Current Location : China Tour Operator >> China Attractions>> Chengde Attractions :

Temple of Universal Peace

The Temple of Universal Peace is located in the northeast of Chengde city. Built in 1755 A.D (QING Dynasty), the temple shows the Qing Dynasty's respect to the Minorities. It occupies an area of over 30,000 square meters. Because the temple houses a 22.28-metre statue of Avalokitesvara (Goddess of Mercy) with a thousand eyes and a thousand hands, it is also called Temple of the Great Goddess by the local people.

Inside the first courtyard of the temple is a pavilion containing a stela inscribed with the record of the temple's construction. The text, written in Han, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan, was written by Emperor Qianlong himself. Behind the Mahavira Hall (Daxiongbaodian) on a stone terrace approximately nine meters high, stand a group of halls that make the center of the temple.

In the Hall of the Great Vehicle (Dashengge), a giant statue 22.3 meters tall towers up through the building's five stories. Known as the Goddess of Mercy (Guanyin) with a Thousand Hands and a Thousand Eyes, it measures nearly 10 meters around the waist and weighs 110 tons. Each of the fingers on its 42 arms of the statue stands a smaller image, 1.2 meters tall, which according to tradition represents Guanyin' s teacher Amitabha. His position on top of Guanyin' s head denotes the high esteem in which he was held. It is the largest wooden statue in the world. Made with five different types of wood (pine, cypress, elm, fir and basswood), this enormous statue is one of the few remaining wooden Buddha in China.

The rest of the halls also contain a variety of interesting, though smaller statues. Many of these are housed in the East and West Chambers of the Main Hall, which originally served for the emperor to rest and listen to the chanting of the Buddhist scripture. The temple still remains pleasantly active, with a hive of red robed monks that can be seen in prayer in the early morning.


Chengde Related Information
Chengde Tour, Chengde One Day Tour, Chengde Package Tour, Chengde Hotels , Chengde Attractions