Nanputuo Temple

 

Essentials of the Nanputuo Temple

Chinese Name: 南普陀寺 Pronunciation: nán pǔ tuó sì

Recommended Time for Visit: 1-2 Hours

Address: Under the Mount Wulaofeng, Xiamen, Fujian

Temple Building Area: About 258,000 square meters

Building Time: Tang Dynasty

Best Visiting Time: All year round

Admission Ticket Fare: Free,  but tourists should make advanced preservation.

Building Function: A sacred place to worship Buddhas for Buddhists at home and abroad.

 

Opening Time

Peak Season (April 1st – September 30th)	Low Season (October 1st – March 31st)
08:00-17:00	08:00-17:00

 

Introduction of the Nanputuo Temple

Nanputuo Temple is located in the southeast of Xiamen city, Fujian Province, which is under the Wulaofeng Mountains, adjacent to Xiamen University, facing the Qingcheng harbor. The temple covers an area of 258,000 square meters, among which the construction area is 21,270 square meters. The whole temple is magnificent and orderly.
 

Nanputuo Temple is one of the key Buddhist temples in China. The most famous vegetarian dishes are on the second floor of the vegetarian restaurant and vegetarian cakes in the temple. The vegetarian dishes are known for their unique flavor and the cost of meal is about 59yuan per person.
 

Numerous inscriptions of celebrities are kept around the temple. There is a huge stone inscription of the Chinese word "佛" (Buddha) on the cliff wall behind the temple, which is often photographed by tourists. Many figures of Buddha in Nanputuo Temple for tourists to pray and there also has a free life pond for tourists to do good things. The temple is really a pure place.

 

History of the Nanputuo Temple

Nanputuo Temple was built in the late Tang Dynasty and the early Five Dynasties. In the early Ming Dynasty, it was rebuilt and renamed as Puzhao Temple. In the early Qing Dynasty, the temple was abandoned because of war. In the 22^nd year of the reign of the Emperor Kangxi (1684), the temple changed its name to the Nanputuo temple. Now, Nanputuo Temple becomes famous.

 

Scenic Spots at the Nanputuo Temple

 Hall of Four Heavenly Kings

The Temple stands at the front of the axis with double eaves flying ridge. In front of the temple is the gate in the middle of the temple. Two big stone lions respectively sit on the east and west sides of the porch. Crossing the door into the temple, the four kings lined two sides with angry eyes staring around. In the middle of the yard, a Maitreya Bodhisattva is smiling to tourists.

 

 Mahavira Hall

Mahavira Hall is the center of the temple main buildings, and in front of the hall is the yard covered with stone. A censer stands in the middle of the yard with two white stone pagodas show the solemn in both sides. The Mahavira Hall is where the monks do morning and evening classes and hold worship meetings. In the middle of the hall, there are three statues of the Amitabha Buddha, Bodhisattva Kuan – yin, and Mahasthamaprapta Buddha which look extremely magnificent.

 

 Hall of the Great Compassion

The Hall of the Great Compassion is another main hall of the temple with octagonal triple cornice. Although there was no iron nail when ancient people built the hall, the whole structure was extremely exquisite. In the center of the hall, Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is worshiped.

 

 The Sutra Depository and Dharma Hall

Sutra Depository is a two-story building, downstairs for the law hall, upstairs for the jade Buddha treasure hall. The Sutra Depository is located at the highest level of the central axis of main building. The pavilion contains a large number of Buddhist classics and cultural relics calligraphy and paintings. Sutras are on the upper level and dharma hall is on the lower level.

 

How to Get to the Nanputuo Temple

 By Bus

Take bus 1, 17, 18, 29, 45, 47, 87and get off at Xiamen University Station, then walk about 200 meters.

By Taxi

Chinese: 请带我去南普陀寺。English: Please take me to the Nanputuo Temple.

If you go to the Nanputuo Temple from the Xiamen Station, it takes about 20minutes(25 yuan).

If you go to the Nanputuo Temple from the Xiamen Gaoqi Airport, it takes about 40 minutes(50 yuan).