海丝泉州景点英文介绍之开元寺：Kaiyuan-Temple

海丝泉州景点英文介绍之开元寺：KaiyuanTemple“…therewerethreethousandmonksandeleventhousandidols…Allthedisheswhichtheyoffertobeeatenarepipinghotsothatthesmokerisesupinthefaceoftheidols…Butallelsetheykeepforthemselvesandgobbleup.Andaftersuchfashionasthistheyreckonthattheyfeedtheirgodswell.”FriarOdoricTakealeftattheZhongshanRoadclocktowerandyou’llcometoKaiyuanTemple(builtin686A.D.),oneofChina’smostimportanttemplesand,at78,000squaremeters,Fujian’slargestreligiouscenter.Kaiyuan’sinexpensiveentryticketgainsyouaccesstohalfadozenotherfamoussites,includingatreethat’sabloomingmiracle.MiraculousMulberry-LotusTreeAccordingtolegend,Mr.HuangShougong(黄守恭),ownerofamulberryfield,dreamedthataBuddhistmonkaskedhimtodonatelandforatemple.Mr.Huangthrewoutafleece.“I’lldonatethelandifthismulberrytreeblossomswithwhitelotusflowers.”Threedayslater,whitelotusflowersbloomedonthemulberrytree.Mr.Huangsaid,“It’sabloomin’miracle!”andcededtheland.(ThoughgivenQuanzhoufolk’sprowessatmakingsilkflowers,IwonderifMr.Huangthoughttomakesurethelotusblossomswerereal?)KeyKaiyuanSitesKaiyuan’smainareasinclude“PurpleCloudsScreen,”“HallofHeavenlyDevarajas,”“GreatBuddhistHall,”“SweetDewAltarofPrecepts,”“Mini-kaiyuanTemple,”“HallofBenifence,”“GanlujieAltar,”whereBuddhistsunderwentritestobecomemonksandnuns.GanlujieAltaristhelargestandbestpreservedaltarofitskindinChina,withtheSupremeBuddhaLosanasittingonalotusplatformof1,000lotusleaves,eachhavingasixcentimeterengravedBuddha.TheBuddhisScriptureLibraryboastsover37,000volumesofrareBuddhistscripturesandrelics.TwocarvedstonepolesbearcarvingsofShivatdestroyer,amemberoftheHindutrinity(whichincludesBrahmaandVishnu).ThepolesweretransportedtoQuanzhoufromacollapsedIndiantemple.Butnooneseemstomindthemixedmotifs.Infact,ChinesetemplesoftenhaveBuddhist,ConfucianandTaoistidolsandritesinthesametemple,asifthemorethemerrier(orperhapstheyarejustcoveringalloftheirbases).LugangIronBellwascastin1837andpresentedtoKaiyuanTempleby46companiesofLugang,Taiwan.Supposedly,thebellissolouditcanbeheardallthewaytoLuoyangBridgeontheCoast.PurpleHazeandBuddhistAngelsPurplecloudssurrounedKaiyuan’s1,387squaremetersmainhallwhileunderconstruction,soitwasdubbedPurpleCloudHall.Thegreathallhad100granitepillars,soalsocalled100-Pillar-Hall.Butthehall’smostuniquefeatureisits24flyingbat-wingedangels——oneforeachdivisionofthetraditionalChinesesolaryear.BatssymbolizeevilanddeathforWesterners,butChinesethinktheyareluckybecause“bat”(fu，蝠)and“fortune”（fu,福）arehomonyms.Thebattyangels(or“wonderfulmusicbirds”)protrudefrompillarbracketsandhelpsupporttheuniquelycomplicatedbeamstructure.Theiroutstretchedarmsbearfruit,scholars’“fourtreasures”(writingbrush,ink,slab,inkstickandpaper),andtraditionalChinesemusicalinstruments.EastandWestPagodasEastandWestPagodasflankingKaiyuanTemplearethebestpreservedstonepagodasinChina.Theywerefirstbuiltofwoodandstone.ModeledafterthegreatwoodenpavilionsoftheCentralPlains,theyhavewithstood1000yearsofearthquakesandtourists,thankstotheirSongDynastyreconstruction,whichtook22years.TheEastPagoda(Zhenguo_——“nation-protecting”)wasbuiltofwoodin670A.D.Itwaslaterrebuiltasa48.24mstonepagoda.TheWestPagoda(Renshou——“meritandlongevity”)wasbuiltin916.Bothofthefivestoryoctagonalstructuresarecarvedtoptobottomwithvividreliefsculptures,andwarriorsarecarvedintothenichesofeachstory.LegendhasitthatwhentheEastPagodahadbeenbuiltuptothefourthlevel,abbotFaquandied,andtheremainingconstructionwassupervisedbyTianxi,amonkfromIndiawhohadcometoQuanzhoutopreachBuddhistscriptures.ThisresultedinanunusualmarriageofChineseandIndianmotifs,andabitofmonkeybusinessaswell.