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The
Lingyin (Souls Retreat) Temple is one of the best known Buddhist monasteries
in China. It was built in 326 at the foot of Lingyin Mountain. The main
hall, 33.6 meters high, is one of China's tallest one-story buildings,
further distinguished by double eaves. A statue of Sakyamuni, carved out
of 24 pieces of camphor wood, stands 19.6 meters high in the main hall.
The foremost temple houses a laughing Buddha carved in camphor wood and
covered in gold; there is a carved gilt figure standing behind as a guard.
Both figures are set under a double-eave wooden canopy decorated in red
and gold. Ornate lamps hang on either side. In front of the hall are
two stone pagodas built during the Five Dynasties (907-960).
In the caves on the Feilai Hill, there are
some 300 Buddhist stone carvings dating back to the Five Dynasties, the
Song Dynasty (960-1279), and the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). These elegant
carvings are of high artistic value. With magnificent mountains and high
trees surrounding the monastery, the Lingyin Temple is a beautiful scenic
spot with numerous cultural relics to see.
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