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 Kaiyuan
Monastery is located at Quanzhou City, Fujian Province. It was
built in the second year of Cuigong, Tang Dynasty (AC 686). The
main hall of the Monastery is called "The Great Hall of Purple
Clouds" with 9 rooms in width, 6 rooms in depth and 20 odd
meters in height.
On entering the Kaiyuan Monastery, the very
sight is the gallant Precious Hall of the Great Hero. It has three
characteristics: 1. There stand 5 huge Sakyamuni statues in a
row inside the hall, symbolizing the brilliance of Sakyamuni illuminating
east, west, north, south and middle; 2. There are 24 paintings
of colorful" Flying Apsaras" on the ceiling, whose molding
is different from that of the famous stone sculpture in Dunhuang
Caves. The "Flying Apsaras " in the Kaiyuan Monastery
have wings instead of ribbons; 3. There are 100 stone pillars
in the hall which are in such great numbers that are rare indeed.
In the rear hall behind the Precious Hall of
the Great Hero, there stands the statue of Visnu Bodhisattva on
the highest stand in serene dignity, occupying a commanding position,
unique in the world. Beneath Sakyamuni stands the statue of Avalokitesvara
with the statues of 8 attendant worriers standing on left and
right and altar of monkshood initiation in the front.
In between the front and rear halls of the
Precious Hall of the Great Hero, there grow two tall and sturdy
pipal trees with exuberant branches and leaves.
There is also a queer mulberry tree, which is
more than 1300 years old, perhaps the most longevous tree of its
kind in the world.
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