The Xingjiao Buddhist Temple

Xingjiao Temple, also known as the "Xingjiao Temple the Nation Guardian of Great Tang", is the head of the Grand Eight Temples of Fanchuan (famous Buddhist region of China in the Tang Dynasty 618-907), and it is one of the ancestral temples of the Eight Patriarchs of Chinese Buddhism. Located on the Shaoling Plain 20 kilometers south of Xi'an, the temple is also the burial place of Xuanzang, the famous translator and traveler of the Tang Dynasty.

Xingjiao Temple consists of three buildings, namely the hall, the Tibetan scripture building and the pagoda courtyard. The Mountain Gate, Bell Tower and Drum Tower, Main Hall, Dharma Hall and the Reclining Buddha Hall are all arranged on the central axis of the main courtyard, forming the main building of the temple.

Shanmen/the Mountain Gate ("Shanmen" takes its literal meaning of "Mountain Gate", and it is the most important gate of a Chinese Chan Buddhist temple)

The gate was built with bricks in shape of a pavilion, with five Chinese characters "Hu Guo Xing Jiao Si" (Xingjiao Temple the Nation Guardian) engraved on top of its front.

The Bell Tower in Xingjiao Temple

Passing the Mountain Gate, you will see the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower opposite to each other in the east and west.

The Main Hall (a common name for the main temple in Han Buddhist monasteries or places of worship)

Within the hall, there is a gilded seated statue of Sakyamuni cast in the Yuan Dynasty(1271-1368), a bronze Amitabha statue cast in the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644), and a white jade statue of Maitreya Buddha presented by Burma. Moreover, a bronze statue of Guanyin (a bodhisattva associated with compassion in East Asian) from the Tang Dynasty and a wood carved statue of Bodhisattva in the Ming Dynasty are on the west and east side respectively.

The Ci'en (Mercy and Kindness) Hall

Xikua Courtyard, also known as the Ci'en Tower Courtyard, is the place where the remains of Master Xuanzang and his disciples were buried.

The Sanzang (Xuanzang) Hall

There are exquisite reliefs in the main hall, which demonstrate Xuanzang's pilgrimage to India for Buddhist scriptures.

The Dabianjue Hall

Built in 1931, Dabianjue Hall is a place for monks to chant during the morning and evening. The statue of Master Xuanzang is enshrined in it.

 The Dharma Hall

The hall was built in 1929 and enshrines the bronze statue of Birobong Buddha in the Yuan Dynasty. The walls inside are inlaid with stone tablet engraved with the Diamond Sutra and the Buddha picture scroll in the Ming Dynasty.

 The Reclining Buddha Hall

The Reclining Buddha Hall, at the back of Dharma Hall, enshrines a 9-meter-long camphor wood carved reclining Buddha. The Buddha's body is covered with the glowing gold leaf, which lights up the entire hall.