Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t37: Eight Temples of Chengde
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s3.t37
- Language
- English
Eight Temples of Chengde
v1.c7.s3.t37.1
Eight Outer Temples is an imperial temple group of Qing Dynasty and also the collective name of eight temples to the northeast of Chengde Mountain Resort. Because Chengde sits outside Beijing and the Great Wall, the temples are collectively called Eight Outer Temples.
v1.c7.s3.t37.2
Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Chengde, Hebei, China
v1.c7.s3.t37.3
In the reign of Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong in Qing Dynasty, 12 Tibetan Buddhist temples namely Furen Temple, Fushan Temple, Puning Temple, Puyou Temple, Anyuan Temple, Pule Temple, Putuozongcheng Temple, Guang’an Temple, Suxiang Temple, The Hall of Arhan, Xumi Fushou Temple and Guangyuan Temple, were built.
v1.c7.s3.t37.4
In 1713, Mongolian princes sought permission for building Furen Temple and Fushan Temple in Rehe to celebrate the 60th birthday of Emperor Kangxi.
v1.c7.s3.t37.5
In 1755, Qing Court quelled Dzungar Dawats separatist force. Following the teachings of a temple outstripping 1,00,000 soldiers and governing Oirat by virtue of Tibetan Buddhism taught by forefathers, Emperor Qianlong issued an edict of emulating bSam yas gtsug lag khang to build Puning Temple in Rehe (Chengde) and personally inscribed on Puning Temple Tablet, Gedeng Mountain Battle Tablet and Quelling Dzungar Leming Yili Tablet in Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan to commemorate quelling Oirat Dzungar Tribe and express the good wishes of living and working in peace for ever. Puning Temple served as a political and religious link between Tibet, Mongolia and Qing central government and developed into topmost Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Rehe.
v1.c7.s3.t37.6
In 1760, the birthday of Emperor Qianlong and Empress Dowager happened to coincide with the quelling of Northwest Frontier Rebellion by Manchu troops and thus Emperor Qianlong issued an edict of building Puyou Temple beside Puning Temple to have celebration. Puyou Temple was renowned as *sutra* academy for studying Buddhism and cultural knowledge and it founded mtshan nyid grwa tshang, sngags pa grwa tshang, dus vkhor grwa tshang, and sman pa grwa tshang. Monks participated in statutory Buddhist activities and they studied and practiced the doctrines of *Tantra*, Exoteric Buddhism and rig gnas che chung bcu including Tibetan medicine, astronomy and calendar.
v1.c7.s3.t37.7
In 1764, Qing Court emulated Gu’erzha Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist centre by the Yili River in Xinjiang Province, to build Anyuan Temple, commonly known as “Yili Temple” as the place for believers to worship Buddha to appease surrendered Oirat Dashidawa Tribe. It alluded to stabilising afar and consolidating frontier.
v1.c7.s3.t37.8
In 1766, Qing Court built Pule Temple to mark the surrender of Torgut, Kazakh, Bulut and other tribes with the meaning of intimate unity of all ethnic groups and universal rejoicment and offer a place to aristocracy of all ethnic groups in northwest China (Kazakh, Uygur and Kirgiz) who had audience with Qing emperors for worshipping Buddha.
v1.c7.s3.t37.9
In 1767, Qing Court issued an edict of emulating Potala Palace to build Putuozongcheng Temple, commonly known as the Mini-Potala Palace. In 1771, the construction was completed and magnificent Putuo Zongcheng Temple was ranked at the top in size in Rehe. In the same year, Emperor Qianlong met with Ubashi, head of Torghut in the Hall of Unification of All Dharma, and held grand religious activities for preaching *sutra* and celebrating birthday at Putuozongcheng Temple.
v1.c7.s3.t37.10
In 1774, Qing Court issued an edict of emulating Shuxiang Temple on Wutai Mountain to build another Shuxiang Temple in Rehe (Chengde) as an imperial temple. Manchu monk served as an abbot and it established the quota of 50 lamas who were selected from Manchu monks from Miaoying Temple in the capital and specialised in study into *sutras* in Manchu. As Emperor Qianlong pointed out, *sutras* in Sanskrit sourced from India and were translated into Tangut language, Chinese and then Mongolian during the reign of Emperor Kangxi and Qianlong. In the heyday, Qing Court should not have no sutras in Manchu and thus set up a *sutra* academy to do translation. In 1772, Qing Court set up the *sutra* academy in the capital and it took nearly 20 years to complete the compilation and translation of Tripitaka in Manchu. There were a total of 12 sets of block-printed Tripitaka in Manchu and one set was stored in Shuxiang Temple for Manchu monks there to recite and practice.
v1.c7.s3.t37.11
In 1780, the sixth Panchen Lama went to Rehe (Chengde) to celebrate Emperor Qianlong’s 70th birthday and Emperor Qianlong deemed that it showed the symbol of the golden era of the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, he issued an edict of emulating Tsang Tashilhunpo Monastery to build Xumi Fushou Temple as the palace for the sixth Panchen Lama in Rehe. The luxurious and magnificent temple built Jixiangfaxi Hall as bedroom and Miaogaozhuangyan Hall for preaching *sutras*. Before the sixth Panchen Lama had audience, Emperor Qianlong studied Tibetan in advance. When Emperor Qianlong met him, they greeted each other warmly in Tibetan and the Emperor listened to the sixth Panche Lama preaching *Longetivity Sutra* in the Miaogaozhuangyan Hall.
v1.c7.s3.t37.12
Gilded archway of the Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Chengde, Hebei, China
v1.c7.s3.t37.13
The rest of temples such as Guang’an Temple, The Hall of Arhan and Guangyuan Temple were all built for Mongolian and Tibetan aristocrats to have audience with the emperor in Rehe.
v1.c7.s3.t37.14
Out of 12 Tibetan Buddhist temples, the Hall of Arhan, Guang’an Temple and Pule Temple were administered by Imperial Clan Court and other nine temples (Puyou Temple affiliated to Puning Temple) set up eight administrative agencies and Qing Court sent monks. Tulergi golo be dasara jurgan was responsible for paying salary every month and a Lama office was set up to administer these monks. The Eight Outer Temples is a representative Buddhist temple complex as a fusion of India-China culture and architectural arts which should be learned from each other by India and China.
v1.c7.s3.t37.15
(*Kalsang gyal*)