Wudangzhao Temple

Located in the mountain valley 70 kilometers northeast of Baotou City, Wudangzhao Temple is the largest and best preserved Tibet Buddhist monastery in Inner Mongolia. It is one of the four great lamaseries in China, together with Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tar Temple in Qinghai, and Labrang Temple in Gansu. As the third largest Tibet Buddhist temple in the world, it belongs to Gelug sect (Yellow Hat School) of Tibet Buddhism and impresses visitors with a spectacular Tibetan-style architecture.

History

Initially built during the Kangxi Era (1662-1722) in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Wudangzhao Temple was expanded 1749 and got a Chinese name Guangjue Temple. The temple was built by the first living Buddha imitated the Tashilhunpo Temple in Tibet. At its peak, there were over 1,200 lamas studied traditional Tibet Buddhism courses such as philosophy and medicine.

Before the living Buddha’s reincarnation in Wudangzhao Temple was abolished in 1949, there were totally seven Living Buddhas who had in charged of the temple affair. The temple suffered a lot during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Many cultural relics were abandoned and the Buddha statues were destroyed. Therefore, many structures in the temple including the Buddha Sculptures we see today were restored after the reform in 1979.

Visiting Guide

With a Tibetan style, the temple is mainly composed of six halls, three living Buddha’s residences, and a funeral hall containing the Buddhist relics of the seven Living Buddhas, as well as more than 60 rooms for lamas. Backed with the green mountains, the magnificent white temple looks breathtaking under the blue sky.

The six main halls are respectively Suguqin Hall, Dongkuo'er Hall, Queyiri Hall, Dangge Xide Hall, Ahui Hall and Ribenlun Hall. The halls, each has its own characteristic, situates at the hill and are decorated with beautiful paintings and thangkas, housing Buddhist sculptures.

Suguqin Hall, the largest building in the temple, sits in the front of the complex and worships Sakyamuni and the founder of Yellow Hat School, Tsongkhapa (1357-1419) on the second and third floor. The hall is the assembly and chanting place for the whole temple.

Queyiri Hall is in the west of the Suguqin Hall and it serves as the place to teach Buddhist doctrines. This hall houses the largest copper Buddha statue in Inner Mongolia and the statue is a 10 meters high.

Dongkuo'er Hall, the central building of the temple, is just east of the Suguqin Hall and it is the place to teach astronomy and geography. The board inscribed with Guangjue Temple in Chinese, Tibetan, Manchu and Mongolian is hanging above the door. The lectern in front of the hall is the place for lamas to learn Buddhist classics and accept test.

Dangge Xide Hall is just behind Dongkuo'er Hall. Lamas who violate Buddhist doctrines will be punished at here. Buddha statues worshipped in this hall are usually fierce, in the hope of scaring monsters away.

Ahui Hall at the hill top is a tantric scripture hall and lamas learn medicine at here while the Ribenlun Hall is the place to study Buddhism history, doctrines and rules. Within the Ribenlun Hall, there are one thousand statues of Tsongkhapa in the same gesture and expression. Thus, the hall is also called Thousand-Buddha Hall.

In addition, there are also three residences for living Buddhas in the south of Ahui Hall as well as a funeral hall on the mountain top which houses the stupas of the seven living Buddhas in Wudangzhao Temple.

Activities

There are many old and beautiful legends about the temple and what attracts people most is its temple fair which is held annually from July 25 to August 1 in lunar calendar. During the period, lamas chant in the Suguqin Hall and walk around temple with pilgrim wheel in hands, blowing horns and knocking on sheepskin drum. Activities in the fair are very colorful and the most famous one is Ghost Dance which attracts many followers, in the hope of getting rid of troubling thoughts and wishing for good harvest in next year.

Besides, there is also a ceremony to worship spring on March 21 in lunar calendar. On the day, people from all around come here to offer hada and burn incense. After the ceremony, there are traditional activities such as horse racing, archery and wresting.

As a monastery which has privilege and combines religion and politic together, Wudangzhao Temple has great value both for its architecture and murals. The temple, with a splendid history, has been a top tourist attraction in Inner Mongolia and attracts visitors from home and abroad.