Guiyuan Buddhist Temple (Temple of Original Purity)
Covering an area of about 46,900 square meters (approx. 55,812 square yards), Guiyuan Buddhist Temple is situated in the west section of Hanyang district in Wuhan City. Being one of the four best temples in Wuhan, the temple, which was originally established in 1658 in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), was initially built on the site of Wuzhangpu Kuiyuan in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The word 'Guiyuan' originates from a sutra, meaning to surpass the circumscription of existence and extinguishment, to return to purity and tranquility.
Though it is a construction of a Buddhist temple, it is also in a garden style. The distribution is compact and the design is delicate. The temple is interspersed by kiosks and parterres.
There are five courtyards in the temple: the eastern courtyard, the western courtyard, the southern courtyard, the northern courtyard, and the middle courtyard. The distribution of the temple is in the shape of a cassock. Initially, the temple was not completed, but was extended in the following several decades to reach its present scale.
(Source: 365road.com)
The eastern courtyard is the entrance of the temple in which a large, apricot-colored door opens towards the east, indicating the importance of forming kind relationships and saving all human beings from sufferings. On the lintel of the door, a tablet hangs with the name of the temple written on it.
After entering the temple, you can see the northern courtyard to your right in which the Amitabha, Kwan-yin Bodhisattva, and Dashizhi Bodhisattva are worshipped. Collectively they are called the 'three western saints'. The Wenshu Bodhisattva and Puxian Bodhisattva are also worshipped. The Sutra Collection Pavilion in the courtyard has a rich collection of cultural relics of Buddhism, figures of Buddha, religious paraphernalia, stone carvings, paintings, calligraphies, and books from abroad.
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