Date:

The Two Fanjingshan Temples

Fanjingshan Temple is actually two temples, located on the “Red Clouds Golden Summit or Golden Peak” on Fanjingshan Mountain (also known as Mount Fanjing), the highest point of the Wuling Mountains in southwestern China.

Fenghuang Mountain is considered sacred for reaching enlightenment for the Maitreya Buddha (the “future Buddha”) in Chinese Buddhism, ranking just below the Four Sacred Mountains (Wǔtái Shān “Five-Platform Mountain”, Éméi Shān “High and Lofty Mountain”, Jǐuhuá Shān “Nine Glories Mountain”, and Pǔtuó Shān) of Buddhism.

- Advertisement -

It is not entirely known when the first temples were built at Fanjingshan, but historians suggest that they may have been constructed during the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century AD.

Image Credit : chp13579753CC BY-SA 2.0

During the 16th century, the Bozhou rebellion (a Miao uprising that occurred in Guizhou and spread to Sichuan and Huguang) resulted in various Buddhist temples being destroyed in the Fanjingshan region.

After the rebellion was suppressed, the Wanli Emperor (14th Emperor of the Ming dynasty) ordered the reconstruction of the Golden Peak with the Temple of the Buddha & Maitreya Temple.

The Temple of the Buddha is dedicated to the worship of Sakiymuni, representing the present, whilst the Maitreya temple represents the future. Both were built on a vertical pinnacle consisting of two peaks, connected by a stone bridge that traverses a large crevice called the gold sword gorge.

- Advertisement -

Header Image Credit : chp13579753 (edited)

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Medieval discoveries in Huttons Ambo

Archaeologists have made several new discoveries from the late medieval period during excavations in the Yorkshire village of Huttons Ambo, England.

Funerary structure and ceremonial offerings unearthed at Kuélap

Archaeologists from Peru’s Ministry of Culture have unearthed a chulpa type funerary structure during excavations at the northern zone of the Kuélap archaeological complex.

The ethereal fire of blue lava

Despite the name, blue lava is not actually molten lava, but rather an extremely rare natural phenomenon caused by the combustion of sulphuric gases emitted from certain volcanoes and fumarole vents.

Centuries-old shipwrecks uncovered in Varberg

Archaeological investigations in advance of the Varbergstunneln project have uncovered historical shipwrecks in Varberg, Sweden.

African figurines found in Israel reveal unexpected cultural connections

Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority and Cologne University have made an unexpected discovery in Israel’s Negev Desert: carved figurines with apparent African origins.

Ancient ritual drug use found at Chavín de Huántar

Archaeologists have identified traces of psychoactive plants used in ceremonial rituals at Chavín de Huántar in Peru’s Ancash Region.

“Bollock” shaped dagger among new discoveries at Gullberg fortress

A report on the recent excavations at Gullberg fortress is providing new insights into the history of one of Sweden’s most strategically important castles.

Roman coin hoard among largest discovered in Romania

A metal detectorist has unearthed a giant coin hoard from the Roman period near the village of Letţa Veche in southern Romania.