Zhangfeng Guanyin Temple

Zhangfeng Guanyin Temple

Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy) Temple is situated in the middle
 of Laozhai Village in the west of Zhangfeng Township,
 Longchuan County. It is a famous scenic spot in the
remote frontier of Yunnan and is especially known for
《the Chinese Tripitaka》 housed in it.

On entering Guanyin Temple, one will be greeted by the
 flying eaves at the gate top. Exploring ahead, you
 can see a big incense-burner erecting on a platform in
the courtyard of the temple. Pilgrims frequently pay visits
to Guanyin Temple and usually burn incenses as sacrifices.
 The incense-burner, 1 meter high, is a tripod similar to
 Simuwu Rectangle Tripod (14th-11th century B.C) unearthed
 in 1939 in Henan Province.

A garden has been cultivated behind the platform. It’s
planted with chrysanthemums and thrifty pine trees. A century-old
cypress can be seen growing on the left part of the garden.
 Though “aged” and “emaciated”, it still perseveres to
 uphold its large and luxuriant canopy. In the middle
of the garden two unnamed trees are flourishing with symmetrically
 twisting branches.

The scriptorium, an exquisite and dainty pavilion with flying
eaves, is seated on a flat-roofed building. It houses
《The Chinese Tripitaka》, a Buddhist canon codified in the
 Tang Dynasty when Master San Zang (602-664) journeyed to
 Ancient India for Buddhist scriptures. Presented by the
Education Fund of Taiwan Financial Group,《The Chinese Tripitaka》
includes 577 booklets in 7 parts with a total weight of 1,500 kg.
 It consists of: (1)-Sutra-Pitaka (the collection of sutras);
(2)-Vinaya-Pitaka (the collection of Buddhist precepts);
(3)-Abhidhamma-Pitaka (the collection of Buddhist theories).

At the end of the garden are the Majestic Hall (Da Xiong Bao Dian)
 and Chanting Hall (Nian Jing Tang), both of which are traditional
 pavilions connecting to each other thus giving birth to another
spectacular scene in the temple. Inside the Majestic Hall, the
Three Bodies of Sakyamuni are enshrined, all of whom are vividly
sculpted with benignant looks and radiant smiles. In front of the
 Three Bodies, several mini-sized Buddha figures are inlaid in
 orderly-arranged frames. Besides Buddha figures, the Majestic
Hall is also equipped with a huge bell and a drum for Buddhist
sacrificial ceremonies. 

At the center of the Chanting Hall, the Goddess of Mercy in a Zen
 gesture (palms together) is seated on a pedestal. In front of her
is Vairocana (Sakyamuni or Buddha) that is flanked by two
Bodhisattvas: Bodhisattva Samantabhadra (Puxian) and Bodhisattva
 Manjusri (Wenshu). Puxian and Wenshu are said to be two junior
 sister apprentices of the Goddess of Mercy. Both of them are
 in Zen gesture too and have respectively a white elephant and a
 lion as their rides. What’s more, at the left front, a monk
 statue looking like Tang Seng (Master San Zang is nicknamed
 “Tang Seng” in the story of “Pilgrimage to West Paradise”)
 is holding a bowl and Buddhist stick.

Travel Tips
Traffic: Over-night sleeper bus available from Kunming to Longchuan
Route: Kunming-An’ning-Chuxiong-Dali-Baoshan-Longling-Luxi-Longchuan
Hotel: Available in county seat of Longchuan.