mountain in the northwest of Wuhu city. It was first built in the Tang Dynasty during the Qianning period and was originally named Yongqing Temple. Later in the Dazhong Xiangfu period of the Northern Song Dynasty, it was renamed as Guangji Temple. Repair work was carried out during the Ming Jingta iand Qing Qianlong periods, with reconstruction taking place during the Xianfeng period. The architecture of Guangji Temple is built along the mountainside, with three levels stacked on top of each other and interconnected by halls. The rear hall is more than ten meters higher than the front hall. Guangji Temple is divided into several halls, including the Heavenly Kings Hall, the Medicine Buddha Hall, the Great Hall of Buddha, and the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Hall. There are 88 steps leading up to the temple, which are flanked by chains. The highest level is the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva Hall, which was built in imitation of the Moon Body Hall on Jiuhua Mountain. According to legend, in the fourth year of the Tang Yonghui period, Prince Jinqiao Jue of Silla opened a sermon here before settling in Jiuhua, where he became known as Kshitigarbha. Therefore, Guangji Temple is known as the "Little Jiuhua" and has always been an important destination for Buddhist pilgrimages. The temple also houses a treasured gold seal that was cast in commemoration of Kshitigarbha by a monk during the second year of the Tangzhide period. The seal handle is decorated with nine dragons playing with pearls, and is engraved with the words "Ksitigarbha benefits and flourishes in every corner" and "the second year of the Tangzhide period". Today, Guangji Temple has become a national key temple. Zhe Mountain is 86 meters above sea level and is a beautiful place to enjoy the scenery of Wuhu, with green trees and fragrant flowers and birdsong. From the mountain top, the view of Wuhu city is breathtaking.

Address

Jiuhua Square, Jiuhua Middle Road, Jinghu District, Wuhu City, Anhui Province

Phone 0553-3835195;0553-3821494