This is the word "Buddha" in white marble inscribed by the famous calligrapher Jia Songyang. It looks like a word, but it looks like a door, which means "the only way". Every good man and woman who worships Buddha and seeks immortality must climb stairs and follow the "Buddhist Gate" to reach the main hall of yanshou temple, pray for Buddha's blessing and purify their souls.
Go through the huge "Buddha" Gate and meander north along the grassy mountain road in bloom. On the hillside on both sides of the road are ancient trees called "Gong Li". The thick trunk is like a vigorous dragon, prancing and dancing, showing a posture of spreading its wings. Yanshou temple is at the end of this chestnut ditch.
The temple is located on the slope under the cliff, step by step, and one hall is higher than the other. Standing on the steps in front of the mountain, you can see the green scenery of the mountains in the distance. Entering the temple from the side door, fireworks filled the Bodhisattva Hall, and the plaque inscribed by calligrapher Jia Songyang "Sincerity is the Spirit" hung high under the eaves. Couplets of "sincerity, fragrance, longevity and a glass of water" are hung on the east and west sides of the column.
Bodhisattva Hall is the second hall in yanshou temple, with three rooms wide and three rooms deep. The temple is dedicated to the statue of Sakyamuni carved in white marble and the statue of Jasper Guanyin Bodhisattva. The Buddha statue of Jade Guanyin is1.2m high, which is rare in China and priceless.
Daxiong Hall is the third hall in yanshou temple and the main building in the temple. Three Buddhas are enshrined in the temple, which is called Three Buddhas, making yanshou temple a three-treasure temple of Buddhism, Dharma and Monks.
First, yanshou temple, then the Ming Tombs.
It is reported that yanshou temple was built in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty before the Ming Tombs. There is a folk legend that "yanshou temple came first, then the Ming Tombs". According to legend, Judy, the Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, made Beijing the capital, and he ordered people to choose an "eternal auspicious land" for themselves and future generations. The troops sent have been in Beijing for two years, and only a few places have been found for Emperor Yongle to choose from.
After many attempts, the ideal tomb could not be determined, and Yongle Emperor Judy was very unhappy. Seeing that the emperor was very depressed, his ministers suggested that only Liu Bowen was worthy of this position. To this end, Liu Bowen traveled all over the suburbs of Beijing.
One day, he came to the mountain on the north side of Heishanzhai, and saw that it was backed by Du Jun, facing a small plain, surrounded by green mountains and green waters, and surrounded by clouds. It's a rare treasure trove of geomantic omen, playing with the emperor. After personal reconnaissance, Judy thought that choosing "Yongji Land" was the most important thing in the rise and fall of the Ming Dynasty. Although this place is beautiful, it is too narrow to accommodate the descendants of the Ming Dynasty.
Later, Liu Bowen recommended the loess foothills in the southwest to Judy as a mausoleum for re-election, and made it clear that this place has vast mountains and rivers and is an ideal place for the emperor and future generations. Judy was very happy after the reconnaissance, ordered the enclosure and renamed Huangtu Mountain Tianshou Mountain.
Although yanshou temple's land boundary was not selected as a "land of eternal happiness", Liu Bowen liked this geomantic treasure-house very much and was reluctant to give it up, so he built a temple here and named it yanshou temple, which implied that Daming Mountain could live a long life. Another reason why yanshou temple is famous is that there is a huge "Panlong Pine" in the temple. There is the beauty of Huangshan welcoming pine and the wonder of Wolong pine in Mentougou Jietai Temple. Twisting pine branches and pressing repeatedly. Although the tree is not tall and straight, it looks magnificent and distinguished. The two main branches crisscross and hover, clear and smart, like a Wolong, crawling naturally to the southeast. It is strewn with twigs and spreading crowns, occupying more than half of the yard, covering an area of nearly 100 square meters. It is said that the original Panlong pine had 99 branches and 9 floors, and today's Panlong pine is only one-fifth of that of that year. The shape of Panlongsong pine is exquisite and ingenious, which is caused by the plastic surgery of eminent monks in previous dynasties. After more than 800 years of rain, snow and wind frost. In order to protect Gu Song, monks supported Gu Song with dozens of wooden stakes, making Gu Song dance like a black dragon, as if motionless and extremely beautiful. Therefore, it is known as "the first strange pine in North China", which has received rave reviews and deserves it.
On the hillside about 20 meters southeast of Panlongsong, there is an amazing "Phoenix Pine" with a history of more than 500 years. The only tortuous part of the trunk forms a phoenix head, and the branches with the head folded down are covered with the right wings, forming a balance between the left and right of the tree. Its biggest feature is the formation of the tail. A big branch on the west side of her trunk extends down the trunk, and the mountain is lower than the root, just like a phoenix tail hanging down. The shape of the whole tree is like a phoenix spreading its wings, which is lifelike, hence the name "Phoenix Pine".
Panlong pine in the temple, phoenix pine outside the temple. This "dragon" and "phoenix" are opposite, facing each other from a distance, becoming a pair of dragons and phoenixes. The formation of the two trees "Dragon" and "Phoenix" is the creation of nature, the embodiment of its own spirituality and the unique environment, so it is also called one of the wonders of the ancient temple by countless tourists. There are clear springs in the west courtyard of the ancient temple. According to legend, monks in past dynasties often drank this water and lived over 100 years, so the spring was named Yanshou Qingquan. The mountain spring trickles out from the cracks in the rocks and rocks, and it continues all year round. Summer is sweet, winter is slightly sweet to moisten the throat, spring water is crystal clear, and drought does not dry up.
There are two Ming Dynasty pagodas in the mountain behind the temple, which are the early architectural remains of the temple. They are the tombs of abbots and monks, and their ashes, the Diamond Sutra and the records of abbots and monks' lifetime contributions to the temple are buried under the stupa. Two stone pagodas live next to each other and stand quietly on a quiet hill to meet the ups and downs of the world.
Dragon, phoenix, pine and cypress depend on each other, and the long-lived spring clinks day and night, and the mountains and plains are covered with green cloth, which is refreshing. It's a rare fairyland on earth.